Cadex 50 Ultra Disc wheels: Light *and* aero (but not cheap!) wheels tested at US Masters Nationals

Cadex 50 Ultra Disc wheels: Light and aero (but not cheap!) wheels tested at US Masters Nationals

Рет қаралды 22,220

Жыл бұрын

Light, aero, cheap - pick two.
Cadex has a new aero wheelset with bladed carbon spokes that weighs a claimed 1,349g - lighter than wheels from ENVE, Roval, Bontrager and Shimano of a similar rim depth. Further, Cadex claims these new 50 Ultra Disc wheels are faster in terms of aerodynamic drag than the ENVEs, Rovals, and Bontragers (Shimanos weren't tested).
I don't have a wind tunnel to test aero-drag claims, but I do have 20+ years experience as a cycling journalist, and I tested these wheels for a few weeks including at the road race at the USA Cycling Masters National Championships outside my old hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. That course featured rollers, wind, a variety of surface conditions and the painfully steep Heartbreak Hill; in short, the course was one where you wanted an aero setup that was also lightweight.
More info (not an affiliate link!):
www.cadex-cycling.com/global/...

Пікірлер: 89

@guantisengkun4342 11 ай бұрын

I’ve bought and used this wheel. Having tried many high end wheels (Campy Ultra60, Dt Arc1100, Roval CLX2, Zipp 454 v2 C50 and more). This Cadex is by far the best of the best. It’s a PR monster. Ultra fast and smooth. Who cares about “being too stiff” when you are running tubeless.

@nostalgiablues3408 7 ай бұрын

Is it normal that when i squeeze the rims they flex? Shouldnt it be pretty stiff? I just bought them

@joshhiggins4723 Жыл бұрын

Excellent review, these are going on my new 2023 propel

@alves81 Жыл бұрын

Major kudos, the scenery, middle off a climb. Brilliant great view

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it.

@stevocanuck 4 ай бұрын

Cadex wheels are so gorgeous to look at

@BenZCardiff Жыл бұрын

Love the content you are pushing out Ben. And great name too btw! Any chance we might see some version of a “favorite tires for XYZ terrain or race” anytime soon? I’m guessing you have tried so many tires recently you could eloquently compare many of the ‘best’ options available today. I’d love to see that and geek out with you.

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Hey Ben - We have a good name! What can I say? Yes - best/fav road and gravel tires are coming up this winter. Thanks for the suggestion. Keep 'em coming!

@rickbeckner9906 Жыл бұрын

Nice review! Enjoying your new channel. As for Giant distancing itself from Cadex, I assume it is for two reasons: first, Giant wants to be known as good value for money but these wheels are very pricey (not saying they aren’t good) and second, Giant wants to people that own non-Giant bikes to buy them - someone who owns a Specialized or Trek bike won’t want to have “Giant” wheels. Ps, if enough people like and subscribe will you buy a wind tunnel? 😎

@valiantabello Жыл бұрын

I think you're right

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Yep, all valid points. Re wind tunnel - man, if I get to a point with this channel where I can buy *time* in a wind tunnel I will be doing a happy dance.

@rickbeckner9906 Жыл бұрын

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney ha. Will look forward to that video.

@drouleau Жыл бұрын

I'm still partial to my Winspace Hyper 50's (first edition) in rim brake.....1,350 grams, fast and stiff. Over 4,000 miles later and still no issues and on the stock bearings. I only paid $900 for them as well. Worst (and ironically, most expensive) wheels I've ever used were my Enve 3.4's with Chris King hubs about 6 years ago - they were like riding a wet noodle and horrendous in crosswinds. I would have to open up my rim brakes fully so the brake rub would be minimal. I wasn't too happy nor impressed for a $3k wheelset, and gladly sold them after Enve rebuilt them with DT Competition spokes to stiffen them up a bit.

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience. Definitely not the first yay vote for Winspace.

@LoaforDie Жыл бұрын

Really like the Roval Rapide with the different depth front and rear. It definitely has helped me with my top line and average speed.

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Physics is a thing, right? As the guy who - with Mark Cote - coined the phrase 'aero is everything' when at Specialized, I'm a believer.

@LoaforDie Жыл бұрын

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney I believe that too. That’s their goal these days. Like the Rapide and other deep dish wheels. Say a prayer for your front wheel when it’s super windy out. I’ve had a few scary times when the wind would just move pretty easily left and right depending on the wind and I’m not that lightweight. Oh well, goes with the territory.

@juddridesbikes Жыл бұрын

love that you are wearing the top gun hat :D

@josemanuelriveroandreusala9273 Жыл бұрын

Excellent video! How about making a video of your National Master´s race? That seemed interesting.......

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Thank you. I think more people are interested in the gear than the race - but I like incorporating events as real-life context. My teammate got third and I got eighth that day - and the route went right by my parents’ house so that was fun. 😄

@ericmagee9054 Жыл бұрын

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney well I for one very much enjoy seeing POV footage of KZfaqrs such as yourself riding! Hopefully one day you’ll incorporate more of that into your channel, although editing + the post-production work involved in several hours of cycling footage can’t be a quick or easy process so if there are limited returns in that I understand! As always I love your content! Keep churning it out Mr Delaney :)

@winds10 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the overview and impressions. Can you do a review on the Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels?

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Thank you. I have a list of bikes I want to get through for reviews and then I can start doing reviews on wheels.

@daydreaming_aristocrat 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for the review! The Cadex wheels or Enve 5.6? And what kind of saddle bag are you using there?

@user-rq3hk5sq2u Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your review ! Btw, can you share which handlebar you use? It looks really good.

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

My pleasure. That is a PRO model; that Tarmac is a Shimano loaner for the 12spd Dura-Ace, so they put the PRO bar/stem on.

@brunch43 Жыл бұрын

let me know if you need a second opinion on these wheels

@dimasfajar7895 16 күн бұрын

yes

@quantumdecoherence1289 Жыл бұрын

Great review but ended up getting the Hunt 50mm disc wheels for $800. Saved a bunch.

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Cool. I really respect the team at Hunt. Good folks over there.

@PiratePhD Жыл бұрын

Loved the flinch when you were inflating the tire. I do the same.

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

You know it’s coming, but still…

@antonioCsilveira Жыл бұрын

Hey Ben, what about the Hunt wheels? I like how Hunt make light and affordable wheels, but would love your take on them.

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Will review them soon. In short - they are pretty rad. Solid engineering and direct pricing is a great combo.

@madrx2 Жыл бұрын

I like the hub when on shared bike trails, I no longer need my bell, I just freewheel and people can hear me coming from ages away.

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

lol

@holdenc1006 8 ай бұрын

Hi, i’m a new subscriber; another inevitable question is whether it’s possible to seat the tire on this wheel using only a floor pump (which you’ve almost adressed to but not quite:) thank you

@TheRidewithBenDelaney 8 ай бұрын

Let me go try for you. Most wheel/tire combos will require a compressor or a boost/charge pump where you build up pressure in a chamber and then release it. Bontrager, Topeak and others make these. One trick is to remove the valve core so more air goes through faster. Sometimes that works on a regular pump. Another option is putting a little Schrader adapter on the valve and going to a gas station. Lemme go try…

@TheRidewithBenDelaney 8 ай бұрын

Yep! I deflated the rear and pulled both beads down into the center channel. Then I pumped it up with a Specialized Airtool floor pump and it snapped into place just fine.

@holdenc1006 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion. I just bought those wheels -probably the last pair in Brisbane- ; thank you so much for the experiment below:)@@TheRidewithBenDelaney

@8rk 11 ай бұрын

Damnnn. I'm waiting on my propel and these wheels and didn't realize how loud they were. I'm one of the rare "love a quiet hub" kinda riders so it's a little unfortunate. Probably not gonna break the deal but I'll feel pretty obnoxious in public freewheeling.

@thomasb.7210 Жыл бұрын

HI Ben thanks for the brillant movie! Excuse my English-its not perfect. Have you ever driven the Lightweight Meilenstein Disc wheels?Are the cadex similar good?Many thanks!Greetings Thomas PS Do you have another buying advice for a disc wheel set for the new pinarello dogma F in a price range beetween 3000 and 5000 pounds/euros?

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Hi Thomas. It's been years since I have ridden Lightweight, but yes, they are actually pretty similar - very high-end wheels with carbon spokes and phenomenal acceleration. Both of those are great options. For where I live and ride, I really like ENVE wheels, particularly the 3.4 AR. Aero but not hard to handle. Nice and wide for multiple tire-width options. Enjoy your new Dogma F!

@milito04 Жыл бұрын

I have the Rapides CLXii now... Are the cadex faster ? And how would they compare with crosswind, acceleration, carrying speed ?

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

They are pretty darn similar in terms of feel on all those points. In a wind tunnel, I'm sure you could tease out tiny variations, with one set performing better at a certain yaw range and the other perhaps better at other angles.

@nostalgiablues3408 7 ай бұрын

Is it normal that when i squeeze the rim, it flexes? I just bought it

@jimc5696 11 ай бұрын

Curious what the one-piece bar stem combo Ben has on his SL7? (ITs not the stock 2 piece part)

@TheRidewithBenDelaney 11 ай бұрын

It's a PRO cockpit. That bike was a Shimano Dura-Ace 12spd demo, so Shimano put its own bar/stem on there.

@Maxibsa 4 күн бұрын

Can you also run them with a Tube ?

@user-gf8vp1jo9h Жыл бұрын

Which freehub sound is louder, the DTswiss ratchet EXP hub or the CADEX original hub?

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

The Cadex, by a mile.

@user-gf8vp1jo9h Жыл бұрын

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney Is the CADEX hub louder?

@AllanPhillips Жыл бұрын

Since the wheels are hookless, should you not be running the tyres at 73psi or less?

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Good question, and with some wheels that is the case. Cadex designed the wheels and tires together, in part for the purpose of being able to run higher pressures. The new Rovals are the same way. Cadex and ENVE have “don’t use” lists of certain tires that they have found to be incompatible at high pressure. Bead diameter and bead stretch are the critical things here. Cadex tests tires at 150% of their max printed pressure. ENVE has a similar test.

@desmondfletcher Жыл бұрын

Cadex marketing discusses the lateral stiffness for their wheels. I gave up my Hunt wheels because they are really squirrelly laterally (very unnerving on descents. Can you discuss your experience with these wheels wrt lateral stiffness? Thx

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Which Hunts did you have? The Cadex are super stiff laterally and the wind up is similarly snappy.

@seanmccuen6970 Жыл бұрын

what do you weigh?

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

@@seanmccuen6970 185lb

@seanmccuen6970 Жыл бұрын

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney Yeah, noticed you mentioned that in the vid, and I appreciate the context. I wanna' know what Desmond weighs based on what he said about descending on his Hunts.

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

@@seanmccuen6970 Oh shoot, sorry about that. I replied to the comment on the back end of KZfaq and missed who you were asking.

@BikeLife154 Жыл бұрын

I just ordered a canyon Grizl CF 7 and the whole bike is less than the Cadex wheelset alone. I know they are two different things, but I am NEVER going to pay that much for a wheelset unless I become a millionaire! And yes, I love road riding. I also love riding fast! These companies can keep dreaming with their prices and I will continue to boycott so called halo products.

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

I hear you.

@Godspeed961 5 ай бұрын

Can you put tubes on these?

@jcagara08 Жыл бұрын

Great to see Howard Hamlin continuing on life as a Cyclist...Better Call Saul Albuquerque, NM loves him

@lopacinski_ 8 ай бұрын

How about crosswinds? I feel like the wheels are very unstable...

@TheRidewithBenDelaney 8 ай бұрын

Compared to other 50mm wheels? Or to shallow wheels? I feel like they are pretty darn stable for 50s.

@lopacinski_ 8 ай бұрын

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney I compared them only with zipp 303s so far and zipps seems to be much much stable. With cadex in need be fully focused on descents where wind can hit. Both running gp5000s tr 28c and 4bar. I bet its due to wider spokes. On my winspace d33 with 25mm gp5000s tr i forgot what crosswinds are :P Overall they're very very stiff which i love and my only concern is rear hub. Feels like it stops rear wheel :/

@songbanksl Жыл бұрын

No DT SWISS ARC1100 50DB??

@aneczka2114 Жыл бұрын

Pick elite wheels for all three maybe?

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

I need to do a 'best of' aero wheels soon...

@JFomo Жыл бұрын

I don't have a giant bike, will cyclist judge me if I put these on my Tarmac? 😣 My Zipp 404s' suck.

@ciw8688 Жыл бұрын

do what you like, u are the one that ride your bike, not the people

@AllenGuan2023 10 ай бұрын

I’m going to put them on my Madone slr to replace the rsl51,so just do whatever you like and fk them.

@guineapig13 7 ай бұрын

80psi? And the fact it’s not mentioned, do you realise these are hookless and therefore max pressure is capped at 72 psi? Lovely looking wheels but missing the key fact they’re hookless is quite amazing.

@TheRidewithBenDelaney 7 ай бұрын

Glad you brought that up. Yes, they are hookless, but no, max pressure is not capped at 72psi, in particular when using Cadex tires. They have lists of approved and non-approved tires on their site, which they tested at 1.5x their listed max pressures. www.cadex-cycling.com/us/hookless-rim-technology

@guineapig13 7 ай бұрын

Not strictly true, and this is where the waters get a bit muddy. According to the ETRTO standard on which all tubeless and hookless wheels are now generally made, these ‘guidelines’ limit maximum tire pressure for Tubeless Straight Sidewall (TSS) aka 'Hookless' type rims to 65psi (30mm & above) and 72.5psi (28mm & below). Just saying, it’s an important point to mention in any wheel review especially where they are hookless :)

@fredericdegraef7109 Жыл бұрын

To bad Winspace Hypers are not in this review.

@joris818 Жыл бұрын

I just ordered my 2023 Giant Propel (should be getting it this week). I now own the Winspace D67 wheelset but I can't help but lust after the Cadex wheels !

@tyester Жыл бұрын

🙋‍♂Who else got crushed by Ben yesterday at the Boat? 🤣

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

SBT is a great event, right? Video on that and the gear I tested coming up!

@tyester Жыл бұрын

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney First time in Steamboat, first time riding those roads, it was AMAZING! Also congrats on the Blue course!

@woolfel Жыл бұрын

those wheels look nice, but way too expensive for my wallet. Giant is the only one with their own carbon fiber loom. no one else takes raw strands to produce prepreg sheets.

@sarahtoustra7127 Жыл бұрын

Hookless rims? Seriously?

@stevegoldstein3093 Жыл бұрын

Woof - A lot of weights, specs, company claims, talking points, and first ride impressions. Liberate yourself! You're not working for the industry publications anymore nor have to serve a suppliers' / advertiser's needs on product launch day. You can do better than this and I hope you do.

@TheRidewithBenDelaney Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. What sort of presentation would you like to see? I want to include comparisons to other products because I think that’s valuable - and certainly not part of the launch package. 😁 On timing, I am still keen to be right on time for my own self interest. Thanks!

@stevegoldstein3093 Жыл бұрын

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney Strip out the company claims, talking points, and product specs. Let the trade pubs do that. Ride the wheels long enough, in different situations and back to back with other wheelsets so you become locked in on performance differences rather than design ones. Put your viewers' interests at the forefront rather than your own.

@quantumdecoherence1289 Жыл бұрын

Why don't you start your own channel?