I have just had my second SP dynamo fail with movement in the bearings. The hub is fitted to my commuter bike and does around 6 to 7000 miles a year. Is this a common problem of is it just me?

Mine has been fine but it’s only done around 2000 miles in 2 years or so.

It does appear to be common. I’ve had one in 3 go typically just as it got out of warranty

HOw many miles had it done OP? Mine still OK but I’m concerned (200m pa)

Not quite sure this one is a warranty replacement but I would guess it has done 10,000 miles ish?

More expensive but my SON hub is now in it’s 11th year on an off road all year round commuting bike. I don’t think that’s unusual for then either.

10000 km on mine and it seems fine. all weather commuting and a bit of off road occasionally.

25,000km ish on mine including a Tour Divide run and the training for it. Still going strong after 3 years. YEMD.

As said above, there was a duff batch. Get it back if it’s still under warranty.

The first one I had was put down to a bad batch and replaces under warranty. This one was supposed to be from different batch. I think I will cut my losses and try to find a 6v 3w Shimano dynamo.

25000km is impressive as is doing the Tour Divide. Well done!

I had the X15 one on my mtb fully seize up. I’d used it through the winter, then hung it up over the summer as I didn’t need it. Got it down next autumn and it wouldn’t move.
Quick email to SP and they sent me a brand new one so I could get it built up in time for the next weekend’s ride when I needed it, I then sent the old one back.

The one on my road bike has been bombproof regardless of conditions throughout the year. Strava has it at around 9,000km, but its done more than that.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences they do seem to be quite reliable. Maybe I just got all the grotty ones?

I think it’s mainly the 15mm ones isn’t it? Due to the bearings being smaller because of the reduced space inside the hub? I have one and it’s fine after a few hundred KM’s but I’m wary of using on a long tour given the amount of complaints. I don’t buy the “duff batch” excuse, that’s the go-to answer for crap design/quality control.

I’ve also got two Shimano Alfine dynamos which have been faultless, one has probably done over 8,000km commuting year round and touring and is still going strong. Much cheaper than SON and SP too, just wish they would make a 15mm Dyno already!

steezysix – Member
I think it’s mainly the 15mm ones isn’t it?

Mines the 15mm…still fine.

I don’t buy the “duff batch” excuse, that’s the go-to answer for crap design/quality control.

It happens though – usually QC issue rather than design. SP made a revision to the bearing spec from the 1st gen hubs, so anything made from around a year or so ago onwards should have the better bearings in.

We’ve got a pair of the 15mm SP hubs and they’ve been fine so far – we did tuscany trails last year and it was “quite damp”, and herself now has the wheel on her commuting bike – so it does about 150 miles a week. Still good.
I have gone for a SON12 in 650b for lighter weight bikepacking/ touring and am just waiting for an opportunity to use it soon.

What JamesO said.

jameso – Member
…so anything made from around a year or so ago onwards should have the better bearings in.

That’s good to hear. I was having second thoughts about building mine into a wheel after talking to Tom at the SSEC (although his had done the TD)

Just want to resurrect this threat as my PD-8X 15mm hub has developed a little play. Got it in 2014 and it served duty as my offroad commuter wheel and bikepacking wheel. Its covered about 5k miles and had an unpleasant life being regularly dunked underwater through the puddle of doom and left outside on my winter commutes (i killed an alfine because of this!). If I was leaving it built id probably not even worry about it but im swapping rims with another wheel so now is a good time to get the bearings done.

So how do I get the bearings changed? do i need to contact the distributor or the manufacturer?

I’d heard the importer (Ison?) now do the maintenance on shore rather than them going on holiday to Taiwan. It was on another forum yonks ago so contact Ison for more accurate/up to date info.

AFAIK it’s a hub swap-out. The bearings cant be replaced outside of the factory. You send your hub(not wheel) to Ison and they send you a refurbished replacement. When this process started folk were getting new hubs as replacement. I don’t know if that’s still the case.