Cadex has officially entered the mountain biking arena with its inaugural MTB wheelset, the Max XC WheelSystem. Weighing in at a claimed 1,248g, this carbon wheelset is designed specifically for elite-level cross-country competition.
For those unfamiliar with the brand, Cadex serves as Giant’s premium components division. Up to this point, the company has primarily built its reputation around road and gravel wheelsets, along with accessories like tires and saddles. The Max XC represents its first dedicated foray into mountain bike wheels.
Rather than testing the waters with an entry-level offering, Cadex has aimed directly at the competitive end of the XC spectrum. The Max XC features carbon rims paired with carbon spokes that are bonded straight into the hub flanges, with significant emphasis placed on rigidity and efficient power transfer.
According to Cadex, the wheelset was developed and refined in collaboration with World Cup athletes from the Giant Factory Off-Road Team.
A defining characteristic of the Max XC is its unconventional approach to connecting spokes and hubs. The Super Aero carbon spokes are adhered directly into carbon hub flanges, forming what Cadex calls a unified hub-and-spoke construction. The goal is to minimize deflection when the wheel is subjected to heavy pedaling forces.
The company’s Dynamic Balanced Lacing system, abbreviated as DBL, incorporates a broader spoke-bracing angle and is engineered to equalize spoke tension as pedaling loads fluctuate. The front wheel carries 20 spokes while the rear has 24, each finished with lightweight titanium threads at their ends.
While this design might sound radical, the concept of deeply integrating carbon spokes into XC wheels has precedent. Syncros introduced the Silverton SL back in 2018, which featured carbon rims, spokes, and hub shells molded into one rigid unit at a claimed 1,250g. However, that design came with a significant drawback: because the spokes were part of the structural whole, traditional truing methods weren’t possible.
Cadex has taken a different path. Its spokes are bonded into the hub flanges, but alloy nipples remain accessible at the rim, allowing each spoke to be tensioned individually.
When Cadex compared the Max XC against the Roval Control World Cup in its own laboratory testing, some intriguing figures emerged. The company reports that the Max XC delivers 5.3 percent greater lateral stiffness, registering 45.5N/mm versus the Roval’s 43.2N/mm.
However, the Roval wheelset was notably lighter in Cadex’s testing, coming in at 1,001.1g compared to 1,247.6g for the Max XC. When accounting for weight, Cadex’s own data reveals that the Max XC actually has a 15.8 percent lower lateral stiffness-to-weight ratio than its competitor.
Where Cadex claims a far more substantial edge is in what it terms transmission stiffness. This metric essentially measures how much the hub rotates relative to the rim when torque is applied through the rear wheel. As a rider pushes hard on the pedals, the hub attempts to drive the rim forward, but the spokes and overall wheel structure can flex slightly under that load. Less movement between hub and rim translates to higher transmission stiffness.
Cadex asserts that the Max XC rear wheel achieves a 111.2 percent higher transmission stiffness-to-weight ratio than the Roval Control World Cup in its testing. That represents a considerable gap, though these remain Cadex’s internal laboratory results.
The brand also makes a bold durability claim. In Cadex’s testing, the Max XC withstood a 773.5kgf compression load before failing, compared to 440kgf for the Roval—a 75.8 percent improvement.
Cadex reinforces confidence in its product with a lifetime warranty and a five-year incident replacement program for registered original purchasers.
Inside the rear hub, the M1-C120 uses a 120-tooth Helical-Bevel Ratchet Drive System, delivering a 3-degree engagement angle. Cadex notes that a 10-degree helical interface between the ratchet rings contributes to smoother engagement, while a Wave Spring maintains consistent engagement force. Ceramic bearings are fitted in both front and rear hubs.
The carbon rims measure 22mm deep and 30mm wide internally, featuring a hookless profile optimized for tires ranging from 2.2 to 2.6 inches. These are 29-inch wheels with Boost hub spacing.
A substantial 5mm Wide Guard rim edge is also incorporated. Cadex explains that its rounded shape helps minimize sharp contact with the tire sidewall when encountering rocks or roots, while simultaneously protecting the rim and lowering the risk of pinch flats.
The complete wheelset carries a claimed weight of 1,208g without valves and rim tape, rising to 1,248g with both installed. Freehub options include SRAM XD and Shimano Micro Spline.
Pricing for the Max XC WheelSystem is set at £3,500, $4,000, or €4,200. In the US market, front and rear wheels are also available separately at $1,650 and $2,350 respectively.
This is clearly not an affordable entry point into mountain bike wheels. Nevertheless, for Cadex’s first attempt at mountain biking, there’s enough here that’s genuinely different to command attention.
