Originally published at: CADEX IMPROVES THE “WHOOSH WHOOSH” - Slowtwitch News
CADEX has doubled down on the first generation of the Max Aero Disc and CADEX Aero 4-Spoke Wheel Systems, or as I call them, the “whoosh whoosh wheels”, (the sound that most everyone will know and love when riding on a carbon bladed wheel). In the sport of football (the American one) it’s Bigger, Faster and Stronger. In the “real” sport of cycling, it’s Stronger, Lighter and Stiffer. And CADEX is going after it. The first thing I noticed is they’ve changed the exposed finish from 18k to 1k, which gives it a sleeker appearance, and I feel that will go well with any bike they’re put on. It also helps justify the price tag, and what CADEX is trying to achieve here. To put it more simply: 1K (1,000 filaments per Tow) is superior to 18K (18,000 filaments per Tow) when it comes to weight and smoothness. So, when you are trying to build something that is Stonger, Lighter and Stiffer, 1K Carbon > 18k Carbon.
FULL SPECS FOR THE 4 SPOKE WHEELS
- Rim Material Ultralight 1K Full Composite
- Rim Height 50mm (front), 65mm (rear)
- Rim Outer Width 30mm (front), 32mm (rear)
- Rim Inner Width 22.4mm
- Front Hub CADEX R3-C Hub, Centerlock
- Rear Hub CADEX R3-C40 Hub, 40T Ratchet Driver, Centerlock
- Hub Compatibility SRAM XDR / Shimano HG / Campagnolo
- Bearing CADEX Ceramic
- Axle 100×12 Thru Axle (front), 142×12 Thru Axle (rear)
- Weight w/o valve 880g (front), 1047g (rear)
- Warranty Lifetime (registered original owner only)
- Incident Replacement 5 years (registered original owner only)
Looking at the specs, we can see that the technology has stayed the same, although Giant have also increased the warranty to “lifetime,” instead of “5 years,” and incident coverage to “5 years” instead of “2 years.” Which means they are either backing their changes or they have figured out, over the last three years, that these wheels just don’t have issues. Regardless, that’s a great improvement over the last version.
As we all know, lateral stiffness is critical to performance as no one wants the feeling of a wheel flexing underneath them. With the advancement of tubeless and hookless rims, we now have the ability to have a very stiff wheel without the noticeable feel of the old tubular at 200 PSI.
While it’s not in the press release, we did see these at the press event last night and, to be frank, it’s the direction they are going with tire sizes and it’s a very welcome one.
We have written about these wheels in the past, and I’ve been able to spend quite a bit of time on the current CADEX 4 spoke wheel set, and they’re relatively stiff. When out of the saddle and cornering they give confidence. If you induce enough side load, you’ll know they are, in fact, deflecting a bit, but that takes a lot of effort.
Having the closest aerodynamic performance possible to that provided by a disc wheel, along with the stiffness to sprint and corner, is something road and crit racers alike are looking for. What used to only be known as a tt/triathlon wheelset will now be fair game for other areas, including on gravel.
And yes.. Doesnt everyone test out really fast carbon fiber wheels with big gravel tires on hundreds of miles of Limestone gravel?
In closing, it’s important to compare the performance of these wheels to others. Keep in mind that a traditional steel spoked wheel has a good amount of give and wind up based on how it’s laced. Something people often experience and hear is the sound of spokes popping and clicking as they deflect and rub while transferring power. (Climbing out of the saddle is a great example of this.) With a stiff carbon bladed wheel, this is no longer an issue or concern. The sensation of being pushed forward as you leave the saddle, or put out higher effort, will propel you forward almost effortlessly. This gives the rider instant gratification and confidence in the power they’re producing to move forward.
Now to the biggest change in the wheelsystem: the Max Aero Disc
Gone are the days of a hollow or foam-filled disc. Adding spokes to improve transmission and lateral stiffness, the new Disc can be adjusted and tensioned internally. The rear hub is now the R3-C40 20h, designed to put spokes at a wider angle, which helps with load balancing. With this change, they’re able to lighten up the cover sheet of carbon and drop the wheel weight to 1,000g, down from the previous 1,154g. It’s all about checks and balances, and they’ve been able to make it lighter and stiffer by putting more effort into redesigning the wheel, rather than sticking with older technology. As far as numbers go, comparing it to the Aero Disc, the Max Aero Disc is 54.3% stiffer laterally and 20.2% better on the transmission side. When looking at stiffness-to-weight ratio, the Max is 78.1% stiffer laterally and 38.7% stiffer in transmission. This will lead to a much more efficient wheel, both in stats and in feeling when riding.
1K fiber up close
FULL SPECS
- Rim Material Ultralight 1K Full Composite
- Rim Outer Width 28.4mm
- Rim Inner Width 22.4mm
- Hub CADEX R3-C40, Ratchet Driver, Centerlock One-piece
- integrated hub and spokes
- Hub Compatibility SRAM XDR / Shimano HG / Campagnolo
- Bearing CADEX Ceramic
- Axle 142×12 Thru Axle
- Spokes Hidden Reinforced CADEX Aero Carbon Spoke
- Lacing DBL, 20H
- Nipple Hidden Integrated Alloy Nipple
- Weight w/o valve 1,000g (with Shimano freehub)
- Warranty Lifetime (registered original owner only)
- Incident Replacement 5 years (registered original owner only)
“These are the fastest wheel and tire combo I have even been on,” said Team Jayco AlUla rider Luke Plapp.
We have some exciting stuff to dive into later today on what LIV and GIANT have released as well. But just in case here is a teaser …
To sum it all up: CADEX didn’t have that much to improve on when it came to the 4 spoke. The first generation’s variants have been great and perform phenomenally in all conditions and situations. That said, I do believe the improvements made on the set has opened the door to make it a viable wheel set in many more scenarios. In a world where every watt and gram counts, CADEX continues to strive for gains.
