Today, Cadex is pushing the formula you already know further into all-road territory with new wheels and tires. Cadex has already earned a reputation for its feather-light gear for racing, and these new products will not change that formula. But these new products do represent an expansion of the brand.

Cadex's basic formula has never been to try to cover a wide range of options. Cadex is a brand that takes on specific projects only when it is convinced it can do something new. That has always meant high-end and ultralight. In the past, that also meant products for the road. Late last year, the Cadex AR handlebar was introduced to the market, offering the same ultralight performance for off-road use.

Today, the idea that the handlebar originated has come into sharper focus with the further expansion of the Cadex all-road product line. The central product is the Cadex AR 35 wheel system, which competes for first place in the rankings of best gravel bike wheels, and according to Jeff Schneider, Cadex's head of product and marketing, these products are not new category-specific, but are a natural extension of the team's riding, but rather follow the natural progression of the team's riding, he says. Says Schneider: [From big days on the backroads here in California, to mixed terrain adventures in Asia and Europe, to racing at events like the Belgian Waffle Ride, we knew there were things we could improve in our riding experience. So, over the past two years, we have combined our real-world experience with our time in the test lab to develop a WheelSystem that we are incredibly proud of"

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If you have spent much time looking at what Cadex has to offer or had the opportunity to read our comprehensive Cadex Cycling Series overview, you will not find many surprises in these wheels. Conceptually, the new AR wheels are the same as the road wheels. What is new are the details that make them more suitable for new applications.

Like all Kadex wheels, they are lighter and wider. Both front and rear are 35 mm deep, and the wheelset weighs in at a feather-light 1,270 grams. This amazing lightness is not due to the shaved width. The Cadex AR 35 disc wheelset has an inner width of 25 mm and an outer width of 31 mm, matching the trend of other major off-road wheels. It also features familiar designs such as hookless beads and aero carbon spokes.

Some fine-tuning was necessary to adapt this formula to all-road use. To account for the rigors of riding on dirt roads, the new wheels feature a new hub design: the Cadex R2-C60 hub features ultra-smooth Cadex ceramic bearings and a durable 60-tooth ratchet. The high tooth count allows for fast engagement, combined with flattened coil springs and a redesigned dust cover for long-lasting performance.

The front hubs have also been modified to last longer off-road. Due to the nature of dirt to get between parts, Cadex moved to a one-piece axle front hub design. This simplifies the end cap, bearing, and bushing interfaces by replacing them with a one-piece axle that runs the length of the hub. This design also strengthens the axle support for increased rigidity.

Hookless rims have manufacturing advantages that allow for better wheels. Since the hooks do not need to be molded, carbon can be more stable, stronger, and lighter at the edge of the wheel. It also allows the tire contact patches to be rounded, providing more support for the sidewalls when cornering. Along with these advantages comes the need for the best gravel tires to match.

Creating a tire that not only matched the design, but also had sufficient quality and performance to match the wheel's performance was a task that Cadex brought in-house. Alongside the wheels, Cadex brought the AR and GX tubeless tires to market. Both are high-performance, fast tires, but with options for a variety of situations.

The AR tubeless is designed for riding on a mix of surfaces, from paved to unpaved roads, and features AR-S dual compound rubber with diamond-shaped knobs on the centerline of the tread and tall trapezoidal knobs on the outside for better traction in the corners. AR means all-road, and that's what these tires are for.

For a slightly rougher ride, we recommend the GX tubeless tire. This tire also uses a dual compound, but has deep knobs on both the centerline and shoulder.

[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] For loose surfaces and when the pavement is not visible, this tire is recommended.

In many ways, the two tires are different rather than similar. The focus is different, but in any case, we would consider the Cadex tire for the fastest and most intense days. Both models have extremely supple 170TPI casings, Kevlar and carbon composite beads, and bead-to-bead puncture protection with DualShield. Only 700x40c sizes are available, and the pressure specs remain the same, with a maximum pressure of 60 PSI / 4.1 Bar and a minimum pressure of 25 PSI / 1.7 Bar. The AR is also a bit lighter, weighing 425g while the GX weighs 445g.

Both wheels and tires were announced today, but tires are not immediately available. Due to worldwide shipping issues, we expect them to be available as soon as possible.

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