Caden Wheels

Yesterday I mentioned that something very exciting had just been delivered home. Well that exciting delivery was these:

These are a new wheel set from Caden Wheels, which is a wheel brand that has me fairly excited.

Caden Wheels

Why am I excited you ask?

Well these wheels are genuinely designed in Australia. They aren't just your usual pop out cheap carbon copy wheels that somebody has then put their logo on. No the molds for these wheels where developed and made in Australia. The rims themselves are laid up in Taiwan, but then they are returned to Australia again to be built. I love the idea that somebody in Australia is willing to have a go at competing in the cut throat carbon wheel business. A real, design their own wheel, go. That is worth supporting in my eyes.

It worth having a read of this article to get a bit of the back story of Ben (the man behind Caden) and his wheels.

Transitions Caden Article

As you can see from this article. These wheels aren't just some throw together product, a lot of time and thought and effort have gone into the design and the manufacture of these wheels. Ben started with a determination to make a no compromise wheel and it certainly seems like he has achieved it. Proper wide wheels (26mm wide brake track). Available in both Carbon Clincher and Tubular. Really good fit and finish. Lighter than a set of Zipp Firecrest. All for less than $1300 for a set, including brake pads. Bargain in anybodies language. And more than that, a really good product.

The set in the picture above are a 50mm front wheel and a 88mm rear, both of them carbon clinchers. The wheels are also available in depths of 35mm and 65mm. I have a 50mm rear wheel and an 88mm front on the way to make two complete wheel sets, but Caden sent this mixed set over so that I would at least have a set of wheels to roll around on.

And roll around I have.

Now admittedly I have only ridden about 35km on these wheels. But based on that 35km the indications are good. Firstly they are nice and stiff. I usually get wheel rub on my front brake with my Zipp 808 Firecrest. No such rub with this 50mm wheel. I will have to see what the 88mm front wheel is like when I get it, but so far so good.

Caden is fairly open about there being no aero data, so I don't have any information to base the aerodynamics on and I will wait until I have ridden it more to draw my own conclusions. Based on the basics though, wheel width, rim shape etc, these wheels should be aero. A bit more training and racing should say for sure though.

Same goes for handling, I will wait until I have ridden them more to draw more conclusions, but so far so good. I was riding a bit like a nancy this morning (I had new wheels after all), but as I get more comfortable I should get a better idea of how these wheels handle. I can say that braking wise they are fine though, on par with any other wheel I have ridden with a carbon braking surface.

I am genuinely excited to be riding on these wheels. I am really looking forward to getting the other two wheels and having a chance to let these feels fly, particularly in a race. Watch this space.