Cadex 65 Disc Tubeless Wheels

The Cadex 65 Disc tubeless wheels are fast, with impressive stats and aerodynamic claims, but stability in the wind can be a problem. And though they feel brilliant at times, they also deliver quite a harsh ride, compromising comfort and performance on longer rides.

If you're interested in the Cadex 65 Discs, check out our guide to the best road bike wheels for more options.

> Buy now: Cadex 65 Disc tubeless wheels for £2,499.98 from Cyclestore

Cadex is a high-end in-house brand of Giant bikes, and its wheelsets sit a tier above the Giant-branded wheels available. The 65 is the deepest of the range, with a hookless rim that is designed to work alongside the Cadex Aero tyre for maximum aerodynamic performance and speed.

As the name suggests, the wheels have a 65mm rim profile front and rear, and while deep rims can often mean an increase in weight, these measure up impressively on the scales at 1,550g, achieved in part by using carbon spokes. They're also available to buy separately, front and rear, giving you the potential to mix depths should you wish.

Unlike many, Cadex still offers a rim brake option in addition to the disc brake model on test. Both are tubeless, with a hookless rim bead that measures 22.4mm internally and 26mm externally. While the internal diameter is on a par with many modern wheels, and conforms to the latest ETRTO guidelines for 25mm tyres (the Cadex Aero is only available in a 25mm width), the external width is the opposite: other premium wheelset options from the likes of Zipp, Hunt, ENVE and Roval – and Giant with its SLR wheel range – all push 30mm or above.

The 65 Discs are built with 21 spokes on the front wheel, laced one-cross on the non-drive side, radial on the drive side, and with 24 spokes on the rear, laced three-cross on the drive side, and one-cross on the brake/non-drive side. Cadex has a name for the lacing: DBL technology. DBL stands for Dynamic Balanced Lacing, and is claimed to provide optimal tension for the forces applied through pedalling and braking. Mechanics and riders handy with a spanner will be pleased to see the use of external alloy nipples, as these should make any adjustments required over time easier.

Cadex markets the hubs as Low Friction, and featuring precision-sealed cartridge bearings. The rear wheel is available with either a Shimano HG or SRAM XDR freehub body, or Campagnolo for an additional cost, and the steel bearing hubs do spin beautifully.

Cadex doesn't give a figure for the freehub ratchet, but I counted 80 points which, if correct, would equal a 4.5-degree pickup. Fans of louder freehubs will be happy, as it is very noticeably loud when freewheeling.

Cadex is clearly trying to establish itself as a high-end brand, with the wheels arriving in a very well-presented box. Everything from the chunky cardboard to the contents and parts required for fitting all give the impression of a boutique component.

Installation and tyre fitting

Removing the wheels from the chunky box, two things stand out: first, the overall low weight – they feel very light in the hand for such a deep rim – and the chunky carbon spokes, which have an aero profile in the centre but a thick appearance at each end.

Carbon is increasingly being used as a material for spokes, with Hunt also using it in its Limitless UD range of wheels, and Scribe in its Élan wheelsets. All three make similar claims of increased strength and lower weight.

You can use the 65 Discs with any tyre compatible with hookless carbon rims. I tested them with the Cadex Aero tyres in a 25mm width, the only option.

In the product manual Cadex strongly recommends not using a tyre lever, but despite that it does provide a lever with each wheel. This has a narrow hook and a slim design, but there's nothing fundamentally different to other levers that I can see; still, better to play safe and stick with using it, or Giant's Tyre Installation tool.

The recommendation against using a tyre lever is almost certainly because of the minimal wall thickness of 1.8mm. Fitting the Aero 25mm tyres wasn't too difficult, but I did need to use the provided lever, with care.

With the tyres fitted, they inflated without a problem using a normal track pump, and maintained good pressure throughout testing, losing around 10psi over the course of two weeks.

I also fitted a Schwalbe Pro One, which was slightly easier, although again I used the provided tyre lever, and tried fitting a Continental GP5000 TR but gave up for risk of damaging the rim. I suspect it's possible to fit one of the Cadex or Schwalbe tyres without a lever, but it would require someone with stronger thumbs than me.

Performance

From the first pedal strokes, the wheels have an instant feel of stiffness and responsiveness. They replaced a pair of similar depth that you would not describe as flexy, but even so there was a marked difference in how they felt when accelerating. It's hard to say if there is a real-world performance benefit, but the feeling alone makes them stand out.

The wheels were perfectly straight and stayed true throughout the test, and are almost certainly pre-tensioned as there were no pinging sounds from the spokes on initial accelerations, which is often the case with new wheels.

The weight is low for deep-section wheels, with an actual weight of 1,550g (690g front, 860g rear) including tape and valves installed, against a claimed 1,501g. This compares well with claims for other premium wheelsets such as the Roval Rapide CLX II at 1,520g, Zipp 858 NSW at 1,530g, Hunt 60 Limitless UD at 1,551g and Scribe Élan 60 at 1,518g. The low weight makes them feel good on the climbs, especially combined with barely any sideways flex.

Cadex has taken a different aerodynamic approach to other brands, with that narrower external rim design, and this is very noticeable with the Aero 25 tyres installed, inflating to a true width of 26.2mm and giving a continuous look from tyre through to rim. As fast as the wheels feel, it would be great to have a wind tunnel to test and see which approach is faster. Cadex doesn't make any claims.

Though they feel fast, the wheels can be a handful at times in the wind. All wheels of this depth will be impacted by crosswinds to some extent, but even on moderately breezy days the Cadex 65 Discs could become a handful and tended to snatch while riding, with any gateways or areas of disturbed wind being the biggest problem. The movement can be unnerving at times, and it also uses up energy, having to fight against it. I would consider myself a confident descender but found myself holding back on faster downhills just in case the wheels caught a gust. Occasionally on flatter sections, I held off reaching for a drink or food for similar reasons.

Could the flush tyre-to-rim fit be a factor? In my recent experience on two other deep-section rims, the Giant SLR2 and Hollowgram KNØT 64, both feature a rim width that is greater than the diameter of the tyre, and they feel more stable in all wind directions and speeds.

The feeling of stiffness and responsiveness remained impressive throughout the test, but the sideways stiffness is echoed vertically, and they are not the most comfortable wheels to ride. The use of a 25mm tyre might be partly to blame, although the Aeros do have a good specification, with a 170tpi casing, and I ran them at 73psi, the lowest recommended pressure for my weight based on the Cadex tyre pressure guide. 

> How to choose the best bike tyre pressure — balancing speed, comfort and grip

The pressure and tyre width are similar to other setups I use, but they still felt harsh in comparison, and on less-than-perfect roads you can really feel the vibrations in your hands, which can take its toll on longer rides.

You could use a wider tyre, but this might impact aerodynamic performance, with Cadex recommending 25mm tyres for maximum aero gains.

Value & conclusion

The steps Giant has taken to put the Cadex 65 in among other premium wheelset options have worked to a large extent, with the build quality, presentation, and materials such as the carbon spokes creating a seriously fast wheelset.

The world of high-priced, premium wheelsets is competitive, though, with many well-reviewed options. The £2,499.99 price and specification are almost exactly the same as the top-of-the-range Roval Rapide CLX II wheelset (Specialized also offers the Roval Rapide CL II version – as tested by Nick earlier this year – for £1,500, despite it sharing the same carbon rim).

You can pay more – Zipp's 858 NSW and ENVE's 6.7 SES are both well above £3,000, showing there is clearly a market for exotic wheels – but you don't necessarily need to. Stu reviewed Hunt's 48 Limitless Aero Discs in 2020 and thought they were excellent, and its 60 Limitless Aero Discs are £1,299 while Scribe's Élan 60-Ds are £1,190.

What the figures and specifications can't give is a true reflection of both comfort and real-world performance. The Cadex 65 Discs are rapid but can also feel harsh, with lots of the road surface feeding back to your hands. Perhaps the biggest downside is their performance in the wind, and they can become a real handful, even at wind speeds where you wouldn't expect problems. The specification of the wheelset ticks almost every box, but for £2,500 you might hope for perfection.

Verdict

Absolutely rapid wheels, but stiffness in all directions costs comfort