New: CADEX Max 50 wheels and Aero tires, our first test

CADEX, Giant’s sister brand, introduces the Max 50 wheels and Aero tire, expanding its range of high-end products already proven in competition at the highest level. We were able to conduct a first test of this ambitious set through which CADEX aims to push the boundaries of road performance, with a system conceived as a whole, where every detail targets a single objective: going faster.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: Courtesy

With the Max 50, CADEX delivers 50 mm mid-profile carbon wheels that embody its most accomplished vision of performance engineering. The approach is comprehensive: optimized aerodynamics, high stiffness, and contained mass in impressive proportions. Announced at only 1250 g per pair, the Max 50 position themselves among the lightest references in their category for a disc brake and tubeless compatible model.

Aerodynamic Hubs and Carbon Spoking

The work begins at the heart of the system with an aerodynamic CADEX front hub and a CADEX R3 rear hub integrating a 48-tooth ratchet mechanism, ensuring fast and direct engagement. The assembly is combined with Max Super Aero carbon spoking technology integrated into the hub. There are 16 spokes at the front and 24 at the rear, with Dynamic Balanced Lacing designed to balance tensions dynamically and ensure maximum steering precision under stress. The promise is clear: optimize power transmission while limiting drag.

The carbon rim adopts a hookless design according to Giant Hookless and Tubeless technology, with an internal width of 22.4 mm. This technical choice aims to improve aerodynamic continuity between the rim and the tire, while enhancing stability and control, especially at high speeds. The carbon lay-up, announced as precisely reinforced, seeks to reconcile efficiency, durability, and handling control. The set is compatible with Shimano and Sram XDR freehub bodies. Priced at 3998 €, the Max 50 are clearly aimed at a demanding audience, competitors or enthusiasts seeking measurable gains.

Tires as a Complement

As a direct complement to these wheels, CADEX launches the Aero tire, specifically developed to work in perfect synergy with the Max 50 profile. Here again, the approach is systemic. The design adopts a taller and wider shape, with refined shoulder grooves designed to optimize airflow around the complete wheel and reduce drag. The 240 TPI casing contributes to lower rolling resistance while helping to contain the weight, announced at 220 g in 700×28 tire width and 280 g in 700×30.

Compatible with Giant Hookless and Tubeless technology, the Aero tire displays a pressure range between 70 and 95 psi. It features a carbon-Kevlar tire bead, an RR-A compound tread, and a Super Race Casing incorporating Race Shield puncture protection, technology proven by the brand in competition. Marketed at 89 €, it completes a set conceived as a coherent performance system, where aerodynamic efficiency, performance, and reliability must work in concert.

Our First Test of CADEX Max Wheels and Aero Tires

Over two hilly and demanding rides (including one of 90 km and 1700 m of elevation gain), we were able to conduct a first test of the CADEX Max wheels and Aero tires. Enough to get a first impression, without being able to draw definitive conclusions, since both rides were completed with a new bike and without being able to make a direct comparison with other known wheels.

Nevertheless, the first qualifiers that come to mind are lightness, stiffness, and stability. On a thirty-minute climb of a pass with small gears, the CADEX Max are never penalizing, as their weight flirts with the lightest models on the market. This is remarkable for wheels with 50 mm rim depth. Their lateral stiffness is perfectly consistent with that of a modern race frame: whether climbing at a steady pace with linear watt production or starting sharply, one never feels the slightest sensation of floating. Conversely, I didn’t find the hyper-nervous side of the carbon-spoked wheels I tested recently, with a small “whip effect” that encourages changes in pace. Finally, in fast descents or straight sections exposed to the wind, their stability allows for perfect bike control. They are very reassuring to ride, despite wide spokes that might suggest high sensitivity to crosswinds.

Whether one likes it or not, the freehub is very noisy. When an entire group is equipped with these wheels, it sounds like a swarm of bees that makes passersby turn around. Some see an advantage in the city or in traffic, as the noise replaces a bell. Personally, I would prefer them to be more discreet in that regard.

Regarding the tires, it’s difficult to judge their aerodynamic advantage on the road. I particularly appreciated the oval shape formed by the tread on the rim. It offers great maneuverability when rocking the bike from left to right out of the saddle, and facilitates the bike’s engagement in fast corners. The feeling of trajectory control is excellent and the grip is very high, at least on dry surfaces. I hesitated, however, to go full speed on wet roads, not knowing them completely yet. Finally, regarding rolling, I again lack sufficient experience to judge their efficiency. The road feel they offer is, in my opinion, inferior to that of tires with cotton sidewalls, but it would have been necessary to test them with different inflation pressures to form a definitive opinion.

Elite Pricing

At the end of these first rides, the set formed by the CADEX Max 50 and Aero tires confirms its positioning: that of an elite system, conceived without compromise, clearly oriented towards pure performance. Remarkable lightness for 50 mm rims, stiffness perfectly calibrated for a modern frame, reassuring stability at high speed: on the road, the technical promises do not seem unfounded. The tires, for their part, contribute to the consistency of the handling, with a coherent profile and convincing grip on dry surfaces.

The question of price remains. At 3998 € for the pair of wheels and 89 € for the tire, the investment is very high, even for the very high-end segment. At this level, one no longer buys just a marginal gain or a few saved watts, but an exceptional product, a technological showcase, and an assumed object of desire. The Max 50 and Aero do not seek to appeal to the masses: they are aimed at those for whom performance is priceless, or almost.

To learn more: https://www.cadex-cycling.com/fr

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