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The European racing season has officially kicked off with Strade Bianche run and won, Tirreno–Adriatico and Paris-Nice now in full swing. With some short TT’s, these races are another chance to see more 2025 tech. What you see now is a teaser of what’s to come, as every brand leaves their best in reserve for the key races.

Featured here is the bike of Luke Plapp (GreenEdge Cycling), shot by the team at Saint Cloud. This is the 2025 Giant Trinity Advanced, sze small. Shimnao Dura Ace R9200 groupset, CADEX Max Aero Disc, CADEX Aero 4 Spoke front wheel, wrapped in Vittoria Corsa Speed tyres. Sync Ergonomics cockpit, Sync x cSixx 64/50 chainrings.

The Giant Trinity Disc has now been seen in the wild for almost a year, so this frame is hardly new, but the CADEX-clad bikes of GreenEdge have some new wheels, that have somewhat quietly gone from prototype in 2024, to production in 2025. The main change is the rear wheel, with a construction method that makes it exceptionally light, without loss of stiffness. The Max Aero Disc uses a spoked wheel configuration, with disc covers. While this is hardly a new construction method in itself, the CADEX difference is in the carbon spokes, carbon flanged hub and carbon rim, minimising weight and maximising stiffness.

The CADEX 4 Spoke has also recieved an update, with a 1K finish to match the new rear wheel. 

Sync and cSixx have recently released 2x chainrings, now available in up to a 64/50t size, for Shimano drivelines. Why not SRAM you ask? SRAM chains feature an “oversized” roller that requires a different tooth profile. Unlike our 1x chainring, our 2x chainrings are not cross compatible.

The detail in the 2x chainrings has to be seen to be believed. The shift ramps and shift pins are where a large amount of development time has been spent, to ensure a high level of shift precision.

 Why 2x chainring?

This comes down to the requirement for larger chainring sizes in competition, with the goal of achieving a more optimal chainline, improving driveline efficiency. Our 2x solutions provide the range of gear ratios, that simply can not be covered by 1x, while still catering for larger chainring sizes. The Sync x cSixx 2x chainrings deliver excellent shift performance and provide a 14t smaller inner ring for climbing.

64t is big, right? Well, kind of. The rule of thumb is that 4 teeth at the front equals a single tooth on the cassette. So while it does sound large, it’s more that our inherent perception of size is calibrated off the tooth count of the cassette. Here is a practical example to highlight how to select a larger chainring:

B** has a problem - He can’t find the perfect gear for his power and cadence, and he is stuck in the 13t cog. Going to the 12t cog kills his cadence (too large) and changing to the 14t cog causes him to spin like mad (too small). B** wants to ride in a larger cog on the cassette, for better chainline and smoother (more efficient) driveline performance. How should B** approach this situation and solve the problem through chainring size?

The problem here is a mismatch of gear ratios, for race speed and desired cadence - So firstly, to find a solution that delivers a more appropriate cadence, for speed. This is typically done through a 2-tooth change in chainring size, so for B** here, we would go to a 60t chainring.

An increase of 2-teeth at the front (60t) will see B** sitting at 55.8 km/h at his preferred 95 rpm, up from 53.9 km/h with the 58t installed. Of course, the power has to be there to drive this gear, but that is a separate question. Remember, the issue was the sensation of being “stuck between gears” in the 13t cog.

Second, the challenge of improved chainline. Because the goal was not to be using the 13t cog, the goal was to be using the 14t cog. Our rule of thumb is that 4 at the front equals one at the back. Changing the ring to a 64t sees B** sitting pretty in the 14t cog, for a speed of 55.3 km/h and 95 rpm. This is 0.5 km/h slower than what would be achieved at 95 rpm with the 60/13, but you can see we are within the “range” that would be acceptable. This would require an increase in cadence of approx. 1 rpm, to match the speed of the 60/13 combination.

Summary

The solution is pretty simple. An increase in chainring size of 6 teeth, to reduce cadence at the targeted speed, while shifting B** up into the 14t cog on the cassette. Don’t be afraid of tooth count on the chainring - Calculate your gear ratios based on the anticipated speed.

2x driveline options are now available from 54t through to 64t, for Shimnao, Quarq D4 and most 4x110 BCD spiders, with a 2 week lead time on shipping. Compatibility is limited to Shimano chains and cassettes.

What's up next?

Racing season is underway, as World Tour teams look towards the Giro and the Tour, with Tour de Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné next on the cards for the GC contenders. 

 Images by Ben Lehner / Saint Cloud