Review: Cadex Race Tire 28

All black tires have returned to the service course at the creakybottombracket.com office. Cadex, a carbon fiber design arm of Giant introduced in 1987, has outfitted the top-of-the-line road and gravel bikes for Giant and Liv. Capitalizing on the hookless tubeless carbon wheels, Cadex has created an integrated system of tires on their high end hoops. The mechanics went to work and quickly mounted the Cadex Race Tire onto the trusty TCR asphalt bike. Then we threw a twist at our tester.

This was the most complete test we have ever completed on a set of tires. Normally we send testers out on advantageous windy roads around Bucks County farm land. There are several downhill 90-degree turns in succession to test confidence. We hit them in the heat as well as the cold to evaluate tires. This time, we added an extra challenge- how do Cadex Race Tires handle an HC (hors categorie/ “outside classification”) climb and descent at the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race. Bonus points would be awarded for descending faster than ever before. Here are the field notes:

Cadex mounted onto Giant’s tubeless system provides ten points for confidence. Not only are the tires designed for the wheels specifically, they are tested around them. Sure Giant delivered the ever ready TCR with Giant Gavia tires, but Cadex Race Tires were always our focus. Unlike several of our tested hookless tubeless tires, the Cadex Race Tires mounted simply. The silica-based compound - something that smells a bit like dandelions - easily took shape on the rims. Black tires with black rims look menacing. Add ten points for appearance. Add another couple of points for being the tires of our fancy.

Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is a great place to test tires. There are numerous turns a rider can rail depending on the level of confidence. Let’s not forget our area’s absolute obsession with chipping and sealing the same roads year after year. There are also the unique moments of municipalities posting stop signs at the bottom of steep ramps. Tire choice in Bucks County is important.

With eagerness, we geared up for tests atop the widest tires snapped on to date. At 28mm, the rear tire nestles the seat tube but offers room. With the wide tires, even lower pressure was run. Being that Giant hookless rims should never exceed 80 psi (5.5 bar) when set up tubeless, we were a far cry with 60 psi (4 bar) in the back and 50 psi (3.5 bar) in the front. These changes plus the 170 tpi were noticeable with the plush ride over chipped surfaces. With summer heat comes punctures, but the Cadex Race Tire comes with Race Shield puncture protection, keeping the confidence swiftly moving forward. The advertised 315 grams per tire provides extra points for keeping the weight at a minimum.

One of the first races the Cadex Race Tire was tested was the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race. Going up wasn’t the focus; the rocket descent with confidence was the object of testing. Though Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway lacks technical switchbacks, there are two sweeping turns along with winding tarmac. Mile after mile confidence grew as the speed climbed. The descent felt comfortable and predictable, even as the speeds climbed. Cars coming down the mountain were overtaken with ease atop the Cadex’s flagship race tire. The Cadex Race Tire was as much at home on a lengthy speedy descent as it was in fast straight sprint finishes. 

The Cadex Race Tire has escorted farther miles since they were mounted to the Giant TCR. Riding has been infinitely enjoyable with these cushy sticky race tires. One area of caution is that Cadex works primarily with hookless tubeless systems. The list of hookless rims that are tubeless compatible include: Cadex, Giant, Zipp, and ENVE. Any wheel using a hooked system should not run Cadex tires in the tubeless format. 

One regret is that the Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway is such a long climb, otherwise we would have had another crack at the whistling descent. Until the next visit, we will keep pushing the Cadex Race Tire to find its limit. It’s believed the limit is much farther down the road.