Can Somebody Please Explain Dynamo Lighting To Me?

[mjr]

Definitely get the hub wheel. There is no downside - it's entirely silent and more efficient.

There are downsides in that it's more expensive, another wheel and fiddlier to maintain than a plain hub, but the upsides outweigh that IMO.

 

[si_c]

There are downsides in that it's more expensive, another wheel and fiddlier to maintain than a plain hub, but the upsides outweigh that IMO.

It probably will be a bit of a nuisance where servicing is concerned, but I've put 10k km onto my SP dynamo hub with zero maintenance, which is what I'd expect from such a system. If it needs servicing much before 30k km then I'd be surprised, however I may send it back next summer to pre-empt any problems, service cost is quite low all things considered.

 

[User66445]

Effectively dynamos make your bike go slower. Personally I find the USB lights, together with a suitable battery backup, are brighter and don't have the dynamo performance penalty. From an environmentalist standpoint, however, I think they're great.

 

[Tim Hall]

Effectively dynamos make your bike go slower. Personally I find the USB lights, together with a suitable battery backup, are brighter and don't have the dynamo performance penalty. From an environmentalist standpoint, however, I think they're great.

Immeasurably slower, i think you'll find.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Effectively dynamos make your bike go slower. Personally I find the USB lights, together with a suitable battery backup, are brighter and don't have the dynamo performance penalty. From an environmentalist standpoint, however, I think they're great.

Bollocks in the real world.

 

[si_c]

Immeasurably slower, i think you'll find.

Bollocks in the real world.

I kept trying to see if I could feel the difference when pedalling by turning the light on and off again repeatedly, I couldn't tell at all. Didn't go slower and my legs didn't hurt any more.

You can tell when you spin the wheel free, but not otherwise.

 

[freiston]

I have a recollection of someone (via the interweb) calculating that the extra effort for a particular hub dynamo and light setup was equivalent to a 6 foot incline over a mile. Can't vouch for it or name a source but my experience certainly is that I can't tell whether the dynamo is on or off and I strongly suspect that tyre brand or pressure would make a much more significant difference. Nor did I notice any difference from the non-dynamo front wheel when I first installed the dynamo system.

You can tell when you spin the wheel free, but not otherwise.

There is a alternating resistance and assistance to the wheel spin due to the magnets which can be felt with the wheel spun freely off the ground at low rpm, and the wheel does come to rest sooner (on my bike at least - I never did check the bearings).

 

[freiston]

Personally I find the USB lights, together with a suitable battery backup, are brighter and don't have the dynamo performance penalty.

I had a Fenix 750 lumens bike light powered by two 18650 batteries that was supposed to have an optimised beam shape but in reality was a slightly modified torch beam. The light was bright but in the wrong places - tilted low enough not to dazzle oncoming road users and it was blindingly bright on the tarmac immediately in front of the bike (effectively making it impossible for me to see ahead). Tilted to see the road ahead and it also provided floodlight for head height many yards ahead, dazzling anyone coming my way. The 80 lux B+M light is more like a car headlamp on dip and is excellent for night riding on roads and lanes.

 

[mjr]

I just love bailing out USB light users after their light has gotten turned on in their bag or the battery has gotten old and lost capacity, by lending them my dynamo and solar charged battery packs(!) Really I do. It's nice to have your decision to go dynamo affirmed that way.

 

[si_c]

I just love bailing out USB light users after their light has gotten turned on in their bag or the battery has gotten old and lost capacity, by lending them my dynamo and solar charged battery packs(!) Really I do. It's nice to have your decision to go dynamo affirmed that way.

Never go back now. For commuting it's revelatory, get up, get dressed, get on the bike, let there be light, and there it is!

 

[MichaelW2]

When it comes to everyday travel, if you are counting the seconds lost by dynamo drag, you also have to count the seconds lost by mounting and removing battery lights at every lockup and the faff of recharging. Dynamos make a bike grab and go whatever the conditions.
Back when I used battery lights on more than one occasion I ended up with panniers, lights and keys in hand and the thing I dropped was always the lights.

 

[tallliman]

Decided that I'm going to goto a dynamo setup for my front and rear lights. Going to get the lbs to make me up a wheel then going to add these lights:
https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/b-m-lumotec-iq2-luxos-u-senso-plus-headlight-with-usb-connection-620047
http://en.bumm.de/produkte/dynamo-ruecklicht/toplight-line-plus.html

I do a fair bit of riding on my commute on unlit roads and so really want power in my front light. I'm just fed up of needing to charge usb lights every day.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I'm still considering a front light dynamo, think I'll stick with normal rears though

 

[Heltor Chasca]

In yesterday’s wind and rain, I was lit up with my Son kit for at least 100km of the 250ish km. Safety as well as being able to see where I was going.

 

[Andy in Germany]

In yesterday’s wind and rain, I was lit up with my Son kit for at least 100km of the 250ish km. Safety as well as being able to see where I was going.

That's the advantage of a hub Dynamo: I just leave my lights on all the time now.