Cadex is the in-house name for Giant’s top-tier component brand. The Cadex Race has been several years in development and is a tubeless-only tyre designed, Cadex claims, for pure racing performance with uncompromised speed.
This tyre boasts a single-layer SRC 170 threads per inch (TPI) casing that is claimed to provide superior rolling speed and the all-important supple ride quality.
Cadex says the silica-based RR-S rubber compound offers a blend of speed and grip, while Race Shield puncture protection wards off flats without compromising ride feel. A lot to live up to then, but the ride impressions are extremely positive with a lovely feeling of free speed on the majority of road surfaces.
Onto rough roads and the suppleness of the casing becomes apparent because, even at higher pressures, the tyres feel delightfully smooth, imbuing fine comfort and road feel while squeezing as much speed through a corner as possible.
Tubeless installation was easy, with one tyre lever and a regular floor pump adequate for popping the beads into place, with minimal air loss over the course of a week.
The tyres offer good support at low pressures, and through corners they provide predictable handling, meeting my expectations for a race tyre that’s going to be ridden hard in all situations.
At more relaxed speeds, the tyre rolls quickly and offers reassuring grip, with a shallow herringbone pattern that’s reminiscent of the old Vittoria Open Pave tyre, seemingly boosting grip on gritty roads.
How we tested
We put 12 tubed and tubeless clincher 28mm road tyres head-to-head to see which you should spend your money on.
28mm is considered the sweet-spot width for rolling speed, comfort and weight, with wider tyres offering lower rolling resistance and more traction. Even though they’re heavier and less aero than 23mm tyres, for example, the positives can outweigh the negatives, especially over long-distance cyclists.
Tyres are an easy upgrade, too, and add more comfort to your ride with a greater volume of air between you and rough roads.
- Bontrager R3 Hard Case Lite TLR 28mm
- Challenge Paris-Roubaix TLR Vulcanized 27mm
- Continental Grand Prix 5000 clincher
- Continental Grand Prix 5000 TL 28mm
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Tubeless
- Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance 11Storm
- Michelin Power Road Clincher
- Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 28mm
- Schwalbe Pro One TLE
- Specialized S-Works Turbo
- Vittoria Corsa TLR G2.0
Product
| Brand | cadex |
| Price | 125.00 AUD,80.00 EUR,65.00 GBP,100.00 USD |
| Weight | 310.0000, GRAM (700 x 28mm) - |
Features
| br_TPI | 170 |
| br_bead | Kevlar/Carbon Composite - Folding |
| br_punctureProtection | Race Shield |
| br_tyreSizes | 23, 25, 28mm |
