Today, CADEX announced the brand-new Max XC WheelSystem, its first entry into the mountain bike category. Developed and tested by Giant Factory Off-Road’s World Cup racers, the Max XC WheelSystem is specifically designed to meet the demands of elite-level XC racing. As the name suggests, it has been designed as a complete system with a bonded/integrated carbon spoke-and-hub construction and low-profile, reinforced carbon rims.
According to CADEX, all of the components of the new Max XC WheelSystem work together to deliver efficiency, control, and durability for the increasing speeds and technicality of modern XC courses. They weigh in at a claimed 1,248 grams and retail for the ultra-premium price of $4,000 USD. Let’s check them out.
CADEX Max XC WheelSystem Details
If you are unfamiliar, CADEX is Giant’s premium component brand, which is arguably best known for its road wheels and handlebars. Now, it’s applying that experience to its first-ever mountain bike component, the Max XC WheelSystem. With this XC race wheelset, CADEX is wasting absolutely no time bringing a high-tech, high-performance, and decidedly high-end product to market.
The Max XC WheelSystem features shallow-profile 22 mm-deep carbon rims intended to minimize weight while providing compliance over rough terrain. The rims have a 30mm internal width and hookless bead to provide support for 2.2” to 2.6” wide tires, along with 5mm Wide Guard rim sidewalls to reduce the chances of pinch flats and eliminate the need for heavy tire inserts. Cadex says the rims’ “precision-reinforced carbon layup places high-tensile fibers only where required, keeping weight to a minimum while maintaining strength.”
Hub and Spoke Integration
At the center of the Max XC WheelSystem is the integrated hub-and-spoke construction, similar to those we’ve seen on its other models. The Super Aero carbon spokes are bonded to the carbon hub flanges to create an integrated structure intended to maximize stiffness and minimize flex under load. Additionally, the “Custom-tuned Dynamic Balanced Lacing (DBL) uses a wide bracing angle and balances spoke tension under pedaling forces.” This is claimed to enhance transmission stiffness, transferring all your precious watts directly into forward momentum.
Helical-Bevel Ratchet Ratchet Drive
The WheelSystem uses the new M1-C120 rear hub, which features a Helical-Bevel Ratchet Drive System providing quick 3-degree engagement with its 120-tooth ratchet ring. According to CADEX, engagement is smooth and stable thanks to the 10-degree helical interface between the inner and outer ratchet rings, along with the proprietary Ratchet Wave Ring providing consistent engagement force. Meanwhile, CADEX Ceramic Bearings reduce friction and help enhance rolling efficiency.
“The biggest thing you notice straight away is the efficiency,” said Alan Hatherly, Giant Factory Off-Road Team rider and two-time XCO World Champion. “Every watt that gets put through the legs goes directly into forward propulsion, which you don’t notice on other wheelsets.”
CADEX Max XC WheelSystem Specs
- Rim type: Hookless Carbon Clincher, 20-hole front, 24-hole rear
- Rim Height: 22 mm
- Rim Inner Width: 30 mm
- Rim Diameter: 700c / 29”
- Front Hub: CADEX M1-C Integrated
- Rear Hub: CADEX M1-C120 Integrated, 120T Helical Bevel Ratchet Drive, 3° engagement
- Freehub Compatibility: SRAM XD, Shimano Microspline
- Rotor Interface: Centerlock
- Bearings: CADEX Ceramic
- Axle Spacing: 110 x 15mm front, 148 x 12mm rear
- Spokes: Integrated Super Aero carbon with CADEX lightweight titanium thread
- Nipples: CADEX integrated alloy
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Incident Replacement: 5 years (registered original owner only)
- Weight without Valves and Tape (Pair): 1,208g (Shimano MS) | 1,208g (SRAM XD)
- Weight with Valves and Tape (Pair): 1,248g (Shimano MS) | 1,248g (SRAM XD)
Testing Claims
Since all the efficiency in the world is useless if the wheels don’t make it to the finish line, CADEX says the Max XC WheelSystem was designed and tested to be highly durable. We’re told the six-tow, high-tensile carbon spokes provide both lateral stiffness and enhanced impact resistance. The 5 mm-wide rim sidewalls help reduce the chances of tire damage, while also beefing up resistance against impact damage to the rim itself.
Combined, CADEX claims the WheelSystem is both stiffer and more durable than the competition. When tested alongside the Roval World Cup WheelSystem, the Max XC reportedly recorded 5.3% greater lateral stiffness (45.5 N/mm vs. 43.2 N/mm). Similarly, CADEX states that its destructive compression testing showed a 75.8% increase in load before failure (773.5 kgf vs. 440.0 kgf) between the two wheelsets.
“It gives you a lot of confidence,” said Dario Lillo, Giant Factory Off-Road Team rider and XCO World Cup winner. “It’s nice that you can rely on the material that you race on, and then you can push it to its maximum. And that’s encouraging us to race fast.” They also come with a lifetime warranty, plus a 5-year incident replacement policy for the original registered owner.
Pricing and Availability
It was already mentioned at the top of the article, but the Max XC WheelSystem retails for $4,000 USD / €4,200 / £3,500. On their own, the front wheel sells for $1,650, and the rear goes for $2,350. This puts it at the highest end of the premium mountain bike wheelset market.
The new Max XC WheelSystem officially launches today and is listed on the CADEX website, but it currently appears to be out of stock. We imagine they will probably be available soon. If you’re interested in getting a set, you can learn more or sign up for an in-stock notification on the brand’s website: cadex-cycling.com