To prove its superiority, the CADEX 50 Ultra Disc WheelSystem underwent four test protocols. The first and second test protocols were performed using wheel and tire only, while the third and fourth test protocols were performed using a complete bike.
In the first test, with all wheels using the CADEX Aero tire, the CADEX Ultra 50 Disc showed best-in-class aero performance, requiring as much as 1.5 watts less power to beat the competition.
| Rank | Wheel | Tire | Aero Power (W) | Extra Power Required (W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CADEX 50 Ultra Disc | CADEX Aero 25c | 5.11 | |
| 2 | Enve SES 5.6 | CADEX Aero 25c | 5.26 | +0.15 |
| 3 | Roval Rapide CLX | CADEX Aero 25c | 5.28 | +0.17 |
| 4 | DTSwiss 50 Arc 1100 | CADEX Aero 25c | 5.57 | +0.46 |
| 5 | Zipp 454 NSW* | CADEX Aero 25c | 6.32 | +1.21 |
In the second test protocol, when test wheels were paired with commonly combined commercially available tires, the CADEX 50 Ultra Disc with CADEX Aero tire again came out on top, with as much as 5.5 watts difference over the leading competition.
| Rank | Wheel | Tire | Aero Power (W) | Extra Power Required (W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CADEX 50 Ultra Disc | CADEX Aero 25c | 4.98 | |
| 2 | DTSwiss 50 Arc 1100 | Continental GP 5000 25c | 7.26 | +2.28 |
| 3 | Roval Rapide CLX | S-Works Turbo 26mm | 8.66 | +3.68 |
| 4 | Zipp 454 NSW* | CADEX Race 25c | 9.50 | +4.52 |
| 5 | Enve SES 5.6 | Vittoria Corsa TLR 25c | 10.48 | +5.50 |
In the third test protocol, the test wheels were paired with commonly combined commercially available tires and mounted on a Giant Propel Advanced SL Disc. Once again, the CADEX 50 Ultra Disc with CADEX Aero 25c tires proved the winners, with an extraordinary aero performance of 234.93W, all while maintaining impressive stability in side winds.
| Rank | Test Bike | Wheel | Tire | Aero Power (W) | Extra Power Need (W) | Side Load (N) | Extra Side Load (N) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giant Propel Advanced SL Disc | CADEX 50 Ultra Disc | CADEX Aero 25c | 234.93 | 18.8 | ||
| 2 | Giant Propel Advanced SL Disc | DTSwiss 50 Arc 1100 | Continental GP 5000 25c | 237.9 | +2.97 | 19.2 | 0.4 |
| 3 | Giant Propel Advanced SL Disc | Roval Rapide CLX | S-Works Turbo 26mm | 238.96 | +4.03 | 18.2 | -0.6 |
| 4 | Giant Propel Advanced SL Disc | Zipp 454 NSW* | CADEX Race 25c | 239.03 | +4.1 | 18.8 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Giant Propel Advanced SL Disc | Enve SES 5.6 | Vittoria Corsa TLR 25c | 239.69 | +4.01 | 18.5 | -0.3 |
*Please note: Due to availability, the Zipp 454 NSW tested were previous-generation model
A range of industry-leading race bikes with common commercially available wheel and tire combinations were tested:
| Test Bike | Wheel and Tire Combination | Aero Power (W) |
|---|---|---|
| Specialized Tarmac SL7 | Roval Rapide CLX + S-Works Turbo 26mm | 240.56 |
| Canyon Aeroad CFR Disc | DTSwiss 50 Arc 1100 + Continental GP5000 25c | 236.16 |
| Cervelo S5 | Enve SES 5.6 + Vittoria Corsa TLR 25c | 240.11 |
When the bikes were mounted with the CADEX 50 Ultra Disc with CADEX Aero 25c tire, the results were clear. CADEX makes your bike faster with less effort:
| Bike Model | Wheel and Tire Combination | Aero Power Results of CADEX Aero Wheel Combinations (W) |
|---|---|---|
| Specialized Tarmac SL7 | CADEX 50 Ultra Disc + CADEX Aero 25c | 236.27 |
| Canyon Aeroad CFR Disc | CADEX 50 Ultra Disc + CADEX Aero 25c | 235.55 |
| Cervelo S5 | CADEX 50 Ultra Disc + CADEX Aero 25c | 235.19 |
| Bike Model | Aero Power Results of Common Wheel and Tire Combinations (W) | Aero Power Results of CADEX 50 and Aero tire Combination (W) | Aero Power Savings (W) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized Tarmac SL7 | 240.56 | 236.27 | -4.29 |
| Canyon Aeroad CFR Disc | 236.16 | 235.55 | -0.61 |
| Cervelo S5 | 240.11 | 235.19 | -4.92 |
An industry-leading weight of 1349g helps improve the system’s lateral stiffness-to-weight ratio up to 41.4% compared to competitor wheels. And an all-new low-friction freehub with ceramic bearings further reduces power loss by up to 30%.
Lateral stiffness determines side-to-side flex of the wheel when side load is applied. Transmission stiffness determines how much torsional flex the wheel displays when pedaling force is applied. To ensure that the least amount power is wasted, both lateral and torsional flex must be minimized.
On the front wheel, the CADEX 50 Ultra has the highest lateral stiffness among its competitors, beating the Zipp 454 NSW by 18.8% and Roval Rapide CLX by 40.6%, all while remaining the lightest of the group.
| CADEX 50 Ultra Disc | Zipp 454 NSW | Enve SES 5.6 | Roval Rapide CLX | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front Wheel | Weight | 595 | 860 | 700 | 649 |
| Lateral Stiffness (N/mm) | 54.14 | 43.95 | 34.75 | 32.13 | |
| Lateral Stiffness Difference | -18.83% | -35.82% | -40.66% |
For the rear, the CADEX 50 also has the highest lateral stiffness among competitors, more than 14% stiffer than second place.
| CADEX 50 Ultra Disc | Zipp 454 NSW | Roval Rapide CLX | Enve SES 5.6 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear Wheel | Weight | 754 | 955 | 751 | 854 |
| Lateral Stiffness (N/mm) | 49.00 | 41.88 | 40.00 | 35.64 | |
| Lateral Stiffness Difference | -14.53% | -18.37% | -27.27% |
In terms of transmission stiffness, the CADEX 50 Ultra Disc beats the next best by more than 27%, guaranteeing superior power transfer.
| CADEX 50 Ultra Disc | Zipp 454 NSW | Roval Rapide CLX | Enve SES 5.6 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear Wheel | Weight (g) | 754 | 955 | 751 | 854 |
| Transmission Stiffness (N/mm) | 91.16 | 65.99 | 61.25 | 55.21 | |
| Transmission Stiffness Difference | -27.61% | -32.81% | -39.44% |
For a wheel to be fast, it has to be stiff and light. As the numbers show, the CADEX 50 Ultra Disc achieves the highest lateral and transmission stiffness-to-weight ratio among its competitors, making it the most efficient of the group.
| CADEX 50 Ultra Disc | Roval RAPIDE CLX | Zipp 454 NSW | Enve SES 5.6 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelset Weight | 1349 | 1400 | 1815 | 1554 |
| Lateral Stiffness (N/mm) (Front + Rear Wheelset Average) | 51.57 | 36.07 | 42.91 | 35.19 |
| Lateral Stiffness-To-Weight Ratio Wheelset Average (The higher the number, the better) | 0.08 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.04 |
| Lateral Stiffness-to-weight Difference * | -34.1% | -39.1% | -41.4% | |
| Rear Wheel Weight | 754 | 751 | 955 | 854 |
| Transmission Stiffness-To-Weight Ratio (The higher the number, the better) | 0.12 | 0.08 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| Transmission Stiffness-To-Weight Ratio Difference* | -32.5% | -42.8% | -46.5% |
*: This line shows the difference of lateral and transmission stiffness-to-weight ratio between the competitors’ wheels and the CADEX 50 Ultra Disc. For example, -46.5% means 46.5 percent less efficiency in terms of lateral stiffness to weight.
