CADEX Max XC: Carbon Spokes, Fast Engagement and a Premium Price

By MTBSA contributor

CADEX is entering mountain biking with the Max XC, a high-end 29-inch wheelset using carbon rims and spokes bonded into carbon hub shells. The headline weight is 1,248 g including tubeless tape and valves, but the construction and repair implications deserve just as much attention.

A different approach to wheel construction

The front wheel uses 20 spokes and the rear 24. Bonding the spokes at the hub lets CADEX optimise their bracing angle within standard Boost spacing. At the rim, conventional adjustment remains possible: aluminium nipples and bonded titanium threaded inserts allow tensioning and truing with a spoke key.

That does not mean individual spokes can simply be replaced. A broken spoke requires an authorised dealer to assess whether a hub-and-spoke assembly or complete wheel needs replacement. The rim, end caps and hub internals can potentially be reused.

Rim and hub details

A 30 mm internal rim width is aimed at tyres from 2.2 to 2.6 inches. The hookless design uses a broad 5 mm bead seat and rounded outer rim edge, intended to reduce pinch damage.

The M1-C120 hub has a 120-tooth ratchet, giving 3° engagement. CADEX uses a helical interface to encourage positive ratchet engagement. Both Shimano Micro Spline and SRAM XD freehub options are listed at the same claimed wheelset weight.

CADEX also publishes stiffness and impact comparisons against competing wheels. These are its own test figures; they should not be read as independently established on-trail advantages.

Premium wheels need a support plan

The announced prices are ≈ R66 929, ≈ R79 007 and ≈ R77 805. The original buyer is offered a five-year incident replacement guarantee and lifetime cover for manufacturing defects, under the applicable terms.

For a South African buyer, the practical questions are where an assembly can be repaired, how long replacements take and who handles warranty claims. No local price or stock date is confirmed in the supplied material. This first look covers the design and published specifications, without assigning a tested performance score.

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About these rand prices

Amounts marked ≈ are approximate rand conversions of overseas prices, using SARS reference rates dated 12 October 2026, rounded to the nearest rand. They are not South African retail quotes and exclude additional shipping, import charges and local retailer costs. Confirm current local pricing with a South African dealer. Unqualified dollar prices in US-market reporting are treated as US dollars; explicitly identified currencies use their corresponding rate.