Cadex is a brand under the Giant umbrella, but the new Cadex 50 Ultra Disc wheels are not Giant's house brand wheelset. As we have mentioned in the past, Cadex's roots go back to the mid-80s. At the time, Giant was trying to build a carbon fiber bicycle frame and needed a group of people who could help them unburden themselves from the realities of day-to-day business.

Giant needed a moonshot group and Cadex was the answer. The brand then disappeared until 2019. This time, a variety of wheels appeared, but the mission statement remained the same. In their own words, "Cadex pursues what many consider improbable, even impossible." As the lineup has expanded since its initial release, this has continued to mean amazingly light weight and high aerodynamic performance.

Cadex wheels are our favorites, and we include 65mm depth in our list of best road bike wheels. However, until now, the brand's lineup has had holes in its most popular and newest depths. The Cadex 50 Ultra Disc wheel system expands the available wheel depth. The latest aerodynamic tricks and new aero optimized tires were brought to market to create a complete wheel system.

It makes sense to start with tires. This is because tires also influence wheel design. Like all Cadex wheels, the latest wheels feature a hookless design and focus on weight reduction and aerodynamics. Pushing these parameters as far as possible means thinking of the wheel in the context of a system, and while Cadex already has a tire on the market for general riding, to move the goalposts even further, it has developed the Cadex Aero tubeless tire.

Cadex has found that a more elliptical tire profile improves aerodynamics. The new tire works particularly well with the wider 22.4 mm internal profile of the latest wheels, giving the tire a more elliptical shape when inflated. For those seeking an advantage over other wheels, the brand states that "the optimized aero profile improves the overall aerodynamic performance of many production wheels."

Of course, aerodynamics is only part of the equation when discussing tires. Kadex Aero tubeless tires feature a Microfile tread combined with RR-A compound rubber, a silica-based tire compound that reduces rolling resistance by 15% compared to conventional Kadex tires, and is designed to be more durable in both wet and dry conditions. conditions and improved grip in both wet and dry conditions. The single-layer "Supple Race Casing (SRC)" provides a comfortable ride, while the "Race Shield Puncture Protection" incorporates Kevlar into the casing to provide cut-resistant material to deal with punctures.

When it comes to aerodynamics, every new wheel claims to be the fastest, but Cadex has a fairly transparent and rigorous testing procedure along with its claims. It is a four-step process that tests Cadex products against industry leaders in controlled tests. The first step was a Cadex 50 Ultra Disc, Enve SES 5.6, Zipp 454 NSW, DTSwiss 50 Arc 1100, and Roval Rapide CLX paired with the same Cadex aero tires. The next test combines the same wheels with different tires; the third test uses Giant Propel Advanced SL discs to measure the aerodynamics of the full system. In the final test, wheels and tires will be from Cadex, and three industry-leading race bikes will replace the Giant Propel. Although the wheels used are not all the latest versions, Cadex has shown improvement in all cases.

To achieve these results, the Cadex 50 Ultra Disc wheelset relies on several innovations. None is more noticeable than the redesigned carbon spoke system. Carbon spokes are not a new innovation in the Cadex wheel lineup, but they are dramatically wider in this generation. While the basic construction with bonded alloy nipples remains the same, the "Super Aero Carbon Spoke" design provides the basis for increased stiffness as well as improved aerodynamics.

Less noticeable, but equally important, are the hubs used on the Cadex 50 Ultra Disc wheelset. While it continues to be ratcheting and looks similar to the Cadex 65 hub, the Cadex R3-C40 is the third generation of the Cadex hub design. Externally, it is optimized for aerodynamic performance, while internally it has 40 teeth with Cadex ceramic bearings. It also boasts a volume that surpasses that of the Chris King.

The wheelset weight is 1,349 g, compared to 1,316 g for our test sample. The updated hubs and spokes are contributed by the use of Dynamic Balance Racing (DBL) technology. This system uses wider bracing angles to equalize spoke tension during pedaling. The result is "the highest lateral stiffness of any of its rivals." The front and rear wheels have similar figures, outperforming the Zipp 454 NSW by 18.8% and the Roval Rapide CLX by 40.6%, while still weighing less.

Lateral stiffness determines how the wheel deflects side to side under lateral loads, but it is the transfer stiffness that determines responsiveness. When pedaling force is applied, the wheel is subjected to torsion, and the resistance to this force determines the responsiveness of the wheel. Cadex claims superiority here as well, stating that "the Cadex 50 Ultra Disc outperforms the next best by over 27%."

It is being launched globally today and will soon be available at Cadex dealers worldwide andwww.cadex-cycling.com