Road Bike Tire Test: Cadex Race Tubeless

The Cadex Race Tubeless is the first time we've tested a Cadex tire, and as always, we're excited to see how it performs in our tests. As Cadex is in the business of creating the best-performing cycling equipment, our expectations are set to a high level right from the start. What raises our expectations even higher, as the compound is what makes up 70-80% of a tire's performance, is that they claim they've created a compound for superior tire performance.

According to Cadex, their RR-S Compound is a "state of the art silica-based tire compound for elite riders who demand ultimate speed and grip". They also claim this compound has "significantly less rolling resistance and boasts markedly increased grip when cornering, especially in the wet". That all sounds very good, and we're sure this compound will perform well, but the really interesting thing will be how it compares to other compounds from competing brands.

The other 20-30% of a tire's performance will be made up by the casing and additional puncture layers. In the case of the Cadex Race Tubeless, we're looking at a 170 TPI "single layer" casing which is about as good as it gets. An additional layer of "Race Shield" anti-puncture material is applied under the tread, which is similar to what we find on most other "all-round" road bike tires.

From a specification standpoint, everything sounds good, and we're sure this tire will perform well. The exciting thing will be how it compares to the competition, as pretty much all brands claim the same things about their tires. We've run the tests, so let's dive in and see how it does.

The Cadex Race Tubeless is an average performer in almost all of our tests. The high points of this tire are the wet grip of the center and the wide tread and corresponding high tread to casing ratio, making this an excellent tire for use on wide rims. The edge grip comes in a bit lower (still good), but we attribute this to the file tread pattern along the edge of the tire as we've seen that reduces grip due to reduced contact patch and flexibility of the file tread edges.

The main shortcoming of this tire seems to be the rolling resistance which is on the high side for a tire that is supposed to offer pinnacle performance and comes with a corresponding price tag. The Cadex Race Tubeless isn't a bad tire, and we're sure it will be a fine performer in real-life, but you can find tires that perform better and that also come at a lower price point -> Road Bike Overview.