Hub Dynamos in Australia

[Jubas]

Interesting - do you have to use the wiring loom from K-lite with the switch/battery pack? Or can you just go direct from hub to light?

And, I'm assuming there's no beam cut-off ala the german lights?

[Mugglechops]

Interesting - do you have to use the wiring loom from K-lite with the switch/battery pack? Or can you just go direct from hub to light?

And, I'm assuming there's no beam cut-off ala the german lights?

Wired direct from hub to light on this one.

No cutoff like the german lights, but you can actually see where you are going with this one

[Luke Skystalker]

Hi guys,

I’m a n00b & am surprised how expensive a dynamo setup seems to be. I guess they’re not as common as I thought!

Having to plug in lights to charge every day doesn’t appeal to me. But at what cost? Wondering what the cutoff is to have a good dynamo setup.

Thanks for your insight.

[march83]

Shutter Precision hubs from German or UK retailers, economical rim, spokes, nipples, a couple of hours building your first wheel while reading online guides or watching YouTube videos... A little over $200 + shipping and you've got a wheel.

I quite like the Busch and Muller iqx headlights. One of those and a tail light and you're up for another $120.

Short term you can do something better with battery powered leds for the same money, but long term, being able to just roll out the door without working about lighting, never getting caught out after dark, etc wins IMO

[Thoglette]

The challenge is the hub: even Shimano's entry level models are (officially) north of $100. They rarely come up second hand.

You can get a "bottle" genertor which runs on the sidewall of the tyre for much less but the vast majority of these are less efficient than a hub and require strong sidewalls. There's the occasional tread-running generator but these'd be an ebay find

[Bunged Knee]

Had anyone heard of the " dynamo of the future? " from https://www.pedalcell.com/cadencex


It runs at 15-20w better than the 3w bottle dynamo. With basic at $US250 to $US300 but with extra $US50 to $US100 after promo possibly after March, ($AU358 to $AU430) for the ultimate bundle with no info of postage cost to ship in early March 2020.

[foo on patrol]

I will stick with my $45 rechargeable for the price of those dynamo ones. It's not that hard to take note of the LED indicator lights for remaining power and plug in when you get off the bike. The dynamo lights don't work when you stop, do they? So that in itself is a negative for me.

Foo

[MichaelB]

Hey Foo, they still work when you stop, but in a standby mode.

[Aushiker]

The dynamo lights don't work when you stop, do they? So that in itself is a negative for me.

Foo

When you say the don't work when you stop, I assume you are referring to at the traffic lights, stop signs etc. If that is correct then my Busch & Mueller lights all have a stand-by feature which means the lights stay on for four minutes. More than enough time at traffic lights etc.

[Aushiker]

Had anyone heard of the " dynamo of the future? " from https://www.pedalcell.com/cadencex

Haven't heard of this before. Looks interesting from a quick look at the website. Always good to see other options too.

Thanks for sharing.

[Baalzamon]

Had anyone heard of the " dynamo of the future? " from https://www.pedalcell.com/cadencex

Haven't heard of this before. Looks interesting from a quick look at the website. Always good to see other options too.

Thanks for sharing.

Oring needs replacing every 2000 miles. Rules it out for serious touring.

[foo on patrol]

Hey Foo, they still work when you stop, but in a standby mode.

Well there ya go but I'll still take my rechargeable ones over a dynamo.

Foo

[rifraf]

Hey Foo, they still work when you stop, but in a standby mode.

Well there ya go but I'll still take my rechargeable ones over a dynamo.

Foo

Why not have a re-chargeable that recharges via a dynamo.

[foo on patrol]

Hey Foo, they still work when you stop, but in a standby mode.

Well there ya go but I'll still take my rechargeable ones over a dynamo.

Foo

Why not have a re-chargeable that recharges via a dynamo.

Because I get 4-7hrs out of my 50x30x5mm battery.

Foo

[antigee]

Had anyone heard of the " dynamo of the future? " from https://www.pedalcell.com/cadencex

Haven't heard of this before. Looks interesting from a quick look at the website. Always good to see other options too.

Thanks for sharing.

not seen an independent review though...I've been looking at building up a dynamo wheelset for a long ride to charge stuff as well as if run out of daylight and if you look at the data from the top performing (German) brands then they get nowhere near the numbers being talked about by this co'...impressive if the numbers are correct...their graphs would suggest that their product will charge stuff even down at typical offroad touring speeds...presented as solid comparison data rather than a headline number so hopefully something in it...hope they can come up with a hub version

[MichaelB]

Hi all,

Been a dynamo user for quite a while now and have the E3 Triple SuperNova as a front light which has been working fine (and a small rear light as well.

One thing I've noticed in the last few weeks is that the standlight capacity is now non-existant.

I'm hesitant to open it up and it aint cheap to replace ?

Any suggestions ?

Edit : Exposure Revo seems to be a good alternative, but doesn't seem to have a mount that allows it to fit to a fork crown (using the hole normally associated with the fender/rim brakes). I've seen the stem mount, but can't use that, as that's where I mount the Wahoo Bolt.

[LateStarter]

With motorists apparently unable to tell the difference between a bright constant rear light and a road side reflector the best practice these days seems to be having both Dynamo constant and flashing rear (or two) so stand light might be redundant?

[MichaelB]

With motorists apparently unable to tell the difference between a bright constant rear light and a road side reflector the best practice these days seems to be having both Dynamo constant and flashing rear (or two) so stand light might be redundant?

I have a flashing rear and will probably look at a flashing front (both are good as backups anyway), but typically when I stop, it's at traffic lights.

Just curious for ideas of cause, and options/advice if it dies on me.

[queequeg]

With motorists apparently unable to tell the difference between a bright constant rear light and a road side reflector the best practice these days seems to be having both Dynamo constant and flashing rear (or two) so stand light might be redundant?

I have a flashing rear and will probably look at a flashing front (both are good as backups anyway), but typically when I stop, it's at traffic lights.

Just curious for ideas of cause, and options/advice if it dies on me.

I have a SupaNova E3 Pro 2 & E3 Taillight, my first foray into Dynamo Lighting. Unfortunately I find it too restrictive for what I use it for, which is Audax in pitch black at high speed. I am therefore looking to redo the light rig and move to the k-Lite dyno lights, which are actually Australian. Most of the Ultra Endurance riders use the K-Lite lights and they are some of the brightest lights you can get. I have also heard good things about the Sinewave beacon light. It uses a cache battery so the stand light runs for ages.

I’ve got my new fork sitting in a Sydney TNT depot somewhere waiting for it to get through customs. Massive delays due to covid. The new fork has internal routing for the dyno wiring as well as extra bottle cage mounts. I will most likely take my Supanova light and put it on my commuter bike, which is really only ridden on the road. Just have to source a 36H Dyno Hub and matching rim so I can build a new front wheel without pulling my non-dyno one apart.

[Trevtassie]

https://www.pedalcell.com/cadencex Still trying to figure out how a wet O-ring can turn a generator that puts out 15-20W. Plus I do like how they use the lowest possible output for a hub dynamo...

[MichaelB]

https://www.pedalcell.com/cadencex Still trying to figure out how a wet O-ring can turn a generator that puts out 15-20W. Plus I do like how they use the lowest possible output for a hub dynamo...

I had something similar when I was a kid.

The bottle dyno was useless back then, and prob not much better now.

[hamishm]

I have a SupaNova E3 Pro 2 & E3 Taillight, my first foray into Dynamo Lighting. Unfortunately I find it too restrictive for what I use it for, which is Audax in pitch black at high speed.

I also had the E3 Pro 2 and found it too dim for pitch black descending. I'm no longer doing rides that need dynamo lighting, but the next light I would try is the IQ-X, which gets good reviews from people who I trust on such things.

I previously had a Luxos U which was good until the plastic case eventually fell apart.

[MichaelB]

.... I am therefore looking to redo the light rig and move to the k-Lite dyno lights, which are actually Australian. Most of the Ultra Endurance riders use the K-Lite lights and they are some of the brightest lights you can get. I have also heard good things about the Sinewave beacon light. It uses a cache battery so the stand light runs for ages.

..

Had a look at the K-Lite page, and whilst I'd be happy to shop there and get their Pro V2 (on sale), there are two things that don't suit my application - the standby battery (too big and bulky for normal road riding), and the lack of mounting options.

And the Ultra V2 (out of stock) is just overkill.

There doesn't appear to be many dyno lights similar in style/mounting to the E3's (and don't look like a bug eyed meerkat seeking attention).

[RonK]

I mounted the Exposure Revo and Wahoo Elemnt like this, using an inexpensive handlebar extender from eBay.

However it is complicated because the Revo does not have a switch, and also if you want to charge a powerbank you will also need a charger and a two-way switch.
Here I'm using a K-Lite switch and Sinewave Revolution charger mounted on the underside.
And a warning about the Revo - the sockets are identical - DO NOT interchange the input and the output, or you'll be sending it back to Exposure in the UK for repair.

Although it worked quite well, eventually I grew weary of this clutter and bought a Sinewave Beacon, which I mounted on a K-Edge Wahoo/GoPro combination mount, using a KevinB GoPro to Dynamo light adapter. And kept it simple with a AAA battery-powered flasher for the rear.

And a final comment - neither the Revo or the Beacon are particularly bright, adequate for riding on the road at moderate pace but not good for offroad or high speed riding. If you need offroad capability then bite the bullet and buy the K-Lite.

[baabaa]

Would this help your stem vs handlebar setup?
https://www.bumm.de/en/products/mehr/produkt/470lh.html?

Mounted a B & M Lumotec IQ Cyo T ( whatever that means ) up high with one of these in Sth America to avoid the salted roads, mud, rubbish and grime. Did not have muddies on the bike. Seems to worked as required as the light is still working well. Also, being high gave a bit more width to the beam, maybe?
Have gone back to a fork mount now as I lug stuff on the bars. The light itself is good as a standing light but apart from other commuters stopped at lights I have little to compare it with.