I have all but decided to get a basta atb dynamo set ( £24 from amazon) has any one used these before and will they do me for four miles into work at five in the morning with no overhead lighting? I figure I will have to add a few flee lights! If this set up is no good do you have any suggestions at a similar price?
dynamo lights?
- Thread starter bobcat
- Start date
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That was the set that got me started on dynamos. Perfectly serviceable imo, decent tail light and dynamo for the price, the headlight has a strange beam pattern but it works well enough and is perfectly visible to other traffic. It is fine on unlit roads at normal speeds. The important point for any bottle dynamo is to ensure that it is fitted properly. Use a straight edge and ensure it is aligned with a straight line from through the spindle of the dynamo passing through the centre of the wheel axle, otherwise it will be excessively noisy and will probably slip and wear out the tyre.
I doubt you'd get anything better for the price, maybe an old Soubitez set of Ebay.
For a little more cash, if you visit Rosebike or Bike24, you could put together a "budget" set of Lumotec "round" halogen headlight (~€11), Basta HR traction dynamo (~€18) and any tail lamp (incadesant tail lamps are much of a muchness, LED ones are usually more pricey) + carriage from Germany. The Lumotec light is definitely superior to the Basta but unless you want to ride at 20+ mph, it probably isn't necessary.
Obviously, all the basic dynamo powered options turn off when you stop the bike, so if you have a lot of junctions on your route, it would be a good idea to back them up with some cheapo LED lights.
I doubt you'd get anything better for the price, maybe an old Soubitez set of Ebay.
For a little more cash, if you visit Rosebike or Bike24, you could put together a "budget" set of Lumotec "round" halogen headlight (~€11), Basta HR traction dynamo (~€18) and any tail lamp (incadesant tail lamps are much of a muchness, LED ones are usually more pricey) + carriage from Germany. The Lumotec light is definitely superior to the Basta but unless you want to ride at 20+ mph, it probably isn't necessary.
Obviously, all the basic dynamo powered options turn off when you stop the bike, so if you have a lot of junctions on your route, it would be a good idea to back them up with some cheapo LED lights.
Most, if not all dynamo LED lights will stay on for a few minutes after stopping. B&M halogen lamps with a + at the end of the name also have this feature with an LED which comes on to provide a parking light for a few minutes. I have one of these Lumotec + lamps and it works very well.
I don't have any direct experience of modern dynohubs but the SON is the most recommended option but very pricey. Shimano and Sturmey Archer would be cheaper but the SA dynohub only seems to come combined with a drum brake which isn't to everyone's taste. Novatec hubs can be bought very cheaply and I know someone who has one and is happy with the performance of it but he had to re-design the electrical connectors on it as the originals are a bit fragile.
I don't have any direct experience of modern dynohubs but the SON is the most recommended option but very pricey. Shimano and Sturmey Archer would be cheaper but the SA dynohub only seems to come combined with a drum brake which isn't to everyone's taste. Novatec hubs can be bought very cheaply and I know someone who has one and is happy with the performance of it but he had to re-design the electrical connectors on it as the originals are a bit fragile.
PalmerSperry
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
Depending upon where you buy the hub dynamo from, they may offer a wheel building service at the time.
Be sure to read the instructions, particularly when it comes to wiring up the rear light! When I got a bike shop to do it for me for some reason they wired the rear light permanently to the hub dynamo meaning it was on all the time!
