Generator / dynomo hubs and lights

That Schmidt SON looks pretty sweet.

My bike came with a Shimano 3W dynamo hub, and B&M lights (the cheapest models). The bike weighs almost 35 lbs unloaded, so I can’t say that hub drag is a factor – any drag it introducers might be more noticeable on a 21lb bike.

Is anyone running a set up that in addition to lights allows you to charge cell phones, GPS units, etc?

The power budget of a generator hub makes charging a modern phone iffy. To do it right usually involves an intermediate battery (which further reduces efficiency) and all the circuitry does end up being expensive for low volume manufacture. Most of the components are cheap, and you can diy, but the simplest solution means restarting the charge cycle every time you slow down, and that will destroy the device battery pretty quick.

I can’t even begin to describe how much I love never having to worry about batteries.

Based mostly on Peter White’s info I have two bikes with dyno setups: a Luxos B wired to the Shimano Alfine dynohub with a Secula plus on the rear and an Edelux 2 wired to a Shimano DH N-80 with a toplight line plus on the rear. the beam patterns on the Edelux and Luxos are pretty close, and it’s definitely worth the extra few bucks for the Schmidt. the plastic body of my Luxos has cracked already. if you have fenders, go for the Secula plus on the rear, it’s amazing—feels like wider than 180° visibility that is bright but not blinding. The drag on both hubs is basically not noticeable until you hit about 20mph, at which point I get some vibration up through the handlebars.

The Dhn80 is laced to Dyads, like you are suggesting, and they’ve been awesome. built them 2 or 3 years ago, ridden on single track, with 50lbs of groceries (not at the same time), toured on pavement and gravel, never had to true them once. They do kinda weigh a ton but who cares.

if you’re mechanically inclined I recommend building the wheels up yourself. it’s a fun and sort of zen experience if you’re Will to spend an afternoon and a few beers at it.

@Colin B 124215 wrote:

The drag on both hubs is basically not noticeable until you hit about 20mph, at which point I get some vibration up through the handlebars.

Vibrating handlebars above 20mph sounds like sorta a big deal !??

I’ve considered building a dyno hub front wheel for the winter, but a few things keep me from pulling the trigger:
(1) wheel interchangeability — w/o caliper adjustment. I replace my cx tires with studded tires on my spare wheelset for the few weeks we need them. I want to be able to change wheelsets in under 2 minutes in the dark. My current wheels are built on the same hubs, so this works great.
(2) Helmet light. I use both a helmet and a bar-mounted light when it’s dark. I’m not sure I see a way to avoid recharging the helmet light, at which point plugging in two things to recharge is only marginally more “work” than plugging in one.
(3) Weight, rolling resistance. The dyno hubs are frickin’ heavy. I’m sure the weight wouldn’t be a big deal in practice, but I’m commuting on the flat W&OD, so I don’t want a setup that’s gonna start shaking above 20mph.
(4) I have to pull my lights off when it’s locked in parking garage at work anyway, which erases the huge convenience factor of not needing to remove the lights for charging.

Sounds like a variation on the backpack vs. rack debate

Edit: added 4