New CADEX All-Road/Gravel Range Impresses Gear Testers

21 December 2022

Following the unveiling of CADEX’s first gravel and all-road components earlier this year, editors and gear testers from a wide range of media outlets have published reports on the high-performance range that includes wheels, tires and composite handlebars.

To date, the CADEX collection of all-road and gravel includes five products: The AR 35 WheelSystem, AR Tubeless tire, GX Tubeless tire, AR Handlebar and GX Handlebar.  
 
WheelSystems and Tires
 
Matt Phillips, Senior Test Editor from Bicycling, was one of the first to test the new CADEX AR 35 WheelSystem, which features hookless carbon rims for best-in-class stiffness and a superlight weight of just 1270g for the pair.
 
Phillips described some of the key technologies that set this WheelSystem apart from the competition, including carbon fiber spokes and a new hub design with a 60-tooth ratchet. He wrote that it all adds up to “a snappy, light-feeling wheelset.”
 
“The stiffness and reactive nature brighten up a bike,” Phillips wrote. “CADEX certainly seems to have the formula for a fast-feeling wheelset pretty dialed—the out of the box feel of their wheels is impressive. I have found the wheelset tracked well in corners, and my butt and hands tell me it’s a damped wheelset as well.”
 
James Huang of CyclingTips also took a detailed look at the AR 35 WheelSystem. “Much of CADEX’s wheel technology literally rests on those carbon fiber spokes, which feature aero-profile cross-sections and claimed weights that are less than half of DT Swiss’s popular Aerolite stainless steel spokes,” Huang wrote. “The rims are built with laser cut carbon fiber pieces for more consistency.”
 
BikeRumor had a chance to ride the WheelSystem and tires, and tester Jordan Villella had this to say: “The CADEX AR Disc wheels spin up quickly and maintain speed on the flats effortlessly, we can’t say for sure if it was the ceramic bearings, the tires, the rims, or all three, but they fly. In less than friendly gravel (i.e. boulders), the CADEX 35 AR Disc wheels held their ground. I hit bottom many (many) times an came back with nothing more than a scratch. I am very impressed with the resilience of the wheels thus far.”  
 
Looking at the tires, specifically, Villella wrote: “The tires have a supple feel, similar to high-end mountain bike tires but a bit more pliable. The tread on the AR is very cyclocross-file-tread reminiscent, and the GX is more of a fast cross-country tire.”
 
Handlebars
 
CADEX also introduced two carbon handlebar options: the AR for ultralight all-road performance, and the GX, which is designed for the most challenging gravel terrain and features a more aggressive flare in the drops.
 
VeloNews reported on the GX bar, which was unveiled last month, calling it “impressively lightweight” at just 185g for a 40cm size. “As a gravel handlebar, the GX is shaped to provide the rider more control off-road,” wrote reviewer William Tracy. “That means 16 degrees of flare and five degrees of outsweep at the drops for stability on descents and corners, and a shorter 70mm reach and 115mm drop to make transitioning between hand positions easy.”
 
The AR handlebar, which was released earlier, also received praise from testers. Describing the construction process that makes it unique, VeloNews wrote: “The AR handlebar is remarkably light, thanks to its one-piece construction. Most carbon bars are made in three or four pieces—the tops and the drops—to accommodate for multiple widths without the manufacturer having to make different molds for each.”
 
For more insights into the new all-road and gravel range from CADEX, check out these full reviews:

WheelSystem and tires

Bicycling Magazine

BikeRadar

BikeRumor

Canadian Cycling

CyclingNews

CyclingTips

Feed the Habit

Slowtwitch.com

VeloNews
 
Handlebars

BikeRumor 

Canadian Cycling

CyclingTips

Gear Junkie

Slowtwitch.com

VeloNews

Share