Cadex gets into road handlebars with the 154-gram Race
Cadex uses technology from its wheels and one-piece construction to shave weight.
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Cadex, Giant’s high-end brand that includes wheels and tires, now has a top-shelf road handlebar that weighs a claimed 154g in size 38cm.
Cadex claims the $370 Race bar is stiff and comfortable as well as super light. A 42cm bar weighs a claimed 160g.
The new bars use a one-piece molding process to remove weight and flex. The bar has subtle ergonomic features, with slightly flattened areas to disperse pressure on the palms.
For context, Enve’s Road Carbon bar weighs 212g in a 38cm size. The German ultra-light brand Schmolke has a bar that weighs 135g in a 40cm size — but that bar comes with a 165lb rider weight limit and a $699 price tag.
The Race has a 72mm reach and 125mm drop for the three largest sizes (40, 42, 44cm) and a 68mm reach and 120mm drop for the 380cm bar.
“We wanted to greatly improve one of the most important touch points on the bike, the handlebar,” said Cadex head of product Jeff Schneider. “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.”