Ordered the wheels from Serenade on Dec 2. Arrived Dec 19.
Packaged well and within tolerance for weight.
Only hiccup I had along the way was I never got an actual receipt email or tracking number from serenade. Only paper trail I have is the what’s app conversations and a PayPal email/receipt.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Compared to the stock Roval carbon wheels that came on my Specialized Epic, The Serenade wheels took just over a pound off the front and just over half a pound off the rear.
The wheels setup with zero issues. The freehub spacing wound up exactly as the original wheels, no derailleur adjustment needed. The brake calipers I only recentered, probably more due to slapping brand new rotors on the wheels than anything else.
The hub bearings seem smooth out the box. The machining is nice. Brake screws threaded right in. The FreeHub (M270) is the type that just pops off with no extra screw which is nice for maintenance. The ratchet came well greased and makes nice noises without being overbearingly loud. I might pop it off and change it to slide lube and see if that frees it up and makes it louder just for kicks.
Rode the bike Dec. 20 on a trail system I usually put in 1-2 hours per week on in group rides. -- The Serenade wheels are extremely stiff and responsive. The bike was already a rocket but these wheels turned it up to 11. The lightness is readily apparent rolling out of turns, hopping over things, and twitching the wheels around rocks. The added wheel width (30mm IW, compared to oem 25mm IW) is subtle but they do feel a little more planted than usual. So it is a very interesting mix of sensations. The bike has become more maneuverable/responsive, but also seems to stick to the ground better. I wonder though if there is a sharper tipping point to the end of traction now though. Was amazing to ride without the *CLANK* of the sloppy oem 3 pawl freehub engaging. I hit multiple PRs on segments I frequently ride on and never
felt like I was pushing
that hard, even pretty deep into the 20 miles I rode I was getting within a few seconds of PRs.
I will check back in in 6 months or so with an update on the wheels.
February Update; Wheels still working well. I opened my random parts drawer last night and spotted a DTSwiss style freehub with a 54t ratchet (
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805762619227.html) that I got a long time ago to try and upgrade my original Roval wheels(did not work) - So I popped the Serenade wheel off and the 54t ratchet slipped right in! I'm sure it isn't as reliable as the 32t, but its hysterically loud so I'm going to go run it at a 6 hour MTB race this weekend just to create some psychological warfare.
September 2026 update;I ticked over 1000 miles on the Epic for the year this past weekend. The Serenade wheels are still true with everything feeling good.
