I had a SON dynamo on my commuter. No ports to charge any devices, only to power the front and rear lights. For a commuter it was absolutely perfect. Together with fenders, an internal gear hub and belt drive, this thing was bombproof and maintenance free. Just hop on and start pedalling. I commuted to work with it for 5 years. You don't realize how convenient the dynamo is, and how much peace of mind it brings, until you commute daily. Sadly someone else agreed with me and stole it... But I know what I want for my next commuter though. Haven't bikepacked with a dynamo but I think I'd prefer it over power banks and heavy external lights.
@@RalfPinkaire-f7w Are you replying to the wrong thread, or just making up easy to counter arguments? Who said they were heavy? You are replying to a comment stating that dynamos make a commuter bike maintenance free. No word of weight.
RE the Old Man Mountain ad - I bought an Elkhorn rack recently and I absolutely love it. Using a dry bag on the top and Ortlieb fork packs on the sides. It's great for the extra gear I need for this time of year. This time last year I was using a saddle bag and rucksack. Now I can leave those at home!
During night rides, I hated thinking if the lights will die on me, It made me nervous, and therefore I enjoyed it less. And because I did not charge them every time, occasionally I ended up riding in the dark. Feels so good not to have to think about these things. Apart from racing, I would recommend it to everyone who can afford it. Also, its the best option for commuting.
I have a SON dynamo on my everyday bike/backcountry touring Salsa Fargo Ti bike. I would never go back to not having it. I like the absolute convenience of never having to charge lights and my cycle computer. Prior to this I was always forgetting to charge the lights and then needed to ride at night so I just kept buying more and more portable rechargeable lights for the handlebars. Pretty soon I had five of them and realized this was crazy. The only time it does not work so well is when you are constantly riding up a steep road for a very long time since the charging cuts out between 3-4 miles per hour.
I’m running an SP-PD8x laced to a Roval Control with a Sinewave Beacon and I love it! It keeps all of my devices charged and my bike seen. My friends enjoy it too as I’m typically able to top off their devices as well. Being able to pair it with a battery pack for low/slow speed lighting is a nice perk.
@@PRH123 I have some shutter precision hubs and from bikes with to bikes without it is imperceptible to me. The wheel in the video above is a shutter precision dynamo with some dt swiss flare. However, if you really want a son they have reportedly less drag, but they are less efficient in terms of power generation.
We have a SON dynamo on the tandem we use for bike packing/touring. We love it! It's great to not have to manage recharging headlights on multi-day trips. It's so convenient, in fact, it's really shone a light (heh) on how inconvenient charging our rear lights are. This winter, we think we'll move to dynamo powered rear lights, too.
I have a SON 28, great dynamo, it is not supposed to be submerged when wading a river. you need to service it every 20,000 to 30,000 km, in order to do that the wheel must be taken apart, it cost me around 200 euros. for ultraracers a service every 10,000 km sounds more like it. on the other hand, Shimano dynamos have more drag but are service friendly and also very reliable, any mechanic can service them.
I have two sets of dynamo wheels and I no longer use them. Used mostly for racing, tour divide, American trail race, etc. They work ok @10+mph, but I'm mostly off road so that's unreliable. The biggest change though are fast charge power banks. When I can charge an empty 25,000mah in 55 minutes at 130watts, I'm good to go. That with a couple of fenix bc26r lights with spare 21700 batteries goes a very long way. Plus, redundancy.
primitive crap. so you have all kf that and you couldn't mske 12v own battery or order custom from someone (for example me) to power all lights, chargers, pumos etc? and charge main battery with dynamo. it's not redundancy thide stupid small lighs and powerbanks ar inconvenient and messy and you will forget to charge all of that
I feel the same for offroad/gravel. Would still recommend them for commuting and long term touring with remote stretches. I also use and love the Felix light.
I had a Son dynamo wheel built by Riv’s wheel builder for my Saluki and used it for 5 years of commuting daily 21-mile round trips in Hawaii where afternoon rain was not uncommon. The hub was flawless. I built a 700c wheel for my Surly Cross-Check around an SP hub and during a deluge on Oahu’s North Shore it failed. I emailed the company and they FedExed me a replacement that arrived in two days. They just asked that I send them the old hub so they could determine what went wrong. Bad batch of bearings. Replacement hub two had the wrong hole count. I emailed them and they FedExed me a third hub. I have 12,000 miles on that wheel and it has been flawless as a commuter during Chicago winters, on gravel, and during a 500-mile RAGBRAI. I couple the hub with a USB port (link at end) and a K-Lite two-way switch (no longer made, sadly) that sends current to a K-Lite headlight or my iPhone. I love this setup. Never think about. Never notice the drag. Due to SP’s customer service and the quality of their product I built a wheel set for my daughter’s Krampus around their hub. It’s her bike packing rig and she loves it. I can’t imagine not having at least one bike with a dynamo and USB charging port.
@eXTreemator charge main battery with Dynamo? That's fantasy land. It would take a week of continuous riding to charge the power bank. In real world applications dynamos work ok for lights and keeping your cycling computer topped off. The only time I use a dynamo is if I was mostly road or fast gravel...or commuting of course. Even then I'd have a spare battery bank. I have a klite system.
Years ago (30+ years), we used generators to extend battery life. We ran the front and rear lights off of a battery, so the lights would be fully on at all times (0 MPH to full speed). The generator would recharge the battery at high speed and maintain the battery charge at standard speeds. When stopped or at very low speeds, the battery supplied the power to maintain the lights' power.
I build myself an allroad bike last year around a ritchey outback frameset. I used a SON dynamo hub on my front wheel and I really appreciate, I never have to worry about whether the batteries of my lights are loaded, because the batteries are my legs 🙃
Ich habe auf meiner aktuellen Reise auch einen Son 28 in Verbindung mit einem Forumslader und einer Supernova M99 DY und bin zufrieden. Grüße aus Atlacomulco 🇲🇽 von meiner Panamericana Bikepacking Radreise von Deadhorse Alaska nach Ushuaia Argentinien. 🚴
Absolutely loving my Knolly Cache Steel - my favourite bike to ride, whether ripping singletrack or fully laden with bags for bikepacking adventures. Worth checking out - you'll love it too!
I have a dynamo hub on my commuter bike paired with a front light powered by a 21700 battery for nighttime rides. It's truly liberating to have a permanent light on the bike in case I forget to charge the battery, bring the light, or even if I didn’t plan to stay out late that day. I never use it to charge other devices, though. For bikepacking, you need to have a second light in case of failure anyway... Dynamo hub AND battery pack for me !
I think dynamo setups are very cool, it’s hard not to want one. But unless you multi day race with long hours in the dark and no recharge points for 3-4 days, it’s really hard to justify a dynamo with the added weight, cost and drag. I realized my desire for a dynamo was a mix of aspirational and geeky. Because even when I’m bikepacking in remote Mexico or Scotland I’m never more than 2 days away from a cafe or a pub where I can re-charge all my devises in 2-3 hours which I can spare. For more remote trips I have one more power bank and a small solar panel.
I’ve been using a SON hub on my touring/commuter bike for about six years. Has been reliable and I don’t notice any drag - it’s a steel frame and I’m usually carrying a bag. And I’m only on pavement or light gravel, with brief moments of rougher stuff. It’s only downside is that the connector has been fussy, but a local bike mechanic took a hard look at it and straightened it out a year or two ago and it’s been fine since. As someone who uses my phone for navigation, music, etc., I’ve been very happy with it overall.
Super informative video, Neil. Dynamo hubs are tricky little buggers. In theory, they make so much sense for bikepacking, but in reality, it might not always be the dream component that some folks make them out to be. I think they have their place, and I love having a dynamo wheel on my current commuting setup, but I haven't had the desire to use one on a singletrack bikepacking trip, for example.
I got the pedal cell dynamo, and it is great. It provides a great charge and is easy to disengage if my speed is not high enough to warrant it. I can also swap it between bikes, which is a huge bonus.
the problem with pedal cell is reliability. if you do long descents you're likely to burn them since their maximum speed is 40 km/h. I wanted to buy one but after watching a few videos on youtube, one of them really informative, I decided against it.
Really nice video, I miss only mentioning the fact that to charge things you need a converter from 6V AC to 5V DC, but it's clearly in the guide you mentioned. Those premade DT Swiss wheels look nice, it's a lot cheaper than buying the parts and finding someone who builds it for you. I'm thinking to buy a new bike and have a dynamo hub on it and found the same guide you recommends and it's really useful.
One thing about dynamos: check at which speed they provide stable charge power and then check if it corresponds to the average speed you are riding at; or how long you'd need to ride to charge your elec. . If it doesn't match your speed or duration of riding then avoid it as it will be useless. On a side note I'd also recommend to never charge straight from the dynamo, even through a charger that is a "true" pass through buffer. Always recharge a buffer battery then use that to recharge your item. It is better to damage an "inexpensive" battery with the constant microcuts and change in current than your cycling computer or phone. And if possible avoid usage during charge (but that should be obvious) ...
Average speed is not a determining factor. It is how long/often you will be riding at sufficiently high speed to generate the required output. My average speed in Atlas Mountain race was low, due to lots of hike a bike, but I was able to ride self sufficient for 8 days and nights.
When iam bikepacking i normaly camp in the wild 3-4 days and recharge my lights/navi/smartphone (with heavy usage) all together via a dynamo and a powerbank. Every fifth day i usually go for a camping spot to get cleaned up and recharge my mostly half drained powerbank up. Having a dynamo is rly a game changer on tour.
Funny to see a Garman graph & picture in your presentation. In fact in Germany dynamo driven lights were required by the road traffic regulation until recent days. However this was changed now to allow also rechargeable! batteries.
Have ridden the past 12 years with a dyanmo hub . Given the improvements of external battery packs over the past few years I won't have one on next build.
you don't understand that you can order 12v external huge battery for everything and charge it with dynamo. i hope you don't mean those cheap crap chinese lights are improvements? although you probably do😑
Sp dynamo, klite lights, twice riding the GDMBR. Works fantastic, but your average speed needs to be around 10mph. Heavy cellphone user for navigation and music and the dynamo would keep things charged (through Voltaic cache battery) throughout the day. Ran lights front and rear all day as well. About every 4 days stayed at a motel to top things up. I couldnt imagine bikepacking without it.
Thanks for posting this video. I was actually watching at your Ortlieb Bikepacking Seat Pack QR Seat Bag 13L and this video was an option. I am an ultra-cycling roadie, I know egad! Lol! Anyway I have always been either crew-supported for my races or my longer Audux brevet riding was at the 1200km level. I am planning something longer next summer Canadian Border to Mexican Border along the coast and thought I might pursue a Dyna hub for it.
Thanks for the comprehensive overview of dynamo hubs…very helpful. As a dynamo newbie looking for the best option, would it make sense to charge a powerbank with the dynamo and run battery lights, bike computer and/or charge phone off that? WHich dynamo’s put out the most power? Can you split the power from a battery bank to lights and computer? ...Reading the comments below, it sounds like most are using SON dynamos. Have you done a comparison between the dynamos available?
So the DT Swiss Dynamo wheels set has DT bearings. Do they still have to be sent back to SP in Taiwan for service (which historically cost about half as much as a new dynamo on other SP models after they were out of their 2 year warranty)?
My Priority 600 came with a dynamo hub. However, I switched to a standard front wheel. The dynamo that came with it had a lot of drag. It was noticeable drag. Also, I prefer the brighter lights that are USB rechargeable. I don't race, so I can stop and charge a battery bank.
Do you like your Priority 600x? I've been trying to convince myself to get one. Never been bike packing but want to try it. At 57 hopefully it's not too late to try? Do you find the bike heavy?
@michaelp1109 I had a 600, not 600x. I should have bought the 600x, I'd probably still have it. I sold my 600 to a friend as I missed having a front shock. I loved the simplicity of the pinion gear box with gates belt. I also loved the gear range. Yes, it is on the heavy side but not that heavy compared to similar bikes. I didn't like the twist shifter. The only reason I didn't get the 600x was my husband didn't like the feel of the gates belt drive and I wanted our bikes to have the same drive train. Looking back, I probably should have bought the 600x.
@@dsa5394 I see, thanks! On their site it says the hub is a priority dyno hub, I suspect it’s a rebranded Shimano hub, kind of looks like it visually. I see on Reddit comments that it vibrates when the light is turned on. People say that Son and other more expensive hubs have little noticeable drag, I guess this is one of those situations where quality makes a real difference. Thanks!
I’d love to see a video about internally geared hubs vs derailleurs for long distance bikepacking. I’m planning on purchasing a new bikepacking bike, and would like to know what options I have available, and what should be avoided. The biggest problems I see are gear range and lack of parts if something should go wrong on the trip, but reliability seems pretty good, so I’m on the fence. Thanks.
I rode a Rohloff Speedhub for 10 years and 50 000km, while neglecting maintenance (had no idea it was a thing). It failed me after that, we sent it to the manufacturer and they sent it repaired with an apology letter saying "this failure is ours and should never had happened". The gear range is incredible, I went up 18% climbs with a fully-loaded 40kg bike (on roads that is). I use Alfine at work, the gear range is definitely smaller and the hubs are a little more fragile, but it comes down to using it properly (no shifting under pressure for instance). All in all, both are very good options in terms of maintenance, durability and general peace of mind but indeed pretty hard to find parts depending on where you're going.
For these weeklong races would you be better served by a solar panel? The night riding and commuter convenience is a pretty convincing argument for dynamos.
It is not a must-have thing, however on my 3000km trip on the northern Part of the European Divide it came in handy, since I only stayed 2 consecutive nights in the same hotel, the rest I was wild camping. My power bank really helped at times but I mostly relied on my dynamo-hub to charge up my Phone, Bike Computer and Pump (I had a shoddy tyre and not enough sealing so I had to pump up the rear tyre at least twice a day). I am riding nowadays SON-hubs but I used to ride the cheapest Shimano hubs and never had any issues (Shimano 10000/20000km; SON now 20000/30000km). I didn't really ride well into the night (sometimes into the twilight) so I only needed the light one day when it was raining the whole day, solely for safety purposes (12h of riding on that day). My main touring bike is also my commuter bike so I never turn of the lights (except for charging during bike-trips) and I really love to be able to have always a well functioning light that never failed me thus far. I do commute in unlit areas on forest roads as well as the city so I do have a high beam option which also helps.
I enjoying having a dynamo on a bike that gets used regularly at all times of the day. my commuter and that sort of thing, as it allows me to just get on and not worry about charging lights.
Rode through Cuba with a great bike light. Darkness was coming, stopped at a very sketchy casa particular, " no thanks", I said. Half an hour later my great bike light died on me after being fully charged the night before. Ran over many crabs and fell into pot holes left and right. Next time in Cuba, India, Greece, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand.etc..... My son hub has never batted an eye ( I do carry back up rechargeable front and back lights Just in Case). Love my hub.
For heavy duty use I would choose Son or Shimano and not Shutter - I am using Shimano XT on road if I switch off during day You don’t notice drag at all - with 13:27 light on it’s noticeable as you said
My commuter a Priority 600 and the dynamo is excellent. I have the Hunt dynamo wheel set, wish it was available in carbon, but that's just me trying to min/max. Reminds me how much 10 years ago a dynamo setup was the touring cyclists niche, mostly. I did build an older Alfine front wheel/dynamo/hub brake setup for winter rides, but that's not the norm either. On the commuter front, it should be standard. I used to ride a lot, to the edge of winter, and the post-Daylight Savings rides home in city traffic really was better. That said, old dynamos could not keep up with cheap LED spotlight setup on my bike. Given how the world really wants to add electrical doodads to basic bike setups, it might be a good idea to standardize on-board, dynamo and maybe solar inputs. That might tilt into the "glamping" side of bike rides. OK, but not really what I want. See and be seen is enough for me.
ever tried the fold up solar panels? I don' think they are a better option but they seem cheap and if I can keep a battery bank going for a little longer thats probably all I would need
In 2019 ahead of the TCR what would have been the following year I did look at SON dynamo hub but in the end stuck with a couple of power banks. Given the technological advancements in subsequent years, for me at least, I would find it hard to justify a dynamo hub purchase unless it wasn't something equally epic and potentially remote like the Tour Divide.
Personally, I think that with the new rapid charging powerbanks, that can also rapidly charge rapid charge phones etc. the role of a dynamo hub is becoming less needed. You mentioned the iPhone chargers are only 20W, but lots of non iPhones have rapid charging with 50W, 100W, or higher watt chargers. With 120W charging a phone can be fully charged in 20 mins. The time it takes for a coffee, and if you are just topping up at a gas station, the 10 mins it takes for a pee and a soda. Like you said, for cycling in remote areas, maybe still a place for dynamo hubs, but as you also point out, with an external battery pack not needed so much, and a lot cheaper. Especially if you use a rapid charge battery bank.
If you only go out every now and then or weekend trips battery packs and battery operated devices are fine. But if you’re doing longer trips, lots of trips or on the bike a lot then a dynamo is the best way to go. While you can just have a light connected to dynamo it can get a lot more complex. USB chargers, cache batteries, switching and wiring harnesses. But once done it’s a set and forget system that you never regret getting.
I have a son Dynamo hub with in my opinion no drag which powers supernova front and rear lamp which even shines for around 5 minuten after standing still. It's perfect for every day use and slow bikepacking climbs in the mountains and charging my phone via cycle to charge with a Powerbank in between.
With a little bit of know how it's not impossible to service a Sutter Precision Dynamo hub. I did it a few years ago after I put close to 3000 miles on it, and one bike crash that totaled a frame.
I charge my battery pack with a small folding solar panel that straps on top of my back carrier with mini bungee cords. I also have a back up battery inside of my handlebar extension for mounting the Go pro and front light. This way I can charge three devices after dark without worry. I am not tempted to get a dynamo.
Esp for a commuter, the setup doesnt have to be expensive (which is where I use it the most). Granted I build the wheel myself, but I used a mavic rim (~35 €), a shimano hub (~30 €) and some bog standard straight gauge spokes (0,7 €/piece) but the overall cost is WAAAAY below 2k even including light and cabling. Sure, it's not something I would use offroad for extended periods of time, but for commuting its perfect.
I have a Son dynamo & Beacon 2 on my Cutty. I use it via a power bank which means I can have a constant level of lighting if i slow down. Also with the Beacon 2 I can switch to charging only if I don't need lighting. But your right, that with modern powerbanks you can go for days without charging.... Like most things if we want something we'll find a way to justify the cost IMHO 😂
out of convenience a dynamo is great on a city bike you just throw in the shed after using and dont care for charging the lights - but on a bikepacking trip nowadays most people take relatively high powered electronics with them that cant be charged reliably with the 3-5watts of power from a dynamo anymore. even a modern smartphone takes ages with this, not to mention gopro batteries etc. - so you need a powerbank to buffer the dynamo juice anyways if you want to charge on the go. and if you already have that with you, you can forgoe the dynamo hub completely and just bring enough capacity for your needs in form of a fast charging powerbank. to put it in perspective, even with a full day of riding you would have a hard time in charging a 20.000mah/70wAh powerbank via a dynamo hub, but you can do it in slightly over one hour at the hotel.
This is the thought I had regarding these hubs... Hook it to a powerbank and recharge the digitals at night. I appreciate the heads-up on how well that works, since I probably would have gone down that road and been disappointed. Thanks!
And I think portable solar panels are getting pretty usable these days. Have one strapped onto your bike backpack and you are golden as long as a reasonable amount of sunlight exists. They usually come with integrated batteries too.
@@nicolasledoux355 i find thats one of the few situations (beeing away from civilisation for multiple days in a row) where a dynamo hub still could be useful. on the other hand, if you prefer that experience i guess you dont need a lot of juice anyways so a simple 20.000mah powerbank should do you good for several days if you dont plan riding through the night a lot.
I love dynamo lights but I've chosen not to use them for two reasons you haven't listed here. I live and commute in the inner city, and I had too many issues with squirrels chewing through my wiring, and people damaging my hard mounted lights by trying to steal them while I'm in the grocery store. Switched back to batteries and haven't looked back but I do feel guilty about it. 😅
Has anyone come across a dynamo hub that you can turn on and off? it could be cool to turn off the dynamo resistance when climbing and then turn it on for a long descent, assuming you are using it to charge a light or Garmin with a battery and don't need to continuously for power all the time...does something like this exist?
I’m always disappointed that the Sturmey archer dynamo hubs are excluded from the comparisons. After all they’ve been in production for like a century already.
I was eyeing up S-A's dynamo+drum brake combo hub before I got my current Priority L-Train which has disc brakes. I still dislike messing about with multiple battery-powered lights (especially in extreme cold situations when they straight up don't work) and always having them go dead on me, but a dynamo wheel setup is expensive. What seems ideal is hard-mounted lights with a quick-release external battery pack that I can bring in out of the cold, but no one seems to make one.
@ I’m a big SA drum brake fan, which is why the dyno hub is also interesting. I’m often commuting in cold, snow, rain, and the drums are ideal for those conditions. My Moon usb lights lose like 50% of their capacity when the temps go below -15 C. Brightness doesn’t change, but the headlight can run out of juice even before I get home.
@@PRH123 Last winter I had to store my bike outdoors, and taking the lights off twice a day is such a hassle that I tend to leave them on until they go low (with 20-30 minutes daily riding they typically last a week or two in summer). Well, once it reached -35C the lights would last for about 30 seconds before blinking out, even when fully charged, which was frustrating.
@@cmmartti -35 will do that! Coldest I ever rode was -30 C. As I learned at that temperature, black zip ties crumble like chalk (the white ones hold up) :) Planetary hubs stop shifting before you get to -10 C in my experience. How does the Pinion work in the cold?
@@PRH123 My L-Train has a Shimano Alfine 8 gear hub and a belt drive, it's only gotten down to -10C this year and it's worked great so far, but we'll see how it performs over the winter. Most of the winter it hovers around -10C to -15C during the day, but since I've moved to northern BC a couple of years ago I've learned that there's always 2-3 weeks when temperatures plunge below -30C, down to as low as -45C at night. I have a basket on each of my bikes held on with black zip ties (I put them on this spring), so I may have to replace them with hose clamps if that happens to me. One thing I discovered last year is that regular black rubber tarp straps get as stiff as a board below about -25C, so I may pick up the blue "cold weather" straps that the local hardware store sells.
Shoutout to using cheap, gearless ebike hubs for commuting. With the right controller, they can be used as a dynamo as well as providing regenerative braking. And for those tough days that you just want to be home, it's still an ebike.
All my bikes have dynamo lighting: three SON/Edelux and two SP/IQX. A bike without a dynamo light is just a toy, with a dynamo light is a vehicle. I believe the pros are more than the cons. SON hubs are the most reliable.
Chinese will sell you an old school external dynamo that you fix on a fork and contact the tire. Efficiency is advertised at 3 watts, but since i did not test it I cannot comment on that. I use power bank and a solar charger. Convenience and price.
Don’t even bother watching the video. The answer is yes, you should get one. Dynamos are awesome. I have a cheap unbranded setup from Taiwan and it has been great. Just wish it had a standlight. If you’re considering getting into the world of dynamo lights, don’t be fooled into thinking you NEED a $500 hub and a $500 light. Even the cheap stuff works quite well.
The big elephant in the room is the fact that you can't simply plug any device directly onto a dynamo hub. To safely and reliably power/charge a phone for example you need s (efficient!?) converter and buffer battery that can put out a stable 5Volt (for USB). Otherwise you run the risk of damaging your phone or draining its battery quicker due to the constant on/off. Losing 6watts of power is not negligible. If on a long days ride you average around 140watts (for a mortal like me..). 6watts is almost the same as losing a cog on a rear cassette.
Not being super fit, I kind of consider dynamo hubs to be a thing that rewards fitness. If the hub produces, say, 5 watts, that's 5 % of your ftp if you have an ftp of 100 watts, while it's just 1 % of your ftp if it's 500 watts. And that should also be independent of weight, so losing a few kilos won't make your dynamo hub less taxing on you...
once i ride too fast downhill, that the dynamo hub burnt and went away Solar panel is dirt cheap, multi purpose, still charging not riding, charge my phone at least once in the most cloudiest day. And i dont ride that long at night, I am sleeping.
You'll sell your kidney to afford a SON setup and you won't regret it. I use mine only for lights as dynamos are too low wattage for any modern electronics. It's bombproof and a lifesaver especially during long and dark winter months.
stop stop stop. 5-7 watt power on average output of 250 watt, its like 2-3% of total power. take it off on 500 mile ride and you get up to 15 free mile. If you get average 15 mile in hours< you need roughly 34 hours. SO... If dynamo hub give you 3 whatt per hours...? And you get same amount from 20000 mAh battary. Dont worf it.
Great idea, but there’s so many bottom bracket and crank standards, that it would be I’d say impossible to make a system that would accommodate all of them.
we all need one. but they are not diy friendly that makes them useless. and they are expensive. in fact all high end bikes would have dynamos soon mark my words. but again it would be not diy friendly.
I had a SON dynamo on my commuter. No ports to charge any devices, only to power the front and rear lights. For a commuter it was absolutely perfect. Together with fenders, an internal gear hub and belt drive, this thing was bombproof and maintenance free. Just hop on and start pedalling. I commuted to work with it for 5 years.
You don't realize how convenient the dynamo is, and how much peace of mind it brings, until you commute daily. Sadly someone else agreed with me and stole it... But I know what I want for my next commuter though.
Haven't bikepacked with a dynamo but I think I'd prefer it over power banks and heavy external lights.
Right. In particular commuters and recreational rider will enjoy never worrying about lights.
@@RalfPinkaire-f7wespecially compared to all the gear for bikepacking
@@RalfPinkaire-f7w Are you replying to the wrong thread, or just making up easy to counter arguments? Who said they were heavy? You are replying to a comment stating that dynamos make a commuter bike maintenance free. No word of weight.
I don't really get this. Turning on my lights costs 2 seconds and I charge them once a Month.. daily commuter as well. ~6kkm/year
RE the Old Man Mountain ad - I bought an Elkhorn rack recently and I absolutely love it. Using a dry bag on the top and Ortlieb fork packs on the sides. It's great for the extra gear I need for this time of year. This time last year I was using a saddle bag and rucksack. Now I can leave those at home!
During night rides, I hated thinking if the lights will die on me, It made me nervous, and therefore I enjoyed it less. And because I did not charge them every time, occasionally I ended up riding in the dark. Feels so good not to have to think about these things. Apart from racing, I would recommend it to everyone who can afford it. Also, its the best option for commuting.
I have a SON dynamo on my everyday bike/backcountry touring Salsa Fargo Ti bike. I would never go back to not having it. I like the absolute convenience of never having to charge lights and my cycle computer. Prior to this I was always forgetting to charge the lights and then needed to ride at night so I just kept buying more and more portable rechargeable lights for the handlebars. Pretty soon I had five of them and realized this was crazy. The only time it does not work so well is when you are constantly riding up a steep road for a very long time since the charging cuts out between 3-4 miles per hour.
I’m running an SP-PD8x laced to a Roval Control with a Sinewave Beacon and I love it! It keeps all of my devices charged and my bike seen. My friends enjoy it too as I’m typically able to top off their devices as well. Being able to pair it with a battery pack for low/slow speed lighting is a nice perk.
The friend that has the juice, love it!
I have a SON dynamo on all of my bikes. I don't want to miss reliable lights.
How much resistance do you feel, when lights are on, and when they’re not on?
@@PRH123 I have some shutter precision hubs and from bikes with to bikes without it is imperceptible to me. The wheel in the video above is a shutter precision dynamo with some dt swiss flare. However, if you really want a son they have reportedly less drag, but they are less efficient in terms of power generation.
@@X0oSCOTTo0X thanks!
@@PRH123I’ve never noticed any resistance difference on or off. My bike is heavy so I’m never going faster than 12-14 ish
@@30bones thanks!
We have a SON dynamo on the tandem we use for bike packing/touring. We love it! It's great to not have to manage recharging headlights on multi-day trips. It's so convenient, in fact, it's really shone a light (heh) on how inconvenient charging our rear lights are. This winter, we think we'll move to dynamo powered rear lights, too.
I have a SON 28, great dynamo, it is not supposed to be submerged when wading a river. you need to service it every 20,000 to 30,000 km, in order to do that the wheel must be taken apart, it cost me around 200 euros. for ultraracers a service every 10,000 km sounds more like it.
on the other hand, Shimano dynamos have more drag but are service friendly and also very reliable, any mechanic can service them.
@ferruccio4531 why would you ever submerge the hub?
I have two sets of dynamo wheels and I no longer use them. Used mostly for racing, tour divide, American trail race, etc. They work ok @10+mph, but I'm mostly off road so that's unreliable. The biggest change though are fast charge power banks. When I can charge an empty 25,000mah in 55 minutes at 130watts, I'm good to go. That with a couple of fenix bc26r lights with spare 21700 batteries goes a very long way. Plus, redundancy.
primitive crap. so you have all kf that and you couldn't mske 12v own battery or order custom from someone (for example me) to power all lights, chargers, pumos etc? and charge main battery with dynamo. it's not redundancy thide stupid small lighs and powerbanks ar inconvenient and messy and you will forget to charge all of that
I feel the same for offroad/gravel. Would still recommend them for commuting and long term touring with remote stretches. I also use and love the Felix light.
I had a Son dynamo wheel built by Riv’s wheel builder for my Saluki and used it for 5 years of commuting daily 21-mile round trips in Hawaii where afternoon rain was not uncommon. The hub was flawless. I built a 700c wheel for my Surly Cross-Check around an SP hub and during a deluge on Oahu’s North Shore it failed. I emailed the company and they FedExed me a replacement that arrived in two days. They just asked that I send them the old hub so they could determine what went wrong. Bad batch of bearings. Replacement hub two had the wrong hole count. I emailed them and they FedExed me a third hub. I have 12,000 miles on that wheel and it has been flawless as a commuter during Chicago winters, on gravel, and during a 500-mile RAGBRAI. I couple the hub with a USB port (link at end) and a K-Lite two-way switch (no longer made, sadly) that sends current to a K-Lite headlight or my iPhone. I love this setup. Never think about. Never notice the drag. Due to SP’s customer service and the quality of their product I built a wheel set for my daughter’s Krampus around their hub. It’s her bike packing rig and she loves it. I can’t imagine not having at least one bike with a dynamo and USB charging port.
@eXTreemator charge main battery with Dynamo? That's fantasy land. It would take a week of continuous riding to charge the power bank. In real world applications dynamos work ok for lights and keeping your cycling computer topped off. The only time I use a dynamo is if I was mostly road or fast gravel...or commuting of course. Even then I'd have a spare battery bank. I have a klite system.
Thank you so much! You and Bikepacking are an inspiration.
Years ago (30+ years), we used generators to extend battery life. We ran the front and rear lights off of a battery, so the lights would be fully on at all times (0 MPH to full speed). The generator would recharge the battery at high speed and maintain the battery charge at standard speeds. When stopped or at very low speeds, the battery supplied the power to maintain the lights' power.
I build myself an allroad bike last year around a ritchey outback frameset. I used a SON dynamo hub on my front wheel and I really appreciate, I never have to worry about whether the batteries of my lights are loaded, because the batteries are my legs 🙃
Finally a straight pull dynamo hub!! Hopefully they'll start producing a Mtb boost front also. Thanks Neil and DT Swiss.
Ich habe auf meiner aktuellen Reise auch einen Son 28 in Verbindung mit einem Forumslader und einer Supernova M99 DY und bin zufrieden.
Grüße aus Atlacomulco 🇲🇽 von meiner Panamericana Bikepacking Radreise von Deadhorse Alaska nach Ushuaia Argentinien. 🚴
Absolutely loving my Knolly Cache Steel - my favourite bike to ride, whether ripping singletrack or fully laden with bags for bikepacking adventures. Worth checking out - you'll love it too!
Changes the entire functionality of the bike from recreational bike to a utilitarian vehicle that you use w/o having to think about it. Love them!
I have a dynamo hub on my commuter bike paired with a front light powered by a 21700 battery for nighttime rides. It's truly liberating to have a permanent light on the bike in case I forget to charge the battery, bring the light, or even if I didn’t plan to stay out late that day.
I never use it to charge other devices, though.
For bikepacking, you need to have a second light in case of failure anyway... Dynamo hub AND battery pack for me !
I think dynamo setups are very cool, it’s hard not to want one.
But unless you multi day race with long hours in the dark and no recharge points for 3-4 days, it’s really hard to justify a dynamo with the added weight, cost and drag.
I realized my desire for a dynamo was a mix of aspirational and geeky. Because even when I’m bikepacking in remote Mexico or Scotland I’m never more than 2 days away from a cafe or a pub where I can re-charge all my devises in 2-3 hours which I can spare. For more remote trips I have one more power bank and a small solar panel.
I’ve been using a SON hub on my touring/commuter bike for about six years. Has been reliable and I don’t notice any drag - it’s a steel frame and I’m usually carrying a bag. And I’m only on pavement or light gravel, with brief moments of rougher stuff.
It’s only downside is that the connector has been fussy, but a local bike mechanic took a hard look at it and straightened it out a year or two ago and it’s been fine since. As someone who uses my phone for navigation, music, etc., I’ve been very happy with it overall.
Super informative video, Neil. Dynamo hubs are tricky little buggers. In theory, they make so much sense for bikepacking, but in reality, it might not always be the dream component that some folks make them out to be. I think they have their place, and I love having a dynamo wheel on my current commuting setup, but I haven't had the desire to use one on a singletrack bikepacking trip, for example.
I got the pedal cell dynamo, and it is great. It provides a great charge and is easy to disengage if my speed is not high enough to warrant it. I can also swap it between bikes, which is a huge bonus.
Nice, I know others that have used it. I guess they went ouof business last year.
the problem with pedal cell is reliability. if you do long descents you're likely to burn them since their maximum speed is 40 km/h. I wanted to buy one but after watching a few videos on youtube, one of them really informative, I decided against it.
How much drag do you feel from it, when lights on, and lights off?
Really nice video, I miss only mentioning the fact that to charge things you need a converter from 6V AC to 5V DC, but it's clearly in the guide you mentioned.
Those premade DT Swiss wheels look nice, it's a lot cheaper than buying the parts and finding someone who builds it for you.
I'm thinking to buy a new bike and have a dynamo hub on it and found the same guide you recommends and it's really useful.
Thanks for the review, and the advice. I must your channel is very good, informative
I have a Son dynamo hub on my winter racing bike 80 lux and daylight led’s ! 🤙
One thing about dynamos: check at which speed they provide stable charge power and then check if it corresponds to the average speed you are riding at; or how long you'd need to ride to charge your elec. . If it doesn't match your speed or duration of riding then avoid it as it will be useless.
On a side note I'd also recommend to never charge straight from the dynamo, even through a charger that is a "true" pass through buffer. Always recharge a buffer battery then use that to recharge your item. It is better to damage an "inexpensive" battery with the constant microcuts and change in current than your cycling computer or phone. And if possible avoid usage during charge (but that should be obvious) ...
I think dynamos have buffer capacitors, don't they?
@@drill_fiend1097 the dynamo in themselves do not. The charger or light may or may not have it.
Average speed is not a determining factor. It is how long/often you will be riding at sufficiently high speed to generate the required output. My average speed in Atlas Mountain race was low, due to lots of hike a bike, but I was able to ride self sufficient for 8 days and nights.
When iam bikepacking i normaly camp in the wild 3-4 days and recharge my lights/navi/smartphone (with heavy usage) all together via a dynamo and a powerbank. Every fifth day i usually go for a camping spot to get cleaned up and recharge my mostly half drained powerbank up. Having a dynamo is rly a game changer on tour.
Funny to see a Garman graph & picture in your presentation. In fact in Germany dynamo driven lights were required by the road traffic regulation until recent days. However this was changed now to allow also rechargeable! batteries.
Have ridden the past 12 years with a dyanmo hub . Given the improvements of external battery packs over the past few years I won't have one on next build.
you don't understand that you can order 12v external huge battery for everything and charge it with dynamo. i hope you don't mean those cheap crap chinese lights are improvements? although you probably do😑
Sp dynamo, klite lights, twice riding the GDMBR. Works fantastic, but your average speed needs to be around 10mph. Heavy cellphone user for navigation and music and the dynamo would keep things charged (through Voltaic cache battery) throughout the day. Ran lights front and rear all day as well. About every 4 days stayed at a motel to top things up. I couldnt imagine bikepacking without it.
Thanks for posting this video. I was actually watching at your Ortlieb Bikepacking Seat Pack QR Seat Bag 13L and this video was an option. I am an ultra-cycling roadie, I know egad! Lol! Anyway I have always been either crew-supported for my races or my longer Audux brevet riding was at the 1200km level. I am planning something longer next summer Canadian Border to Mexican Border along the coast and thought I might pursue a Dyna hub for it.
Are there dynamo rear wheels?
Thanks for the comprehensive overview of dynamo hubs…very helpful. As a dynamo newbie looking for the best option, would it make sense to charge a powerbank with the dynamo and run battery lights, bike computer and/or charge phone off that? WHich dynamo’s put out the most power? Can you split the power from a battery bank to lights and computer? ...Reading the comments below, it sounds like most are using SON dynamos. Have you done a comparison between the dynamos available?
So the DT Swiss Dynamo wheels set has DT bearings. Do they still have to be sent back to SP in Taiwan for service (which historically cost about half as much as a new dynamo on other SP models after they were out of their 2 year warranty)?
The SON hub with Edeluxe II light works great on 3 mph chunky climbs. The triple style lights like Sinewave and Supernova need more speed.
How susceptible is the wiring to damage when used on suspension forks?
if routed properly, not very. I've done it and as long as you have slack, and mounted it on the fork crown, it works just fine.
I frequently cycle on unlit lanes and canal towpaths. Son dynamos are excellent when paired with an Edelux 2 light.
Catche batteries, and led tech, and fast usbc charging, really makes sense for most of my trips….. dynamo would have been nice back on my divide trips
My Priority 600 came with a dynamo hub. However, I switched to a standard front wheel. The dynamo that came with it had a lot of drag. It was noticeable drag. Also, I prefer the brighter lights that are USB rechargeable. I don't race, so I can stop and charge a battery bank.
Do you like your Priority 600x? I've been trying to convince myself to get one. Never been bike packing but want to try it. At 57 hopefully it's not too late to try? Do you find the bike heavy?
@michaelp1109 I had a 600, not 600x. I should have bought the 600x, I'd probably still have it. I sold my 600 to a friend as I missed having a front shock. I loved the simplicity of the pinion gear box with gates belt. I also loved the gear range. Yes, it is on the heavy side but not that heavy compared to similar bikes. I didn't like the twist shifter. The only reason I didn't get the 600x was my husband didn't like the feel of the gates belt drive and I wanted our bikes to have the same drive train. Looking back, I probably should have bought the 600x.
Interesting, thanks. Was the drag when lights are turned on only, or also when they’re off? Was it a Shimano hub?
@PRH123 the drag was all of the time. Perhaps it was a bad hub.
@@dsa5394 I see, thanks! On their site it says the hub is a priority dyno hub, I suspect it’s a rebranded Shimano hub, kind of looks like it visually. I see on Reddit comments that it vibrates when the light is turned on. People say that Son and other more expensive hubs have little noticeable drag, I guess this is one of those situations where quality makes a real difference. Thanks!
I’d love to see a video about internally geared hubs vs derailleurs for long distance bikepacking. I’m planning on purchasing a new bikepacking bike, and would like to know what options I have available, and what should be avoided. The biggest problems I see are gear range and lack of parts if something should go wrong on the trip, but reliability seems pretty good, so I’m on the fence. Thanks.
I rode a Rohloff Speedhub for 10 years and 50 000km, while neglecting maintenance (had no idea it was a thing). It failed me after that, we sent it to the manufacturer and they sent it repaired with an apology letter saying "this failure is ours and should never had happened". The gear range is incredible, I went up 18% climbs with a fully-loaded 40kg bike (on roads that is).
I use Alfine at work, the gear range is definitely smaller and the hubs are a little more fragile, but it comes down to using it properly (no shifting under pressure for instance).
All in all, both are very good options in terms of maintenance, durability and general peace of mind but indeed pretty hard to find parts depending on where you're going.
QUESTION - The SP hub DT is using does it have the same non user serviceable bearing issue your old wheels had?
A very good thing for commuting to work
For these weeklong races would you be better served by a solar panel? The night riding and commuter convenience is a pretty convincing argument for dynamos.
DTS breaks the bank with these factory DH wheels. Awesome.
It is not a must-have thing, however on my 3000km trip on the northern Part of the European Divide it came in handy, since I only stayed 2 consecutive nights in the same hotel, the rest I was wild camping. My power bank really helped at times but I mostly relied on my dynamo-hub to charge up my Phone, Bike Computer and Pump (I had a shoddy tyre and not enough sealing so I had to pump up the rear tyre at least twice a day). I am riding nowadays SON-hubs but I used to ride the cheapest Shimano hubs and never had any issues (Shimano 10000/20000km; SON now 20000/30000km).
I didn't really ride well into the night (sometimes into the twilight) so I only needed the light one day when it was raining the whole day, solely for safety purposes (12h of riding on that day).
My main touring bike is also my commuter bike so I never turn of the lights (except for charging during bike-trips) and I really love to be able to have always a well functioning light that never failed me thus far. I do commute in unlit areas on forest roads as well as the city so I do have a high beam option which also helps.
I enjoying having a dynamo on a bike that gets used regularly at all times of the day. my commuter and that sort of thing, as it allows me to just get on and not worry about charging lights.
Rode through Cuba with a great bike light. Darkness was coming, stopped at a very sketchy casa particular, " no thanks", I said. Half an hour later my great bike light died on me after being fully charged the night before. Ran over many crabs and fell into pot holes left and right. Next time in Cuba, India, Greece, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand.etc..... My son hub has never batted an eye ( I do carry back up rechargeable front and back lights Just in Case). Love my hub.
For heavy duty use I would choose Son or Shimano and not Shutter - I am using Shimano XT on road if I switch off during day You don’t notice drag at all - with 13:27 light on it’s noticeable as you said
My commuter a Priority 600 and the dynamo is excellent. I have the Hunt dynamo wheel set, wish it was available in carbon, but that's just me trying to min/max. Reminds me how much 10 years ago a dynamo setup was the touring cyclists niche, mostly. I did build an older Alfine front wheel/dynamo/hub brake setup for winter rides, but that's not the norm either. On the commuter front, it should be standard. I used to ride a lot, to the edge of winter, and the post-Daylight Savings rides home in city traffic really was better. That said, old dynamos could not keep up with cheap LED spotlight setup on my bike.
Given how the world really wants to add electrical doodads to basic bike setups, it might be a good idea to standardize on-board, dynamo and maybe solar inputs. That might tilt into the "glamping" side of bike rides. OK, but not really what I want. See and be seen is enough for me.
Are there any higher wattage hubs? I don't mind losing another 10-20 watts off my legs for better charging
Do dynamo vs. solar cell + battery pack.
Is there a carbon rim Dynamo wheel, or do I need to build one myself?
ever tried the fold up solar panels? I don' think they are a better option but they seem cheap and if I can keep a battery bank going for a little longer thats probably all I would need
In 2019 ahead of the TCR what would have been the following year I did look at SON dynamo hub but in the end stuck with a couple of power banks. Given the technological advancements in subsequent years, for me at least, I would find it hard to justify a dynamo hub purchase unless it wasn't something equally epic and potentially remote like the Tour Divide.
Personally, I think that with the new rapid charging powerbanks, that can also rapidly charge rapid charge phones etc. the role of a dynamo hub is becoming less needed. You mentioned the iPhone chargers are only 20W, but lots of non iPhones have rapid charging with 50W, 100W, or higher watt chargers. With 120W charging a phone can be fully charged in 20 mins. The time it takes for a coffee, and if you are just topping up at a gas station, the 10 mins it takes for a pee and a soda.
Like you said, for cycling in remote areas, maybe still a place for dynamo hubs, but as you also point out, with an external battery pack not needed so much, and a lot cheaper. Especially if you use a rapid charge battery bank.
3:19 what is that for a sick bike (brand?)
Mosaic ?
If you only go out every now and then or weekend trips battery packs and battery operated devices are fine.
But if you’re doing longer trips, lots of trips or on the bike a lot then a dynamo is the best way to go.
While you can just have a light connected to dynamo it can get a lot more complex. USB chargers, cache batteries, switching and wiring harnesses. But once done it’s a set and forget system that you never regret getting.
I have a son Dynamo hub with in my opinion no drag which powers supernova front and rear lamp which even shines for around 5 minuten after standing still. It's perfect for every day use and slow bikepacking climbs in the mountains and charging my phone via cycle to charge with a Powerbank in between.
I carry a foldable solar panel and one of those magshine lights that double as a power bank. Can charge in route and they are cheap nowadays
With a little bit of know how it's not impossible to service a Sutter Precision Dynamo hub. I did it a few years ago after I put close to 3000 miles on it, and one bike crash that totaled a frame.
I love my dynamo hub. I use it on my commuter. I always have lights. No dead batteries, and I don't have to remember to charge ever!
I charge my battery pack with a small folding solar panel that straps on top of my back carrier with mini bungee cords. I also have a back up battery inside of my handlebar extension for mounting the Go pro and front light. This way I can charge three devices after dark without worry. I am not tempted to get a dynamo.
Esp for a commuter, the setup doesnt have to be expensive (which is where I use it the most). Granted I build the wheel myself, but I used a mavic rim (~35 €), a shimano hub (~30 €) and some bog standard straight gauge spokes (0,7 €/piece) but the overall cost is WAAAAY below 2k even including light and cabling. Sure, it's not something I would use offroad for extended periods of time, but for commuting its perfect.
I have a Son dynamo & Beacon 2 on my Cutty. I use it via a power bank which means I can have a constant level of lighting if i slow down. Also with the Beacon 2 I can switch to charging only if I don't need lighting. But your right, that with modern powerbanks you can go for days without charging.... Like most things if we want something we'll find a way to justify the cost IMHO 😂
I’ve been wanting to get dynamo hub for my priority 600x
th-cam.com/video/J9vq5-1KLsk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=PXndb7Hn5pAZA_G9
I want a dynamo with regen braking to charge a battery then freewheel when riding
out of convenience a dynamo is great on a city bike you just throw in the shed after using and dont care for charging the lights - but on a bikepacking trip nowadays most people take relatively high powered electronics with them that cant be charged reliably with the 3-5watts of power from a dynamo anymore. even a modern smartphone takes ages with this, not to mention gopro batteries etc. - so you need a powerbank to buffer the dynamo juice anyways if you want to charge on the go. and if you already have that with you, you can forgoe the dynamo hub completely and just bring enough capacity for your needs in form of a fast charging powerbank. to put it in perspective, even with a full day of riding you would have a hard time in charging a 20.000mah/70wAh powerbank via a dynamo hub, but you can do it in slightly over one hour at the hotel.
This is the thought I had regarding these hubs... Hook it to a powerbank and recharge the digitals at night. I appreciate the heads-up on how well that works, since I probably would have gone down that road and been disappointed. Thanks!
And I think portable solar panels are getting pretty usable these days. Have one strapped onto your bike backpack and you are golden as long as a reasonable amount of sunlight exists. They usually come with integrated batteries too.
@@markbishop9140 but you are missing the best part of bikepacking : sleeping in the nature (far enough from outlets).
@@nicolasledoux355 i find thats one of the few situations (beeing away from civilisation for multiple days in a row) where a dynamo hub still could be useful. on the other hand, if you prefer that experience i guess you dont need a lot of juice anyways so a simple 20.000mah powerbank should do you good for several days if you dont plan riding through the night a lot.
I love dynamo lights but I've chosen not to use them for two reasons you haven't listed here. I live and commute in the inner city, and I had too many issues with squirrels chewing through my wiring, and people damaging my hard mounted lights by trying to steal them while I'm in the grocery store. Switched back to batteries and haven't looked back but I do feel guilty about it. 😅
i am running on shimano dynohub.😊😊😊
Has anyone come across a dynamo hub that you can turn on and off? it could be cool to turn off the dynamo resistance when climbing and then turn it on for a long descent, assuming you are using it to charge a light or Garmin with a battery and don't need to continuously for power all the time...does something like this exist?
The magnets would have to be physically moved away from the wire coil. Not really feasible in the small space of a hub shell.
I’m always disappointed that the Sturmey archer dynamo hubs are excluded from the comparisons.
After all they’ve been in production for like a century already.
I was eyeing up S-A's dynamo+drum brake combo hub before I got my current Priority L-Train which has disc brakes.
I still dislike messing about with multiple battery-powered lights (especially in extreme cold situations when they straight up don't work) and always having them go dead on me, but a dynamo wheel setup is expensive. What seems ideal is hard-mounted lights with a quick-release external battery pack that I can bring in out of the cold, but no one seems to make one.
@ I’m a big SA drum brake fan, which is why the dyno hub is also interesting. I’m often commuting in cold, snow, rain, and the drums are ideal for those conditions. My Moon usb lights lose like 50% of their capacity when the temps go below -15 C. Brightness doesn’t change, but the headlight can run out of juice even before I get home.
@@PRH123 Last winter I had to store my bike outdoors, and taking the lights off twice a day is such a hassle that I tend to leave them on until they go low (with 20-30 minutes daily riding they typically last a week or two in summer). Well, once it reached -35C the lights would last for about 30 seconds before blinking out, even when fully charged, which was frustrating.
@@cmmartti -35 will do that! Coldest I ever rode was -30 C. As I learned at that temperature, black zip ties crumble like chalk (the white ones hold up) :) Planetary hubs stop shifting before you get to -10 C in my experience. How does the Pinion work in the cold?
@@PRH123 My L-Train has a Shimano Alfine 8 gear hub and a belt drive, it's only gotten down to -10C this year and it's worked great so far, but we'll see how it performs over the winter. Most of the winter it hovers around -10C to -15C during the day, but since I've moved to northern BC a couple of years ago I've learned that there's always 2-3 weeks when temperatures plunge below -30C, down to as low as -45C at night.
I have a basket on each of my bikes held on with black zip ties (I put them on this spring), so I may have to replace them with hose clamps if that happens to me. One thing I discovered last year is that regular black rubber tarp straps get as stiff as a board below about -25C, so I may pick up the blue "cold weather" straps that the local hardware store sells.
If they added a battery to the lamp to retain energy from the generator 7:57
Shoutout to using cheap, gearless ebike hubs for commuting. With the right controller, they can be used as a dynamo as well as providing regenerative braking. And for those tough days that you just want to be home, it's still an ebike.
I’ve also had my SP bearings blown on my + ATB back in the days. Not the best hub and the maintenance experience 🫠
I have four dynamos. Two Sons, a Shimano and a Shutter Precision.
Do you sense a difference in drag?
@ not at all.
@@asherbeal8357 I just receive a SP-7 and it has a ton of drag compare to my Shimano Deore XT, I'm very disapointed :/
@@ShochikubaiMiroku weird, perhaps you have a bad one. I find the drag to be nearly undetectable 🤷♂️
@@asherbeal8357 I don't know but when I spin the wheel it doesn't spin for more than 5 seconds.
All my bikes have dynamo lighting: three SON/Edelux and two SP/IQX. A bike without a dynamo light is just a toy, with a dynamo light is a vehicle. I believe the pros are more than the cons. SON hubs are the most reliable.
Chinese will sell you an old school external dynamo that you fix on a fork and contact the tire. Efficiency is advertised at 3 watts, but since i did not test it I cannot comment on that. I use power bank and a solar charger. Convenience and price.
Don’t even bother watching the video. The answer is yes, you should get one. Dynamos are awesome.
I have a cheap unbranded setup from Taiwan and it has been great. Just wish it had a standlight. If you’re considering getting into the world of dynamo lights, don’t be fooled into thinking you NEED a $500 hub and a $500 light. Even the cheap stuff works quite well.
I can’t help but hear “dynamo hum”😂
I see what you did there. Dinah Moe hum
Imagine connecting two dynamo hubs, to an Ebike
The big elephant in the room is the fact that you can't simply plug any device directly onto a dynamo hub. To safely and reliably power/charge a phone for example you need s (efficient!?) converter and buffer battery that can put out a stable 5Volt (for USB). Otherwise you run the risk of damaging your phone or draining its battery quicker due to the constant on/off. Losing 6watts of power is not negligible. If on a long days ride you average around 140watts (for a mortal like me..). 6watts is almost the same as losing a cog on a rear cassette.
Dynamo hub sound like a frank zappa tune
Not being super fit, I kind of consider dynamo hubs to be a thing that rewards fitness. If the hub produces, say, 5 watts, that's 5 % of your ftp if you have an ftp of 100 watts, while it's just 1 % of your ftp if it's 500 watts. And that should also be independent of weight, so losing a few kilos won't make your dynamo hub less taxing on you...
I've never had much success with my Son dynamo & Klite setup. I'm too slow!
Can you do a review on Reelight?
once i ride too fast downhill, that the dynamo hub burnt and went away
Solar panel is dirt cheap, multi purpose, still charging not riding, charge my phone at least once in the most cloudiest day.
And i dont ride that long at night, I am sleeping.
Drag and mechanical complexity seem like real issues but once you add batteries the weight seems like a wash.
Why a solar panel is not considered? I mean except if you ride at night, a solar panel is superior in every aspect.
Lights are generally used at night :)
@ for ultra yes it makes sense, for bikepacking it really doesn’t.
Are you by any chance a Frank Zappa fan?
You'll sell your kidney to afford a SON setup and you won't regret it. I use mine only for lights as dynamos are too low wattage for any modern electronics. It's bombproof and a lifesaver especially during long and dark winter months.
stop stop stop. 5-7 watt power on average output of 250 watt, its like 2-3% of total power. take it off on 500 mile ride and you get up to 15 free mile. If you get average 15 mile in hours< you need roughly 34 hours.
SO... If dynamo hub give you 3 whatt per hours...? And you get same amount from 20000 mAh battary.
Dont worf it.
Yes, always.
For me, discovering dynamos was like discovering Jesus.
no user serviceable bearing in bike hub.??!
Oh Sh*@
FOR BIKEPACKERS ?!??!?!?!
Dodgy looking wheel bearing there at 3.45.
That's the magnets in the dynamo hub. It's suppose to be like that lol
@ I didn’t realise that, thanks for pointing it out - much appreciated.👍
Hear me out, dynamo pedals + bottom bracket
Great idea, but there’s so many bottom bracket and crank standards, that it would be I’d say impossible to make a system that would accommodate all of them.
we all need one. but they are not diy friendly that makes them useless. and they are expensive. in fact all high end bikes would have dynamos soon mark my words. but again it would be not diy friendly.