Cadex Wheels

I took the Cadex 42s out for the first time today – I was initially planning on doing the Portola loop from campus which is fairly flat, but decided on a whim to turn towards Randy’s house and go up Alpine Road, which ended up being a fair bit of climbing. If you don’t turn onto the gravel at the top of Alpine, you can make a loop by turning left onto a very steep road that continues up into the hills. I’d say it’s as steep, if not steeper than parts of Lomas Cantatas, my Wahoo said 20% at some points, Strava says it averages 16%. The road then continues down a fairly steep (but not super fun) descent that takes you back to the Tennis club on Alpine Rd. Overall a good loop!

As for the wheels, I was really impressed. My main surprise was just how stable they are – I felt like I had a lot more control on the descents, especially at slightly higher speeds. Of course they climb really well, but so did my previous wheelset, so I think it's harder to draw a clear winner there. I'm also a big fan of the wider tires – I think you feel the road a bit less, especially on long, gradual descents where you're averaging closer to 25mph.

Overall a great upgrade. They also just look badass, so that's another plus.