What are the differences of Serenade AGS R2 ?

If you are looking to upgrade your gravel setup, the wheel market is filled with options. But every so often, a wheelset comes along that punches well above its weight class by combining cutting-edge engineering, thoughtful material science, and jaw-dropping low weights. Enter the Serenade AGS R2 Gravel Wheels.

Built for modern gravel adventures (and even light mountain biking duties), let’s dive into what makes the Serenade AGS R2 a true game-changer.

1. The Rims: Modern Geometry & Bulletproof Durability

The foundation of any great wheelset is the rim, and Serenade has left nothing to chance here:

• The Sweet-Spot Width: Featuring an ultra-modern 30mm internal width, these rims are optimized for today’s wider gravel tires, offering a fantastic tire profile and volume. They are versatile enough for aggressive gravel riding and can even pull double-duty for mountain bikes.
• Hooked vs. Hookless Options: You can choose between hookless and hooked configurations. The hooked version utilizes a clever mini-hook design, giving you the best of both worlds: the high security against tire blowout of a traditional hooked rim, paired with the easy tire installation and removal of a hookless setup.
• Depth & Asymmetry: Available in multiple heights—30mm, 35mm, 40mm, 45mm, and 50mm—with asymmetrical profiles offered on select sizes (30mm, 45mm, and 50mm) to balance spoke tension evenly.
• Toray T700 & T800 Carbon Blend: The rims are crafted from a 50/50 mix of Toray T700 and T800 carbon fibers. The T800 keeps things remarkably lightweight, while the T700 absorbs harsh trail impacts. Serenade builds these to last—barring a severe crash, these might just be the last carbon gravel wheels you’ll need to buy until your next bike upgrade.

2. The Hubs: Featherlight Meets Heavy-Duty Engineering

The newly designed Serenade R2 hubs are a masterclass in hub engineering, packed with features usually reserved for ultra-premium boutique brands:

1. 7071 High-Strength Aluminum Shell: Keeps the shell lightweight yet exceptionally rigid.
2. Robust Bearing Layout: The front hub features two 6803 2RS bearings, while the rear uses three 6803 2RS bearings plus a larger 17287 bearing to handle heavier loads, impacts, and long-term durability.
3. S&S Steel Ball Bearings: Known for stellar quality and reasonable pricing, S&S bearings stand shoulder-to-shoulder with much more expensive alternatives.
4. Titanium Freehub: Crafted from raw-color, corrosion-resistant aerospace titanium, saving weight while providing tighter engagement under power.
5. Larger Star Ratchet 45T System: Also made of titanium, this larger engagement surface ensures instantaneous power transfer and bulletproof reliability.
6. Thread-Locked End Caps: Unlike push-on end caps that can introduce play over time, these are secured with threads for a rock-solid, zero-play interface.
7. Incredible Weight Distribution: At just 225 grams for the front and rear hub set combined, they allow weight to be strategically saved in the center and reinvested into the rims for maximum impact resistance.

3. Spokes: The Industry Standard for Reliability

Serenade pairs these wheels with the undisputed king of spokes: the Sapim CX-Ray. Not only are they aerodynamically efficient and incredibly strong, but if you ever need service or replacement parts while traveling, you can easily find them in virtually any bike shop around the world.

4. Impressive Weight Matrix

Wondering how light your build will be? Here is how the numbers break down across different rim depths (with a tolerance of $\pm 30\text{ g}$

):

| Rim Height | Rim Weight (Each) | Total Rims | Hubs | Spokes (48 pcs) | Calculated Wheelset Weight |

| 30 mm | 350 g | 700 g | 225 g | 235 g | 1,160 g |

| 35 mm | 360 g | 720 g | 225 g | 235 g | 1,180 g |

| 40 mm | 375 g | 750 g | 225 g | 235 g | 1,210 g |

| 45 mm | 390 g | 780 g | 225 g | 235 g | 1,240 g |

| 50 mm | 415 g | 830 g | 225 g | 235 g | 1,290 g |

The Verdict

The Serenade AGS R2 wheelset proves that you don’t have to compromise between weight, durability, and modern geometry. By shaving grams in the right places (like the 225g hubset) and reinforcing the rims with a smart carbon blend and wide internal profiles, Serenade has built a versatile, high-performance gravel wheelset that is ready for everything from rough backcountry fire roads to fast weekend group rides.

Are you ready to transform your gravel ride?