commuter dynamo hubs « Singletrack Forum

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commuter dynamo hubs

8 posts & 8 voices | Started 9 months ago by trail_rat | Latest reply from zilog6128

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trail_rat - Member

joe marshall to the forum iirc

so whos got a dynamo hub set up on their commuter ?

if so what is it - how is it ?

dont really like using my maxx D for commuting as its alot of cyclic charging - and it gets used enough anyway - also its pretty poor for side visibility - likewise the rear red eye.

what set up are you using do i need mounts on forks for it still these days ? - ill probably still compliment it with my joystick on low power as its handy as owt for making sure cars have seen you at roundabouts and junctions

last time i experianced them it was for a german customer who sourced all the bits and as i remember it it dragged worse like fook and required a mudguard mount to fit the bits ! - much more noticable than a rohloff and required warrenty twice - if only i could remember the brand to avoid

are they any good these days - just a brain fart as my current 99 euro folding bike has an old school tire wall drive dynamo set up thats pretty impressive given it was on a NEW 99 euro bike .....

Posted 9 months ago #
cynic-al - Member

I used a 1st gen Nexus, worked great, saw no point in about Schmidt etc, but I am no bling merchant. I now have a 2nd gen but not wired it up yet

You feel the drag in your hand but not on the bike.

Posted 9 months ago #
joemc - Member

I've put Alfine Dyno hubs in our commuter/touring bikes - 'cos they match the alfine 8 at the back. They're effectively zero drag while riding. I thought I'd keep the original front wheels "for longer rides", but have decided there is just no point swapping over.

With one bike running the dyno and one without, there is no difference between them rolling down steep or gentle hills. (slightly nerdy parallel testing with identical new bikes, riders of pretty much same height and weight, rolling along side by side in similar body position etc - maybe I get a bit obsessive about scientific method sometimes, but hey, that's techy nerds...)

Both use supernova rear lights, one has supernova E3 up front, the other a Busch & Muller Cyo. The much cheaper Cyo is probably brighter, and it's beam pattern is much better as a commuter light.

I will be taking off the E-werk phone charger and replacing it with the new tout terrain one - just because it's so much neater.

Posted 9 months ago #
bristolbiker - Member

I've got one of these http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/shimano-deore-lx-dh-t665-lx-6v-30w-qr-dynamo-front-centre-lock-disc-hub-prod22286/ hooked up to one of these http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/busch-and-muller-lumotec-cyo+-60-led-headlight-with-bracket-prod18717/. Need to sort out a rear ligth at some point as well, but am happy with a 1/2 Watt and Holy Hand Grenade at the rear for the moment.

Have only used it for the back end of last winter so far. Dynamo isn't a draggy as I thought/feared (but I do switch to a non-dyno front wheel in the summer). Light power is fine for commuting. Only issue was the lamp failed right at the end of last winter - replaced under warranty straight away, but have yet to do any more than test it works so far this year.

Posted 9 months ago #
ir_bandito - Member

I've got Shimano LX (cos the Alfine dyno wasn't available as a hub onle)
Powers Busch and Muller lumotq IQ Cyo on the front (partially chosen for the shiny look) and Seculite Plus on the rear.

DSC_0867 by ir_bandito, on Flickr

Both bright enough (I've ridden over Hartside Pass in the dark and they were good enough)
No noticeable drag, just a little extra weight, although not much more than a set of batteries.

Posted 9 months ago #
ooOOoo - Member

On my mmmbop I've got the older version of the dynamo bristolbiker mentioned, that one is 200g lighter I heard, nice.

Got an IQ Fly on the front and a toplight lineplus on the back which has quite a cool wide lit area

How do you find the charger works joemc, how long does it take to charge things? I have USB version from ebay I am yet to install.

Posted 9 months ago #
robnorthcott - Member

I've got a Shimano dyno hub (think it's a 3N71) on my winter bike. It's very nice quality and almost undetectable drag. If you spin the wheel with the light off, it'll spin almost like a normal hub - turn the light on and it stops pretty quickly, but when you're riding it's hardly noticeable. It's been completely reliable over four years of winter weather.

I'm just using a fairly weedy Basta Pilot (I think) LED light, but it's bright enough to ride by on normal roads, but not that good a spread of light. Nearly as bright as my old 10W halogen, but the LED light doesn't seem so easy to see by as the yellower halogen. I use another light on the bars out on the moor though where there are sheep and the like (was using a 15W halogen, but now a Diablo). You can run better lights off a dynamo (some people run two lights so the second one only comes on at high speed when more power is available), but I haven't tried anything like that.

Posted 9 months ago #
zilog6128 - Member

Exposure do a diffuser for the Maxx-D that gives it great sideways visibility which only costs a few pounds. Similarly, the latest mk2 redeye offers a lot better sideways visibility than the old mk1.

Posted 9 months ago #