Cadex launches first handlebars
The Race Handlebar is lightweight, carbon and designed for superior handling
In 2019, Giant launched its house brand, Cadex, announcing a range of cycling components including wheels, tires and saddles. On Aug. 17, Cadex announced its new Race Handlebar, the first handlebar from the company. The lightweight bar is built from one piece of carbon that Cadex says delivers “outstanding stiffness, maximum comfort and superior handling.”
Lightweight carbon
The bars weigh just 160 g for size 42 cm. Cadex says the low weight of the bar can be attributed to the carbon-fibre layup technique used to create the product. The bars are built using a one-piece moulding process that eliminates the need for bonding, resulting in a lower overall handlebar weight.
“In our never-ending pursuit of pinnacle product, we wanted to greatly improve one of the most important touch points on the bike—the handlebar,” said Jeff Schneider, head of product and marketing at Cadex. “The Race bar utilizes much of the cutting-edge carbon layup technology found in our Cadex hookless rims, but the biggest achievement was creating an innovative one-piece road bar that eliminates the excessive weight and inherent flex found in the bonded joints of traditional three-piece handlebars.”
The process was developed in-house by the company’s engineers. Eliminating any bonded joints of traditional three-piece bars also has the advantage of creating a stiffer yet still complaint bar.
Design
The bars were created with ergonomics in mind—the tops feature a gently curved design and a flattened rear section, which Cadex says provides riders with an “expanded range of hand and thumb positions, while also damping and absorbing road vibrations, minimizing fatigue, and providing lasting comfort for all-day efforts.”
The drops are moulded in an elliptical shape with a short 72mm reach for quick transitions from the tops to the hoods. The tight 125-mm drop was also designed for rapid movements for riders switching from the hoods to the drops when sprinting, cornering, and descending.
Cadex Race Handlebar technical specifications
Material: Carbon
Clamp Diameter: 31.8 mm
Widths: 380 mm, 400 mm, 420 mm, 440 mm
Drop: 125 mm
Reach: 72 mm
Weights: 154 g (380 mm), 157 g (400 mm),160 g (420 mm),165 g (440 mm)
Price: $475
Compatible with Shimano Di2 bar-end type junctions (EW-RS 910)
The Cadex Race Handlebar is available at authorized Cadex retailers and at www.cadex-cycling.com.
