dynamo recommendation please

I said:

Any make/model recommendations?

A further qualification: I notice from browsing SJS that for dynamo
set-ups the dynamo itself and the lamps are sold separately. I think I'd
rather spend more money now on getting a decent lamp and a cheap dynamo,
then upgrade the dynamo later and keep the decent lamp for use with that.

My main requirement is light - I can live with a bit of drag and dynamo
inefficiency for now (ie until I can afford a Schmidt dynohub). And
price is important too - I'd like to spend under £40 if possible.

(As an aside, on the subject of dynohub cost, are they bought ready
built into a wheel, or do you have to pay extra to have a wheel built
round them?)

Ta again.

d.

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 00:32:37 +0100 someone who may be davek
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Any make/model recommendations?

This subject comes up frequently. The discussions can be found in
Google.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

davek <[email hidden]> wrote:

: (As an aside, on the subject of dynohub cost, are they bought ready
: built into a wheel, or do you have to pay extra to have a wheel built
: round them?)

You have to get the wheel made. I can highly recommend the shimano
dynohub, but it will probably still be over your budget.

I've never liked bottle dynamos so can't really recommend one I'm
afriad.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org
"Technolibertarians make a philosophy out of a personality defect"
- Paulina Borsook

In message <[email hidden]>, davek
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I said:

Any make/model recommendations?

A further qualification: I notice from browsing SJS that for dynamo
set-ups the dynamo itself and the lamps are sold separately. I think
I'd rather spend more money now on getting a decent lamp and a cheap
dynamo, then upgrade the dynamo later and keep the decent lamp for use
with that.

The dogs danglies of lamps is the Schmidt E6, expensive though. B&M
lights are pretty good though. I like my Hella Ff which is small and
neat. If you are considering a dynohub in the future a switched one my
be a sensible choice.

Quoted message said:

My main requirement is light - I can live with a bit of drag and dynamo
inefficiency for now (ie until I can afford a Schmidt dynohub). And
price is important too - I'd like to spend under £40 if possible.

Just for the dynamo? that's easy enough. I have and recommend the AXA
Traction HR - probably still less than GBP 20 from Spa Cycles.
Alternatives are the Nordlicht at around GBP25 or the B&M Dymotec 6 at
around GBP 35.

When you can get a Nexus dynohub for probably less than GBP 50 (+ wheel
building) I don't see the point in going for the expensive designs
(Lightspin, B&M s6)

Quoted message said:

(As an aside, on the subject of dynohub cost, are they bought ready
built into a wheel, or do you have to pay extra to have a wheel built
round them?)

Normally you would by the hub and have a wheel built up around it, but
some places advertise complete wheels.
--
Chris French, Leeds

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 01:02:58 +0100, davek <[email hidden]>

() said:

(As an aside, on the subject of dynohub cost, are they bought ready
built into a wheel, or do you have to pay extra to have a wheel built
round them?)

Wheels is extra. :-(

On a similar subject, is lacing a SON dynohub with a wacky spoke
pattern (I'm very taken with the 3 leading, 3 trailing pattern) a
really, really dumb and expensive mistake?

--
Matt K.
"Did you play in the garden of Eden? Were the goalkeepers gloves to
you tossed?
For it seems to me you're the reason, you're the reason why Paradise
lost."

Whingin' Pom [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

On a similar subject, is lacing a SON dynohub with a wacky spoke
pattern (I'm very taken with the 3 leading, 3 trailing pattern) a
really, really dumb and expensive mistake?

Since it needs to transmit torque from the rim, to the hub, anything
that is non-radial should be fine.

Jon

Whingin' Pom vaguely muttered something like ...

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 01:02:58 +0100, davek <[email hidden]>

() said:

(As an aside, on the subject of dynohub cost, are they bought ready
built into a wheel, or do you have to pay extra to have a wheel built
round them?)

Wheels is extra. :-(

On a similar subject, is lacing a SON dynohub with a wacky spoke
pattern (I'm very taken with the 3 leading, 3 trailing pattern) a
really, really dumb and expensive mistake?

Not really. Any lacing pattern that can transmit power to the rim would
work, though radial spoking might be a bit suspect .. 😉

--
Paul ...

(8(|) Homer Rules !!!

"A [censored] is a [censored], no matter what mode of transport they're using."

in message <[email hidden]>, davek

(') said:

I said:

Any make/model recommendations?

A further qualification: I notice from browsing SJS that for dynamo
set-ups the dynamo itself and the lamps are sold separately. I think
I'd rather spend more money now on getting a decent lamp and a cheap
dynamo, then upgrade the dynamo later and keep the decent lamp for use
with that.

My main requirement is light - I can live with a bit of drag and
dynamo inefficiency for now (ie until I can afford a Schmidt dynohub).
And price is important too - I'd like to spend under £40 if possible.

(As an aside, on the subject of dynohub cost, are they bought ready
built into a wheel, or do you have to pay extra to have a wheel built
round them?)

When I got Juliette a Shimano dynohub I had it built into a wheel. Total
cost, hub and wheelbuild, about £80 (I think) last autumn. I'd
recommend it - very reliable and the non-operating drag is low.

On my own bikes I used to use under-bottom-bracket type dynamos (See
<URL:http://www.sjscycles.com/pdfFiles/dynamo.pdf>😉. These look less
messy than bottle-type dynamos and run on the working part of the tyre
so are much less prone to slip and similar problems. Unfortunately in
my experience the rollers only stand up to about a year's every-night
use, and at least in the days I used to use them, were not repairable
or replaceable.

If I were doing it now and were a cheapskate I'd fit a Shimano Nexus hub
dynamo; if flush I'd fit a SON.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Friends don't send friends HTML formatted emails.

davek said:

I can't afford a dynohub but I'd like a dynamo for the hybrid -

If you can possibly stretch to a dynohub you should go for that - it's
much better than a bottle. The Shimano ones can be had for about 50
quid now I think, quite possibly you might find one cheaper via ebay
with a little patience.

(The Schmidt SON is better, but more expensive.)

Paul Rudin said:

Quoted message said:

I can't afford a dynohub but I'd like a dynamo for the hybrid -

Quoted message said:

If you can possibly stretch to a dynohub you should go for that - it's
much better than a bottle. The Shimano ones can be had for about 50
quid now I think, quite possibly you might find one cheaper via ebay
with a little patience.
(The Schmidt SON is better, but more expensive.)

<aol>Agreed</aol>

The Shimano is pretty damn good, and really not that expensive. You'll
probably save the difference on the tyre sidewalls that won't get scrubbed
out ;-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington
University

Paul Rudin said:

If you can possibly stretch to a dynohub you should go for that - it's
much better than a bottle.

There *is* a reason /everyone/ seems to be saying this, of course!

I have a B&M bottle on the 8 Freight (hub brakes and single sided wheel
support means that a dynohub won't fit), and it works just fine... but
it's very much the poor relation of the dynohubs I have on the folder
and tourer which are fit and forget items.

Go without beer for a while and get a dynohub. Painful in the short
term, but much, much better in the long.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 08:54:55 +0100, Jon Senior

jon_AT_restlesslemon_DOTco_DOT_uk () said:

Whingin' Pom [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

On a similar subject, is lacing a SON dynohub with a wacky spoke
pattern (I'm very taken with the 3 leading, 3 trailing pattern) a
really, really dumb and expensive mistake?

Since it needs to transmit torque from the rim, to the hub, anything
that is non-radial should be fine.

Cool. :-)
<wanders off to read about wheel-building, spoke length and other
arcana>
--
Matt K.
"The rain, it raineth on the Just and the Unjust fella. But
chiefly on the Just because the Unjust steals the Just's
umbrella."

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 09:01:25 +0100, "Paul - [censored]"
<[email hidden]> ("Paul - [censored]"

) said:

Whingin' Pom vaguely muttered something like ...

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 01:02:58 +0100, davek <[email hidden]>

() said:

(As an aside, on the subject of dynohub cost, are they bought ready
built into a wheel, or do you have to pay extra to have a wheel built
round them?)

Wheels is extra. :-(

On a similar subject, is lacing a SON dynohub with a wacky spoke
pattern (I'm very taken with the 3 leading, 3 trailing pattern) a
really, really dumb and expensive mistake?

Not really. Any lacing pattern that can transmit power to the rim would
work, though radial spoking might be a bit suspect .. 😉

I'm not keen on radial spokes. It's probably only my imagination, but
they just don't *look* strong.
Besides, this is for the Rolls Canardly recumbent, so the odder, the
better. :-)
--
Matt K.
"The rain, it raineth on the Just and the Unjust fella. But
chiefly on the Just because the Unjust steals the Just's
umbrella."

davek said:

My main requirement is light - I can live with a bit of drag and dynamo
inefficiency for now (ie until I can afford a Schmidt dynohub). And
price is important too - I'd like to spend under £40 if possible.

Ask your LBS. While my beastly shimano hub was out of action they sold be a
backup bottle dymano for a very reasonable four quid. Worked a treat.

Regards,

-david

In article said:

davek <[email hidden]> wrote:

: (As an aside, on the subject of dynohub cost, are they bought ready
: built into a wheel, or do you have to pay extra to have a wheel built
: round them?)

You have to get the wheel made. I can highly recommend the shimano
dynohub, but it will probably still be over your budget.

I recently bought a Dynohub complete with wheel and lights for three
pounds. In fact it had the rest of the bike too, but it was only the
Dynohub that I was after. (And in fact it was a fiver, but I got a
second bike that I wanted for something else with it.)

But when I say "Dynohub" here I mean it as in '"Dynohub" remains a
Sturmey-Archer trademark' - http://www.sheldonbrown.com/dynohubs.html

It's now on my folder, which cost another three quid from the same tip
on an earlier visit (new inner tubes and a new longer seatpost did cost
a bit more).

Peter Clinch said:

Go without beer for a while and get a dynohub.

I hear what you are saying but the idea is meeting some internal
resistance...

I'll have to think about it some more.

Thanks everyone for the helpful comments. I know dynamos come up
frequently as a topic for discussion but usually the gist of threads is
how much better dynohubs are, which doesn't specifically answer my
question, but maybe like you say I ought to be picking up a message from
that...

d.

I have used th following dynamos

AXA HR and am happy to recommend it as a very good basic dynamo. I used three
of these. The first was temporarily "upgraded to the Nordlicht but I returned
to the AXA in disgust.

I used the Nordlicht for a while but I could never recommend it. This is
inclined to slip at the first hint of dampness. ie, completely useless in the
UK. Other people have had the same problem with it.

My commuter bike currently has a B&M Dymotec S6. Overpriced but it is the most
efficient 6V dynamo on the market. It is electrically better than the SON hub
dynamo but the mechanical problems of side wall dynamos make it less efficient
overall.

My audax bike has a SON hub dynamo. I switched to this after the original Axa
HR was knocked in a minor crash and I did not notice the funny angle until it
had shredded a tyre.

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 09:08:42 GMT, Paul Rudin <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

davek said:

I can't afford a dynohub but I'd like a dynamo for the hybrid -

If you can possibly stretch to a dynohub you should go for that - it's
much better than a bottle. The Shimano ones can be had for about 50
quid now I think, quite possibly you might find one cheaper via ebay
with a little patience.

(The Schmidt SON is better, but more expensive.)

There were adverts in the usual comics for another make of dynamo hub
a couple of months back. Unfortunately I can't remember the name.
Has anyone else (a) got any idea what I'm on about and (b) got any
details on it?

Tim

In message <[email hidden]>, Tim Hall
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 09:08:42 GMT, Paul Rudin <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

davek said:

I can't afford a dynohub but I'd like a dynamo for the hybrid -

If you can possibly stretch to a dynohub you should go for that - it's
much better than a bottle. The Shimano ones can be had for about 50
quid now I think

There were adverts in the usual comics for another make of dynamo hub
a couple of months back. Unfortunately I can't remember the name.
Has anyone else (a) got any idea what I'm on about and (b) got any
details on it?

Renak Enaperlite?

<http://www.gearshift.co.uk/acatalog/info_E39036F.html>

There is also a newer version of the Shimano hub as well around now.

<http://www.kinetics.org.uk/html/shimano_hubs.html>
--
Chris French, Leeds