Anyone used Dynamo hubs

[Andy in Germany]

We've used them them on all of our family fleet except the kiddie bikes for more years tham I care to remember. They're fantastic: you can ride with the lights on permanently so it makes you more visible, and never have to go looking for lights or worry about batteries.

 

[mjr]

[...] it makes you more visible, [...]

Lights and clothing cannot make you "more visible". We are visible - unless someone's made a cloak of invisibility now? All of the "be safe be seen" guff is a motoring lobby trick to transfer responsibility from the perpetrator to the victim, much like how annual casualty figures are published classified by victim type and not perpetrator type and that then focuses the annual debate on how those classes of victim should change their behaviour. It's sick and cruel and we should have no part of it, so please don't use phrases like that. If you mean visible from further away, then say that, but it's pretty debatable whether many bike lights achieve that in broad daylight, or whether it matters: typical clear day visibility range is 2.9 miles and most rear light ranges are quoted in the hundreds of metres.</rant>

 

[Ian H]

All of the "be safe be seen" guff is a motoring lobby trick to transfer responsibility from the perpetrator to the victim...

Indeed. I might just nick that (with your permission).

 

[mjr]

Indeed. I might just nick that (with your permission).

Permission granted. I don't quite use it as often as "if they tried doing that to motorists, they'd have destroyed it by crashing into it by now but cyclists are just too dashed nice for our own good"...

 

[CXRAndy]

Ive got and expensive SON and a cheap Shimano, both 32 spoke QR mounts. I wont be buying another SON, the Shimano does exactly the same feels the same and is 4 times cheaper. live and learn from advice

 

[Andy in Germany]

Lights and clothing cannot make you "more visible". We are visible - unless someone's made a cloak of invisibility now? All of the "be safe be seen" guff is a motoring lobby trick to transfer responsibility from the perpetrator to the victim, much like how annual casualty figures are published classified by victim type and not perpetrator type and that then focuses the annual debate on how those classes of victim should change their behaviour. It's sick and cruel and we should have no part of it, so please don't use phrases like that. If you mean visible from further away, then say that, but it's pretty debatable whether many bike lights achieve that in broad daylight, or whether it matters: typical clear day visibility range is 2.9 miles and most rear light ranges are quoted in the hundreds of metres.</rant>

I can be more easily seen on my regular forest route by pedestrians on a gloomy day, which means when I ring my bell they see me more easily in my generally forest coloured or black work clothes, so in that context I could be practically invisible.

I know car drivers can see me too because I have frequently had complaints that "your light is bright". to which I generally answer "Good."

I agree wholeheartedly on the "Be safe to be seen" guff being a motorists trick. A few years back our school handed out "safety vests" supplied by the German motorists club. Clearly this was an attempt to prepare the ground for some victim blaming, but the worst was that the school mindlessly joined in, in the name of 'safety'

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Ive got and expensive SON and a cheap Shimano, both 32 spoke QR mounts. I wont be buying another SON, the Shimano does exactly the same feels the same and is 4 times cheaper. live and learn from advice

Same boat here. And I agree. Only slight beef is that the Shimano has begun to rumble a bit recently but doesn’t affect performance on any level. You only notice it in the work stand as it is very slight. The Shimano chocolate box is a much better arrangement than the Son connections IMO and easier to fix in the field. OT but I prefer the light beam on the Edulux II but the rear light connection in the light housing is complete underpants.

 

[mcshroom]

IME, it's been a case of fit & forget with them. I have two shimano hub dynamos. A DH-3N80 on my touring bike, which is now on it's third rim (and north of 10000 miles) with no faults. The second is a nutted DH-3N30 on my winter commuter which is heavier and possibly has a tiny bit of noticeable drag, but again has just been fit and forget. Both of them power versions of B&M Cyo lights.

I've also recently added a cheap AXA slim rear light to the winter bike, which also works absolutely fine.

I do have battery lights, but I find I'm often anxious about the remaining run time on them, whereas I don't need to worry about the bikes with dynamos fitted.

 

[geocycle]

SON28 and SP hubs here. Both are very effective. The SON is about 10 years old and has been back once for new bearings. The SP is less than a year old and much cheaper. The SP is not expected to last anything like the 30000 miles I’ve put on the SON. Apparently the SP also has to be cut out the wheel for new bearings. However, it is on a relatively low mileage bike so hopefully that won’t be a problem.

 

[ren531]

Ive got and expensive SON and a cheap Shimano, both 32 spoke QR mounts. I wont be buying another SON, the Shimano does exactly the same feels the same and is 4 times cheaper. live and learn from advice

This is the sort of info i was looking for, the shimano ones look like they will do what i want and with out a large drag penalty, no dout the bearings won't last as long but my mileage isnt that great

 

[Pale Rider]

This is the sort of info i was looking for, the shimano ones look like they will do what i want and with out a large drag penalty, no dout the bearings won't last as long but my mileage isnt that great

The basic Shimano dyno hub I had did the job,

Some suggestion the bearings are difficult/impossible to service.

Mine was still running smooth when I sold the bike at about 5,000miles.