Serenade 4550 Wavy Wheelset SUB 1200g steel spokes 500USD

[Sebastian]

After praising the SR248 hubs extensively, I have to report a premature bearing failure in the rear hub. I’ve done two weeks of riding in the rain in the Alps and honestly, I dunno if any other hub would have fared much differently. I’ve ridden in enormous downpours almost every time. I’m talking rivers of water crossing the roads. The bike never dried down properly during those two weeks. I needed to take off the bb cover to properly drain the frame of water several times. Almost every single one of the (cheap) steel screws in the frame started corroding.

So, after all that and the bike hanging on the wall for a week, the bearings in the rear hub feel pretty rough. Lots of resistance and vibrations when spinning the wheel in my hand. The odd thing is, that visibly everything looked pretty good when I took it apart. No obvious corrosion. Plenty of grease still everywhere in the freehub and in the hub. But the rear wheel bearings in the hub seem to be worn and/or corroded beyond saving. The freehub seems alright. I’ve ordered replacements and I’ll swap them out for some SKFs.

[reckonair]

Where do you source SKF bearings from?

Thanks

[Sebastian]

There is an online shop in Germany, that I get them from. It’s called kugellager-shop.net.

I usually try to get automotive quality bearings. They got plenty of different levels of quality and construction depending on the application. Not every type of bearing can be had from SKF, though.

I got a 6802 bearing from SKF for the NDS. The DS says “TPI SC02TOILBT” on the seals. The equivalent is a proprietary 15267 bearing just like in the DT Swiss hubs. It’s not available from SKF. I got it from Enduro bearings.

[sh]

After praising the SR248 hubs extensively, I have to report a premature bearing failure in the rear hub. I’ve done two weeks of riding in the rain in the Alps and honestly, I dunno if any other hub would have fared much differently. I’ve ridden in enormous downpours almost every time. I’m talking rivers of water crossing the roads. The bike never dried down properly during those two weeks. I needed to take off the bb cover to properly drain the frame of water several times. Almost every single one of the (cheap) steel screws in the frame started corroding.

So, after all that and the bike hanging on the wall for a week, the bearings in the rear hub feel pretty rough. Lots of resistance and vibrations when spinning the wheel in my hand. The odd thing is, that visibly everything looked pretty good when I took it apart. No obvious corrosion. Plenty of grease still everywhere in the freehub and in the hub. But the rear wheel bearings in the hub seem to be worn and/or corroded beyond saving. The freehub seems alright. I’ve ordered replacements and I’ll swap them out for some SKFs.

I’ve been messaging serenade bikes via WhatsApp and they suggested their sr315 hubs are more durable. They’re about 50g heavier and seem to have beefier spoke and centrelock interfacing, but are made from 6061 instead of 7050 aluminum. They said that the sr315 is more corrosion resistant, but I think this is probably to do with the bearings rather than the alloy.

[simo8891]

Received my wheelset today.
8 days shipping time to UK, no issues with customs via DPD.
60mm depth, sr268 hubs total weight = 1436g
Pics attached of wheels and weights on my scales.
Cost GBP 452 via PayPal (USD 584 with USD 15 discount applied)

Review -

Packaging - very safely packaged
Delivery - 8 days is pretty quick for consolidated shipping which they appear to use based on shipping labels.
Comms: Spot on, came with no logos on rims and with drain holes installed (on one side of wheel only - I think most of my wheels have two holes, 1 on each side at opposites)
Ride: TBC and will report back
Durability: TBC but as above will report back

Grease has been applied between end caps and bearings which is usually a good sign.

Will mount up my Power Cups before the weekend and put them on a bike for actual use testing.

[victoringemar]

Looking good! Surprised of such a fast delivery, then I might have to start scramble the rest of the parts for my complete build 😅 Also realised I forgot to ask for removal of the logos... See how they look when they show up.

Which spokes did you get?

Received my wheelset today.
8 days shipping time to UK, no issues with customs via DPD.
60mm depth, sr268 hubs total weight = 1436g
Pics attached of wheels and weights on my scales.
Cost GBP 452 via PayPal (USD 584 with USD 15 discount applied)

Review -

Packaging - very safely packaged
Delivery - 8 days is pretty quick for consolidated shipping which they appear to use based on shipping labels.
Comms: Spot on, came with no logos on rims and with drain holes installed (on one side of wheel only - I think most of my wheels have two holes, 1 on each side at opposites)
Ride: TBC and will report back
Durability: TBC but as above will report back

Grease has been applied between end caps and bearings which is usually a good sign.

Will mount up my Power Cups before the weekend and put them on a bike for actual use testing.

[Pifcp]

Hello.

Anyone know the difference between sr248 and sr268 hubs? Apart from the weight, what would be the advantage and disadvantages of one and another?
https://serenadebikes.net/new-road-carbon-bike-wheelset-hub-SR248-p5749573.html
https://serenadebikes.net/7050-Alu-Road-Bicycle-Hub-Center-Lock-Disc-Brake-SR268-100x12mm-142-x-12mm-p6481939.html

Talking with Marya she said that in the sr268 When the freehub is pulled out, the ratchet is a whole (picture she send me). I don't exactly know if that's good or not and If that means is not compatible with dt Swiss or not. Just trying to understand if the 20g extra would make the sr268 stronger and worth.

Thanks guys

[simo8891]

Looking good! Surprised of such a fast delivery, then I might have to start scramble the rest of the parts for my complete build 😅 Also realised I forgot to ask for removal of the logos... See how they look when they show up.

Which spokes did you get?

I went for Sapim CX rays.
They're quite easily removable as I think they're just stickers. I don't actually mind decals but decided I would go without.

[Sander2177]

I’ve been looking at 7Tiger, the seller behind the own-brand Serenade wheels.
I’ve been chatting with Silver, the head guy there I believe - nice bloke.

Most of their range has fairly narrow inner widths, but I think these new 23 mm inner / 34 mm external rims have only just been released — I had an email today with a link. They’re available in 40, 45, 50, and 60 mm depths decals are stickers so can be robbed.

Prices range from $469 to $539 USD, depending on whether you choose one of the three Pillar spoke options or the Sapim CX-Ray.
That works out to about $599 USD including shipping to the UK, which is roughly £450 GBP, which is fantastic value.

I also suggested they consider offering a 24/25 mm inner width version with carbon spokes. If they could hit around $650 USD, that would be a very very competitive price point I don’t know anyone doing wheels  at this price for these widths and lighter weight weeks say 1200g 50/60 combo as an example.

I’ve been looking at 7Tiger, the seller behind the own-brand Serenade wheels.
I’ve been in touch with Silver, the head guy there — nice bloke.

Most of their range has fairly narrow inner widths, but I think these new 23 mm inner / 34 mm external rims have only just been released — I had an email today with a link. They’re available in 40, 45, 50, and 60 mm depths.

Prices range from $469 to $539 USD, depending on whether you choose one of the three Pillar spoke options or the Sapim CX-Ray.
That works out to about $599 USD including shipping to the UK, which is roughly £450 GBP — fantastic value.

I also suggested they consider offering a 24/25 mm inner width version with carbon spokes. If they could hit around $650 USD, that would be a very competitive price point.

I’ve also been speaking with another OEM in Xiamen to see what they can offer. I’m getting a load of prices and specs sorted and will post something once I have them. There’s fierce competition in the wheel market right now — maybe we can even get a $500 USD carbon-spoked wheel with wider inner widths. Who knows!

What’s everyone’s thoughts on wider inner widths? Where’s the sweet spot in your opinion? I was thinking 24/25 mm myself.

[simo8891]

Received my wheelset today.
8 days shipping time to UK, no issues with customs via DPD.
60mm depth, sr268 hubs total weight = 1436g
Pics attached of wheels and weights on my scales.
Cost GBP 452 via PayPal (USD 584 with USD 15 discount applied)

Review -

Packaging - very safely packaged
Delivery - 8 days is pretty quick for consolidated shipping which they appear to use based on shipping labels.
Comms: Spot on, came with no logos on rims and with drain holes installed (on one side of wheel only - I think most of my wheels have two holes, 1 on each side at opposites)
Ride: TBC and will report back
Durability: TBC but as above will report back

Grease has been applied between end caps and bearings which is usually a good sign.

Will mount up my Power Cups before the weekend and put them on a bike for actual use testing.

Wheels mounted on my R088 for now. Wanted to test them asap and not wait whilst I'm building up my other frame. Mounted 28mm Power Cups, came up to 30.14mm at widest point according to my calipers.
Maiden voyage on them this pm.

[CoreX88]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to give some insights into my experience with Serenade. I noticed them due to Sebastians post here in the forum. I was searching for a new wheelset to replace my Novatec R4 wheelset, which I now use for another bike. I liked the style and the specs Serenade offered and contacted them via WhatsApp. Response was super fast and easy. I ordered the following:

TAR5045S, 34mm wide/25 mm hooked - Black hubs SR248 - Marble with glossy finish, - Flyweight version (410g) with Sapim CX-Ray spokes. I ordered on the 16.07 and received the wheelset on 4th of August via DPD. Packaging could be improved, but nothing was damaged. And the finish is superb for the price!

Since it's quite busy right now, I have ridden them just for two short rides (80km). But they seem a lot stiffer, lighter and more agile then the Novatec R4 wheelset. The hub bearings are a lot smoother and they were centered really well. Spoke tension was also quite good overall.

[Pifcp]

Bought my wheelset. 50mm depth, 23mm inner and 34mm outer. Wing20 with brass nipples and SR248 hubs. Should be around 1320g. Should get it in less than a month, and then i will update with what I think about the wheels. Talked via Whatsapp with Marya. Easy communication and fast responses.
Now I just wait to receive the wheels hope the wheels will be quick and reliable.

[serenadebikes]

I’ve been looking at 7Tiger, the seller behind the own-brand Serenade wheels.
I’ve been chatting with Silver, the head guy there I believe - nice bloke.

Most of their range has fairly narrow inner widths, but I think these new 23 mm inner / 34 mm external rims have only just been released — I had an email today with a link. They’re available in 40, 45, 50, and 60 mm depths decals are stickers so can be robbed.

Prices range from $469 to $539 USD, depending on whether you choose one of the three Pillar spoke options or the Sapim CX-Ray.
That works out to about $599 USD including shipping to the UK, which is roughly £450 GBP, which is fantastic value.

I also suggested they consider offering a 24/25 mm inner width version with carbon spokes. If they could hit around $650 USD, that would be a very very competitive price point I don’t know anyone doing wheels  at this price for these widths and lighter weight weeks say 1200g 50/60 combo as an example.

I’ve been looking at 7Tiger, the seller behind the own-brand Serenade wheels.
I’ve been in touch with Silver, the head guy there — nice bloke.

Most of their range has fairly narrow inner widths, but I think these new 23 mm inner / 34 mm external rims have only just been released — I had an email today with a link. They’re available in 40, 45, 50, and 60 mm depths.

Prices range from $469 to $539 USD, depending on whether you choose one of the three Pillar spoke options or the Sapim CX-Ray.
That works out to about $599 USD including shipping to the UK, which is roughly £450 GBP — fantastic value.

I also suggested they consider offering a 24/25 mm inner width version with carbon spokes. If they could hit around $650 USD, that would be a very competitive price point.

I’ve also been speaking with another OEM in Xiamen to see what they can offer. I’m getting a load of prices and specs sorted and will post something once I have them. There’s fierce competition in the wheel market right now — maybe we can even get a $500 USD carbon-spoked wheel with wider inner widths. Who knows!

What’s everyone’s thoughts on wider inner widths? Where’s the sweet spot in your opinion? I was thinking 24/25 mm myself.

Hi Sander2177

Thank you so much.

We have provided internal 24mm hooked, 25mm hooked and hookless rims.

Gravel 30mm internal hooked and hookless.

We have stock of the hot-selling models. Road disc brake UD 24H, XC MTB 28H.

Because the rims require a certain degree of rigidity, we choose not to produce super-light ones,  we can do it if client asked.

Over the past 10 years, conservative choices have enabled us to move forward more steadily.

[Rebel_Yell]

Hi Sander2177

Thank you so much.

We have provided internal 24mm hooked, 25mm hooked and hookless rims.

Gravel 30mm internal hooked and hookless.

We have stock of the hot-selling models. Road disc brake UD 24H, XC MTB 28H.

Because the rims require a certain degree of rigidity, we choose not to produce super-light ones,  we can do it if client asked.

Over the past 10 years, conservative choices have enabled us to move forward more steadily.

What would be the max rider weight limit on the new 24 or 25 internal width of wheels?  Likely depends on other parts.

Thanks.

[Ludo]

Can you guys make wheels with berd spoke or local equivalent? For MTB applications