Serenade 4550 Wavy Wheelset SUB 1200g steel spokes 500USD

[Sebastian]

I'm currently riding the 4550s in the Austrian/Bavarian Alps. Partly on pretty bad pavement and even some gravel sections on very small mountain roads. They're awesome wheels for that, giving me no troubles.

The mono bloc Ztto cassette creaks on the biggest cogs in the back, though, and only there. Probably due to slight movement in the cog/spider interface area. I've had the same problem with the older design SROAD cassette as well.

[Sander2177]

Hi all,

I’ve been reading through the Serenade Wheels thread and just wanted to see if anyone has any more recent thoughts or feedback on the wheels. I’ve done the usual — had a read through the existing posts — and at the price point, they definitely look like good value.

That said, I’m curious if anyone has more experience with them in real-world conditions — especially in terms of build quality, ride feel, durability, or after-sales support.

Any insights would be appreciated — cheers in advance!

[Sebastian]

Well, I’ve accumulated probably around 10k km on three of their wheelsets now. Two road wheels and one wheelset that I had on my road bike first but I’ve been using it for gravel for quite some time now. I feel like I’ve said everything there is to say about Serenade. At the price point, they’re awesome. Durability is awesome. The gravel wheels had dry bearings that needed replacing quickly. The SR248 hubs in my road wheels however are among the smoothest I’ve ever used. I converted the gravel wheels to Campagnolo N3W with an original DT Swiss freehub so the hubs seem compatible. But someone else on the forum needed to bodge a spacer to do the same with the wavy wheels.
Can’t say much about after sales support bc I simply never needed any. But the most recent example of them covering the cost of spokes is at least promising. Not sure whether I’d ask them to build wheels with custom hubs that they have little experience with, though.

Also, in my time dealing with them they’ve always seemed to be willing to listen to customer feedback and improve their products. Their hubs being one example of that.

[Sander2177]

Well, I’ve accumulated probably around 10k km on three of their wheelsets now. Two road wheels and one wheelset that I had on my road bike first but I’ve been using it for gravel for quite some time now. I feel like I’ve said everything there is to say about Serenade. At the price point, they’re awesome. Durability is awesome. The gravel wheels had dry bearings that needed replacing quickly. The SR248 hubs in my road wheels however are among the smoothed I’ve ever used. I converted the gravel wheels to Campagnolo N3W with an original DT Swiss freehub so the hubs seem compatible. But someone else on the forum needed to bodge a spacer to do the same with the wavy wheels.
Can’t say much about after sales support bc I simply never needed any. But the most recent example of them covering the cost of spokes is at least promising. Not sure whether I’d ask them to build wheels with custom hubs that they have little experience, though.

Also, in my time dealing with them they’ve always seemed to be willing to listen to customer feedback and improve their products. Their hubs being one example of that.

Hey Sebastian my non AI reply really appreciate you sharing all that—super helpful. Sounds like you’ve put those wheels through a fair bit of riding!

The Campag/DT Swiss compatibility info is gold—nice one. And yeah, sounds like they’re at least trying to listen and improve, which is always good to hear. Agree with you on the custom hub front… probably not worth the risk if it’s something they’re not used to building with.

Thanks again for the honest write-up—proper useful.

I transcribe my replies sometime simply don’t have the time to write endless replies hopefully
This is more to your satisfaction then

[Sebastian]

You’re welcome, buddy. By the way: I could do without AI repeating my entire post when you answer. Keep it short and simple. Makes for easier reading in my opinion.

[Sebastian]

The bearings in the gravel wheels might have been a one off. I dunno. The front wheel sounded rough pretty quickly so I replaced the bearings with some SKF. When I took out the old ones I realized that they were bone dry. While the bearings in the rear are not 100% smooth anymore, they’re still ok. But I’ll probably replace them soon.

[Sander2177]

The bearings in the gravel wheels might have been a one off. I dunno. The front wheel sounded rough pretty quickly so I replaced the bearings with some SKF. When I took out the old ones I realized that they were bone dry. While the bearings in the rear are not 100% smooth anymore, they’re still ok. But I’ll probably replace them soon.

I don’t expect much longevity myself with any bearings supplied with any OEM wheels ceramic or steel  like you I will upgrade to a quality steel bearing like NTN or SKF

[Sebastian]

True. Which is why it’s a pleasant surprise when they’re actually good. Like in the recent wheels I got from Serenade. A few years ago when Novatec hubs were pretty common in Chinese wheels, I usually had to replace them within the first few months. Replacing bearings in freehubs would sometimes be a PITA due to their construction. Replacement freehubs would sometimes be hard to get. Now with the DT compatible hubs, it’s a non issue.

[frewster]

Do you recall what brand the bearings are in the Serenade hubs?

[Sebastian]

Do you recall what brand the bearings are in the Serenade hubs?

The road hubs I'm praising so much use Taiwanese TPI bearings. The gravel hubs use NBK or S&S bearings. Mine had NBK bearings. My experience with NBK is mixed. Some worked flawlessly, others wore out quickly. This time, I had basically both scenarios in one wheel set. The front wore out, the rear still works fine, albeit a bit rougher than in the beginning.

The TPI bearings in both road wheel sets I got are still super smooth. It's my first time using TPI bearings. I haven't really heard of those before, If I'm honest. Neither have I really heard of S&S.

[felixdisco]

Got pictures of my wheels today - exactly how I wanted them 50mm/60mm 
Will report back once I have my first couple of rides on them. Have to say communication is great with Serenade - quick answers and timelines met!

[Sebastian]

I'm looking to get these wheels as a dedicated gravel set next:
https://serenadebikes.net/wider-tire-gravel-bike-carbon-Wheelset-40mm-depth-36mm-wide-clincher-rims-SR042-hub-p6403872.html

It's sort of inspired by the Zipp XPLR 303 wheels. Not quite as extreme at 30internal/36external.
1350g +/- with Pillar1420s/CX-Rays. I'll probably get 1420s this time around as they might be marginally stiffer due to their ever so slightly thicker cross section. Also they're cheaper so win/win.

I'm looking to run 40-45s on them. They're available in hookless and hooked. For gravel, I actually prefer hookless, though.

I'll keep you posted on how these ride once I get them.

[reckonair]

A couple of hours after they landed I had a fall down the stairs and I’ve fractured my foot so I’m out of commission for a while.

A good mate of mine has popped the tyres on for me, running agilest TLRs 32mm, they certainly look the part.

Can’t wait to get out on them, eventually

[frewster]

Sorry to hear about your injury. I hope it heals quickly and you can get back on the bike soon.

[GammaDriver]

So how did this wheelset become over twice the price in just one half of a year?  Might be time to change that title.