To clarify
@HobbesOnTour you charge a powerbank successfully using your Cycle2charge?
Yes.
I have a pair of RavPower powerbanks, one of which originally accompanied my solar panel. For longer trips I prefer to bring both. Neither are as big as what are currently available. They are also less "smart" than most on the market at the moment.
Using two means that one can be charging while I ride while the other is charging something else.
There's also redundancy.
It's also easier to see if a smaller capacity powerbank is charging than a larger one as most only have 4 (25%) lights.
I have tested all my devices and the only one that is connected directly to the usb charger is the Wahoo. A previous Garmin Touring went haywire.
Couple of questions - I read somewhere that the guy behind the Cycle2charge is not planning any new versions of it.
Seemed curious. If true, do you have any idea why?
I have no idea.
When I wanted to get a spare cable I contacted him, paid by paypal and had it within a week. No service issues.
I also found this from about a year ago:
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=12890.0
The first post says at the end:
>>Stay tuned for more new chargers coming soon. Three-phase tire dynamos are entering the market and dynohubs aren't far behind. There's a whole slew of new chargers as well, and I will be looking into them shortly.
I must admit I have no idea what that means. Do you or anyone else?
Am always wary of jumping into tech if big developments/improvements are in the offing and plan to stick to my usual "trick" of sitting in spoons to recharge until I am sure that this sort of charging is foolproof/really practical.
Well, I have no idea. But there is a version 3 for sale. Have a look at the website.
I have mine for 3 years now I think. I can't fault it.
As for postponing a technology purchase? The thing with technology is that it is always developing. I'm sure there is someone with an old DOS pc who is waiting for the perfect tech before they buy a new one!
My advice would be to think about what you want and see if there is anything out there that will fulfil that. If there isn't, don't buy. If there is then it comes down to cost. Is the price worth it to you?
(Beware of cheaper solutions. I've seem some dodgy chargers out there).
I liked the simplicity of my unit. I do not have a threadless headset, so that knocked some options out. Others were complicated. Some had their own batteries and these will likely be the first to fail. Some were very expensive because they used some rare element to protect against water ingress - the Cycle2Charge just twists covering the usb port. That kind of practicality spoke to me. Also, if you were to look at my bike you'd never know what it was.