Pinkelephant64

I'm on the fence on getting a shimano dynamo hub.
I have a bottom bracket hub I used 25 years ago and back then they were like a second brake. picture pulling a teenager in a little red wagon behind you for 20 miles.

I'm considering this for a gadget and phone charger more than for lights
I will go with either a dynamo or solar charger:
https://www.rei.com/product/837625/jo...-solar-charger

I'm building a fully equipped "touring" bike with all the bells and whistles but in reality it will mostly be an excercise bike with some long distance weekend campouts every now and then.
If I take a week off work, I'm going to have my toes in the sand on a Filipino beach, drinking homemade coconut wine (Tuba), visiting my wife's family.
This dynamo would definatly add to the "cool" factor

the shimano is equivelent to the schmidt in drag but half the price
drag chart:
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/imag...ower-input.jpg


I'm interested in first hand "pro's and con's " experiences
Thanks

fietsbob

IDK about Shimano's , but Schmidt has negligible drag, on or off..
sealed bearings..
Have 3, 20", & 2 28" might sell the polished non disc one, [32 o]

apparently AXA's top model headlight, now, built the USB outlet in.

mount: Fork crown

robert schlatte

I have a Shimano 3n-72 which I power a headlight and taillight off of. I love the convenience of always having light and not havign to screw around with batteries. In my experience any drag is completely inconsequential. I commute with the bike every day and have taken it on a couple trips and have never never really noticed an appreciable difference with the dynamo hub. In fact, I would say that when the light is off, I forget I even have a dynamo hub.

jimc101

I've got a Schmidt Son Delux and a Shimano T785 w/centerlock disc. The Shimano is noticeably heavier than the Schmidt, but it's also on a heavier bike (Salsa Vaya vs Lynskey built Ti frame)so this additional weight isn't a big factor.

For performance, they both power my lights fine, I use a Edelux + B&M rear with the Schmidt and a Supernova E3 with the Shimano, also have an E3 Tail for the back as well, but not yet fitted.

The Schmidt looks nicer, but they both perform the same job well, for longevity, have been using the Schmidt for 2 years now, guessing about 12000-15000km, never missed a beat, only got the Shimano a few months ago, and have put about 400Km on it, but this will be heavily used over this winter..

Not tried external electrical harnesses as yet, but am looking at this as an option https://www.bumm.de/produkte/e-werk-u.../usb-werk.html

FBinNY 

The biggest improvement in dynohubs isn't in the hubs, but in the lower power requirements of LED lighting systems. Forgetting the mechanical drag of good Dynamo hub, which can be just about as low as a regular hub, and the small weight penalty, the probale has been the need to produce 6 or 12 watts to support the lights. !2 watts is a decent percentage of your power output and very noticeable.

However today's LEDs can produce the same output with much less power, so the effort needed to support the lights is far less. Combine that with the backup battery and circuitry that provides steady lighting at lower speed, or when stopped, and the drawbacks of Dynohubs are virtually eliminated (other than cost).

I'm on the fence about building a dynohub wheel for my commuter. It'll free me from managing batteies (currently good for 1-1/2 round trips), and give me more freedom to extend my trip home or make detours without running out of juice (happens in the winter).

For a tourist, a Dynohub is the way to go, since you won't have the ability to keep batteries topped off daily. As far as Shimano vs. Schmidt, I can't say, but either way, you'll find that they far exceed your expectations.

Pinkelephant64

I cant PM, haven't reached my 50 post mark yet.
contact me about that hub. how much? what condition? how many miles.
(EDIT: email removed)
I'm going for a "showroom clean" look on this bike

Doohickie

I have a SON, can't feel any drag. When I got that wheelset, I went from 28 mm wide tires to 35s, and I still can't feel any difference.

The owner of the LBS does a lot of randos, I think he has a Sanyo hub. Cheap and effective.

gmt13

I have this same unit and my experience is exactly the same. I don't feel the drag at all and my commuting times are no different than they are in the summer when I use a different wheel. In fact, next summer I won't be switching the wheels because I now know it doesn't make any real difference. The only thing I notice is a bit of a hum above 20mph when the light is on.

The intangible is the sense of freedom you get. No worries about batteries dying. No hesitation about the use of lights when you're wanting to conserve your batteries. I've taken to running lights during the daytime when I feel that I need some extra visibility.

Oh, and what great lighting too!

-G

dscheidt

I have a bike with a Sanyo, and a bike with a Shimano Alfine. I can't much tell them apart, and neither is much drag when off. Of course, I ride with my lights on all the time, but I have a hard time telling if it's on or off.

SBinNYC

I've been using bottom bracket dynamos for 30+ years. I had settled on a Soubitez 80 dyanamo with Union halogen front light and a BS3648 Union tail light. I had to replace the system about two years ago because the components finally wore out.

I replaced it with LED head and tail lights and a Sanyo NH-T10 bottom bracket dyanamo. I could not be happier with the new equipment. As, Mr. FBinNY noted, the big improvement is in the lighting. I have a 1 watt system and it puts out about 3 times the light of the old 3 watt halogen front light. I also get full brightness, when walking the bike. Both front and rear lights have super capacitors that keep the lights on for several minutes after stopping.

There are also improvements to the dynamo over the original Sanyo Dynapower of 30+ years ago. The bearings are sealed (and replaceable), and there's a rubber belt around the wheel. They also beefed up the spring, so slipping in the rain is not a problem. One less obvious improvement has been to the internal magnets. They are a lot more powerful, and generate more electricity per revolution than the old stuff. The dynamo also has a remote mechanical switch which I've found myself using more often than I thought I would.

There is drag. However, it's a lot less than the old Soubitez or Dynapower. I usually realize I've got the dynamo engaged from the hum rather than the drag.

The bottom bracket dynamo is not a bad deal, if one is not willing to sacrifice a front wheel. The dynamo's cost is less than that of a dynahub, without adding on the additional cost of building a dedicated wheel.

krobinson103

I like this gadget. Combo battery and solar panel. Right now I run a battery to keep the phone going but this thing would give me unlimited run time.

Pinkelephant64

yeah. these guys talked me into the dynamo hub but that solar charger will be going in my camping gear

krome

Yes, very happy dynamo hub user here. Shimano makes good hubs. I have several hubs, from old (1948) SA dynohubs to SONs in my collection. They have all worked great, but the SONs and the Shimano seem the smoothest. The Sanyo hub is a good budget model. The SONs have top notch quality and drool factor. LEDs have really made dynamo hubs effective. Super capacitors help too in the standlight department.

JohnDThompson 

Power output is also better because of modern rare-earth magnets. I have a 1949 Sturmey-Archer Dynohub that still works fine, but the power output is nothing special.

krome

Agreed, but the old SA will drive a modern LED light much better than the old incandescent lamps. I used one for years with a modern LED headlight.

Pinkelephant64

I passed on this deal. if anyone is interested in a used SON28, here he is

GamblerGORD53

This year I have been using a SA XL-FDD and XL-RD5 on an old Raleigh frame.
They are both awesome and quiet as a mouse. Later I got a Schmid Edelux and it lights the road really well, but the switch is way too easy to flop around inadvertently. I was using new LED bulbs in my old tail light which is small and plastic. They got too hot and 2 of them fried before I figured out what was happening. I haven't installed my B+M tail-light yet.

pdlamb

I've got a Shimano and a Schmidt dynohub (on separate bikes), mostly for commute lights. There's a moderate secondary use for overcast and rainy rides, but most of those happen during commutes anyway. Always available, never need charging. Although I do feel a slight vibration with both around 17 mph when the lights are on, there's no significant drag with lights off. (Sure you can measure it with sensitive electrical test equipment, but not enough to notice when pedaling.)

I have to question the usefulness of either solar or dynohub chargers for touring, though -- at least in the U.S. You can find a place to plug in and charge a device if you stop at a restaurant or library in an hour or less, which is about what a solar charger will do in a day of sunshine. It's perhaps possible to charge more stuff (or maybe keep a GPS charged) with a dyno convertor. Questions for that are, do you need all those electronics to be left on? and do you need a cell phone when you're in the back country where you need the GPS for navigation?

So while it's a personal choice, my choice goes: NO!

TimeTravel_0

people rarely seem to regret a decent dynamo light setup. they are a great investment.

Pinkelephant64

you guys talked me into it.

gmt13

You won't regret it. I had my misgivings at first, mostly because of the additional weight and the potential for "slow-me-down" drag. All concerns were dispelled on the first ride.

Good luck.

-G

mconlonx

Counterpoint: there is definite drag in the Shimano hub when it's drawing power... just that it's not very consequential. At all. I notice it, but a lightly rubbing brake pad makes for more resistance. The difference between tire at optimum pressure and minus a few lbs. Noticeable, but negligible.

I have one on my commuter bike and the weight of the hub vs batteries for a light plus regular hub is probably less than I accidently overpack every commute.

And the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Although I've yet to find an elegant way to deal with wiring.

krobinson103

External batteries have the same problem. I ended up putting them in triangular frame bag then running the wiring from the head light along the hydrolic tubing for the rear brakes. Since the tube is quite thick anyway the extra wire is almost invisible.

Yan 

I use the Shimano 3N80 on my touring bike. I have disassembled the hub completely for repacking. It is well built and the drag is not noticeable regardless of whether a light is connected. I have experienced interference problems with a wireless computer, so I recommend a wired computer if you opt for a dynamo hub.