# Charging on the move.



## Ice2911 (4 Nov 2018)

I have to admit I’m getting more and more into cycle touring and becoming more self sufficient. I have a Genesis Tour de Fer, my set up is in the picture. I have used a power pack with tiny solar panel in my bar bag to keep things charged. Just my phone and Garmin really. Charging the power pack at cafe stops or campsites. However as I get more and more adventurous I’d like to be able to charge on the move. So the questions:
Is charging from front hub best option, if so what would you recommend? 
Would you charge to the power pack or straight to the devices? 
Would your recommendations work on my bike?
Rough idea of what this might cost me? 
Thanks in advance


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## 13 rider (4 Nov 2018)

I beleive it's best to charge electrical items like phones from a power pack as you get a constant supply so charge the power pack . Lights are ok to charge from a hub . Hub is probably the best options


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## cosmicbike (4 Nov 2018)

I'd be inclined to use the hub to charge powerbanks, then use them to do phones, Garmin etc. Here's and expensive option, sure there are others out there

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/dynamos/busch-muller-ewerk/?geoc=US


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## Ice2911 (4 Nov 2018)

cosmicbike said:


> I'd be inclined to use the hub to charge powerbanks, then use them to do phones, Garmin etc. Here's and expensive option, sure there are others out there
> 
> https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/dynamos/busch-muller-ewerk/?geoc=US


Thanks for this, what wheels,hub do you use?


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## Edwardoka (4 Nov 2018)

I had an E-werk and a Lumoteq IQ running off a Shimano Alfine DH-S501 hub a couple of years ago.
Worked flawlessly, despite my rubbish wiring, even in torrential rain. Transformed night riding for me, if you'll pardon the pun.


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## andrew_s (4 Nov 2018)

For hub dynamo charging, you will want to use one of...
Shimano - anything with 3N or 3D in the name, or the Alfine (not 2D/2N, 1D/1N, or Capreo)
SON 28 (not XS or Delux)
SP Dynamo PDxx or PVxx (not SDxx or SVxx)

A Shimano 3N72 is the common "decent but not too costly" hub. A 3N30 works OK, but is of relatively basic quality, and will give more drag out on the road.

Generally, hubs and wheels are cheaper bought from Germany.

There are a whole load of USB charging devices available. Good ones (like those on the SJSC site) are relatively expensive.
Cheaper devices are available, but I'd advise being cautious about leaving them connected to the hub whilst they aren't actually doing any charging (eg when the power bank reaches "full").

Solar panels can be used successfully, but you need a fairly large one - a square foot or so, rated at 14 to 20 Watts.
The rating is for the middle of the day in Africa, no clouds, and with the panel square on to the sun. In the UK, with clouds, and the panel on the back of the bike pointing any which way, you'll be doing well to get 1/3 of the rated current, even in summer.

It's generally better to charge via a power bank, as that way you'll be extracting maximum energy from the hub. If you want to power something like a Garmin during the day, rather than recharge overnight, it's worth looking for a powerbank that allows simultaneous charge and discharge (sometimes called pass through charging). I use a Zendure A2.

If you do want to power something on the move, note that USB plugs and sockets are neither waterproof nor mechanically robust. I'd recommend a 90 degree plug with the cable anchored close to the device being charged - it would be unfortunate if road vibration on an unsupported cable broke the socket in your phone or Garmin.


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## HobbesOnTour (5 Nov 2018)

I have a hub dynamo setup on my MTB convert and I highly recommend them.
@andrew_s above is spot on with all his observations.
I'd add also;

Not all Garmins work flawlessly with dynamo power. My trial of a Touring unit failed and one reason was that it went haywire when connected to the hub. (My Wahoo Elemnt has no such issues).

The power generated depends on the speed you cycle at (and also wheel size). Slow average speeds (such as off-road) may mean minimal or non-existent charging. On 26 inch wheels, my set-up will happily charge at 13 kph.

Charging to a powerbank, then using that to charge, for example, a phone, is not the most efficient method due to a loss on each side of the equation. However, in practise it is the most effective. I'll charge either my powerbank or my Wahoo from Hub, nothing else. A pass through powerbank is the most effective way to charge your phone or other sensitive electronics on the go. (Not easy to find, though)

I use a Son 28 dynamo in 26 inch wheels, put together by SJScycles.
My USB charging device is the Cycle2Charge unit. A small German business, simple and relatively inexpensive and unobtrusive on the bike.
A generic powerbank sits in my handlebar bag and is charged as I ride.
On a typical day I'll generate enough power to top up my gps, phone and have some juice left over to charge kindle/batteries etc.

Since I stop a lot, I normally carry an old fold out solar panel. It's only 7W but actually works very well when in direct sun and facing the right way. However, it is minimally effective when strapped to the bike.

As for cost? How long is a piece of string?
You need a hub, either incorporated into your wheel or a new wheel.
You need a charging unit
Possible upgrading of lights/powerbank


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## Heltor Chasca (5 Nov 2018)

I charge mainly from the hub. My Audax has a Son and my tourer a Shimano hub. My secondary sources are from power packs. The little one (Thrunite) which I use for Audax has a capsule which you can replace the ‘vaping’ battery if need be and if you are doing long rides you just put a fresh battery in. I also use a solar panel which is fantastic. Three large panels which fit perfectly on top of the rack or clips to the tent. Less than £40 on Amazon.


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## Ice2911 (16 Dec 2018)

Thanks for the advice, I have had my wheel rebuilt with the Shimano Alfine hub. The e-works has just arrived so I have the fun of wiring that up. I’m looking at ways to keep the USB part dry, looking at adapting a weatherproof cable connector box and fixing it to my bar bag attachment. I will chargecto a through and through battery pack. 
Does the actual e-work and connectors to this need weatherproofing? 
Once again I appreciate your advice


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## Edwardoka (16 Dec 2018)

Ice2911 said:


> View attachment 442833
> View attachment 442832
> Thanks for the advice, I have had my wheel rebuilt with the Shimano Alfine hub. The e-works has just arrived so I have the fun of wiring that up. I’m looking at ways to keep the USB part dry, looking at adapting a weatherproof cable connector box and fixing it to my bar bag attachment. I will chargecto a through and through battery pack.
> Does the actual e-work and connectors to this need weatherproofing?
> Once again I appreciate your advice


The e-werk itself is a sealed unit with fixed cables that lead to connectors which are threaded to keep water out.

After a couple of days of cable tie scratches on my leg I ended up taking the e-werk off the top tube and put it in my bar bag alongside the rest of my electronics. So long as you make sure that the cable is angled up as it goes into the bar bag so that no water can run down it into the electronics, everything should stay nice and dry.

When it came to wiring the e-werk and light to the hub, I did it like the attached crude diagram.




Stripped the wires coming from the light and e-werk and twisted the positive together from each pair to make one single wire for positive, repeated for negative and slid shrink wrap over the exposed copper (Important step otherwise you run the risk of short circuits when wet!) leaving enough exposed to go through the holes in the lego-looking connector, right through and double back into the two grooves that line up with the terminals on the hub.

Plugged the lego brick onto the hub, spun the wheel with the light on, saw that it worked, and then cable tied the combined cables to my fork. You don't want those getting snagged on anything.

There will almost certainly be better ways of doing all of this - I ran out of time during tour prep so all of it was done in a campsite with a bike multitool.
(It turns out that it is exceedingly faffy to strip wires to length with a multitool...)

Good luck and happy wiring!


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## Tigerbiten (21 Dec 2018)

I use a hub dynamo to directly keep a Garmin satnav working and a solar panel to keep everything else charged ( AA batteries and Kindle) via a cache battery.
On tour, I can go for months without plugging into an external source of power ....... 

The above is roughly how I've wired up my dynamo system.
The only real difference is I've a connector inside the front boom on my recumbent trike that I've wired the e-werks into as opposed to wiring it directly to my SON XS-M hub.
With a 20" wheel my min speed to keep the Garmin Etrex 30 working is around 3 mph with the lights off and just over 4 mph with them on.
The only trouble is the Garmin tries to switch off if I stop, so I'm thinking about getting the B&M cache battery for it to solve this problem.

On my large Carry Freedom trailer I've a 20 watt solar panel again feeding through an e-werks into a large cache battery with a couple of supercapacitors used to smooth the output of the e-werks.
The advantage of the 20 watt panel is it will just charge in light full overcast conditions as long as the panel is not shaded by any overhang.
Very much smaller than a 20 watt panel and you're not going to get a charge unless you set up in direct sunlight facing the sun.


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## Gravity Aided (22 Dec 2018)

I'm also looking at solar panels, some on Amazon have a five volt diode and can be wired in series, but I'd always use a powerbank to charge to. This is because I wouldn't want to risk blowing up a phone or camera battery, but a powerbank can be replaced for less.


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## andrew_s (22 Dec 2018)

Tigerbiten said:


> The only trouble is the Garmin tries to switch off if I stop, so I'm thinking about getting the B&M cache battery for it to solve this problem.


I'd recommend a powerbank with pass-though*, like the Zendure A2, rather than the eWerk cache battery.
The eWerk cache gains on weatherproofing, but loses on everything else, such as using it to charge the phone in the evening.

* pass through is the ability for the powerbank to charge or power a device whilst simultaneously being charged (subject to the power supplied or required). Most powerbanks are either being charged, or supplying power, but can't do both at the same time.


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## Ice2911 (22 Dec 2018)

andrew_s said:


> I'd recommend a powerbank with pass-though*, like the Zendure A2, rather than the eWerk cache battery.
> The eWerk cache gains on weatherproofing, but loses on everything else, such as using it to charge the phone in the evening.
> 
> * pass through is the ability for the powerbank to charge or power a device whilst simultaneously being charged (subject to the power supplied or required). Most powerbanks are either being charged, or supplying power, but can't do both at the same time.


I’ve just got my A2 and I’m looking forward to trying it out.


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## mjr (22 Dec 2018)

Tigerbiten said:


> The advantage of the 20 watt panel is it will just charge in light full overcast conditions as long as the panel is not shaded by any overhang.
> Very much smaller than a 20 watt panel and you're not going to get a charge unless you set up in direct sunlight facing the sun.


I think that's overstating it, unless your charger is particularly demanding (a hub dynamo output is only 3 watt nominal, after all), but of course a bigger panel is usually better, especially as each extra drawback (facing the wrong way, overcast, and so on) loses a few more watts.


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## flyingfifi (23 Dec 2018)

i,ve got a 21 watt power works great for power packs aswell my garmin on the move .
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E8PCB8Q/ref=psdc_1340852031_t2_B01CC87DEI


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## andrew_s (23 Dec 2018)

mjr said:


> especially as each extra drawback (facing the wrong way, overcast, and so on) loses a few more watts.


It's not so much a few watts that you lose, as a proportion of your watts.
for example...
overcast --> -50%
panel on back of bike pointing the wrong way --> -50%
sun within 15° of horizon --> -50%
which would leave 1/8 of your initial 20 watts, 2.5 W.


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## mjr (23 Dec 2018)

andrew_s said:


> It's not so much a few watts that you lose, as a proportion of your watts.
> for example...
> overcast --> -50%
> panel on back of bike pointing the wrong way --> -50%
> ...


Yes, but that makes little difference to the basic point and which order you apply the reductions is arbitrary anyway.


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## steveindenmark (24 Dec 2018)

I have SON28 dynamos on my bikes. They have never gone wrong.

The dynamo constantly power my front and rear lights. I also piggy back my Igaro D1 off the dynamo.

By using the Igaro I can charge everything I need to.

Wahoo, Garmin, phone, Powerpack, camera, spare usb rear lights, exposure joystick light.

I charge them from the powerpack. But also direcrly from the dynamo via the Igaro.

I do not need to stop at cafes to charge things up. Im self sufficient when it comes to electrical power.

However. If I drop into a cafe and something needs topping up. I will take it in with me. Usually the powerpack as that takes longest to charge.

But as I found out this year in France. It makes no difference what system you have if you forget to plug your things in to charge. They will die on you.

Apart from human error. My set up works well.


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## andrew_s (24 Dec 2018)

mjr said:


> Yes, but that makes little difference to the basic point and which order you apply the reductions is arbitrary anyway.


I was more emphasising that it's not a case of "5 W for cloudy, 5 W for mis-pointing, and 5 W for late in the day/season, so if you buy a 30 W panel that'll give you 15 W for charging with".


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## HobbesOnTour (29 Dec 2018)

Ice2911 said:


> Thanks for the advice, I have had my wheel rebuilt with the Shimano Alfine hub. The e-works has just arrived so I have the fun of wiring that up. I’m looking at ways to keep the USB part dry, looking at adapting a weatherproof cable connector box and fixing it to my bar bag attachment. I will chargecto a through and through battery pack.
> Does the actual e-work and connectors to this need weatherproofing?
> Once again I appreciate your advice



I can't advise on the weatherproofing of the E-werks. To be honest, they would be the people to ask directly on the best/safest way of setting it up.

I'd suggest upgrading the plastic Shimano connector using something like these
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/lightin...mm-female-with-piggyback-connector-pack-of-2/


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## Ming the Merciless (29 Dec 2018)

Ewerk connectors are the waterproof variety. It is just the usb end for the device that is vulnerable. I put miy devices inside a bar bag or saddle bag when charging.


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## Heltor Chasca (29 Dec 2018)

I have a question related to this if that’s ok. 

I use a Schmidt hub which my Edulux2 is connected to. I have fitted piggy back connectors to the cable as in the future I plan to hook up a USB charging device. (Not purchased yet) In the interim, the piggy back connectors have been useful in that they are easier to clip on/off the hub.

With my plan to connect a USB charger to the set up, a friend has suggested the following: 

Rather than connect the wires from the USB charger to the piggy back connectors at the hub ; somehow ‘T off’ a piggy back connector above the fork crown/near the steerer tube. This sounds great as I won’t have two lots of wires traveling up the fork from the hub. Tidy, less chance of snags damage and I can easily clip the USB charger onto the system only when I need it. 

How would I 1/ ‘T off’ from the main hub/light cable and 2/ What type of connectors would I use?

Alternatively I guess I could have a ‘fork length’ extension heat shrunk together to the hub/light cable. One end would be permanently attached to the piggy back connectors by the hub; the other end would have exposed connectors near the fork crown/steerer that I can clip the USB cable to when I needed it.

What do you think?

Many thanks.


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## mickle (29 Dec 2018)

I've a son dynamo on the shelf awaiting a rim and spokes. In general I'm against the idea of turning my bike upside down. It's just bad form. However it crossed my mind that with the addition of two or more clip-on vanes of some sort I could turn my forthcoming new dyno front wheel into a wind turbine to charge a power bank or power a campsite discotheque. Can anyone think of a reason this wouldn't work?


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## HobbesOnTour (29 Dec 2018)

Heltor Chasca said:


> I have a question related to this if that’s ok.
> 
> I use a Schmidt hub which my Edulux2 is connected to. I have fitted piggy back connectors to the cable as in the future I plan to hook up a USB charging device. (Not purchased yet) In the interim, the piggy back connectors have been useful in that they are easier to clip on/off the hub.
> 
> ...



Let me start off by saying that I am not an electrician or a mechanic.
My normal approach is KISS, because I'm generally all the Ss, so my first reaction is to think that you're over complicating the matter.
If your light has an on/off switch there is no need to plug in or out the charging device. I'd just connect the cabling for the charger to the hub on the piggybacks (that's what they are for). And that is what I do.

I can't imagine leaving loose connectors flopping about exposed to whatever the road and nature throws at them to be a good idea.

In theory you could do as you describe, but I imagine the issue would be weatherproofing whatever splitter you use at the steering tube. 
I just wonder if it wouldn't open up more issues such as the afore mentioned weatherproofing and exposed connectors as well as what happens if the cable at the fork gets damaged? At least with 2 separate cables running from piggybacks, if one is damaged, hopefully the other is still good.

As for what Splitter to use? Sorry - no idea. Ask an expert 

Your second option would be more straightforward. Male/female connectors coming together, but again increasing the risk of failure due to exposure (2 loose sets of connectors).

The question is why do you want to plug the charger in or out?


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## HobbesOnTour (29 Dec 2018)

mickle said:


> I've a son dynamo on the shelf awaiting a rim and spokes. In general I'm against the idea of turning my bike upside down. It's just bad form. However it crossed my mind that with the addition of two or more clip-on vanes of some sort I could turn my forthcoming new dyno front wheel into a wind turbine. Can anyone think of a reason this wouldn't work?


How would you ride your bike?


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## HobbesOnTour (29 Dec 2018)

mickle said:


> I've a son dynamo on the shelf awaiting a rim and spokes. In general I'm against the idea of turning my bike upside down. It's just bad form. However it crossed my mind that with the addition of two or more clip-on vanes of some sort I could turn my forthcoming new dyno front wheel into a wind turbine. Can anyone think of a reason this wouldn't work?


Hang on. do you actually mean in the wild at the end of the day? 
That is not a bad idea. Ample flexibility in terms of how you can position the wheel. Whatever vane(s) must be inside the wheel so as not to interfere with the fork.

Very interesting!
And if you have a non gps computer, a great way to bump your mileage!


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## Ming the Merciless (29 Dec 2018)

Heltor Chasca said:


> I have a question related to this if that’s ok.
> 
> I use a Schmidt hub which my Edulux2 is connected to. I have fitted piggy back connectors to the cable as in the future I plan to hook up a USB charging device. (Not purchased yet) In the interim, the piggy back connectors have been useful in that they are easier to clip on/off the hub.
> 
> ...



I just heatshrink the cables on the inside of the fork. Nice and tidy with nothing to snag. I do not unplug the charger, just leave it there.


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## mickle (29 Dec 2018)

HobbesOnTour said:


> How would you ride your bike?


Damn.


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## Ming the Merciless (29 Dec 2018)

mickle said:


> I've a son dynamo on the shelf awaiting a rim and spokes. In general I'm against the idea of turning my bike upside down. It's just bad form. However it crossed my mind that with the addition of two or more clip-on vanes of some sort I could turn my forthcoming new dyno front wheel into a wind turbine to charge a power bank or power a campsite discotheque. Can anyone think of a reason this wouldn't work?



Vanes catching on fork unless you have a cannondale lefty fork.


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## Heltor Chasca (29 Dec 2018)

HobbesOnTour said:


> Let me start off by saying that I am not an electrician or a mechanic.
> My normal approach is KISS, because I'm generally all the Ss, so my first reaction is to think that you're over complicating the matter.
> If your light has an on/off switch there is no need to plug in or out the charging device. I'd just connect the cabling for the charger to the hub on the piggybacks (that's what they are for). And that is what I do.
> 
> ...



Ok. Firstly thank you. Yes, your system is the obvious and simplest, but for clarity what I am trying to avoid is 1/ having two cables running up the fork and 2/ having the option to remove the USB charger when I don’t use it for shorter rides (this is my Audax bike)

My overall aim is a tidy, flexible set up.


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## mickle (29 Dec 2018)

YukonBoy said:


> Vanes catching on fork unless you have a cannondale lefty fork.


A bit of gaffer tape spanning the spokes in the first instance. Won't foul the fork.


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## HobbesOnTour (29 Dec 2018)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Ok. Firstly thank you. Yes, your system is the obvious and simplist, but for clarity what I am trying to avoid is 1/ having two cables running up the fork and 2/ having the option to remove the USB charger when I don’t use it for shorter rides (this is my Audax bike)
> 
> My overall aim is a tidy, flexible set up.



That's clearer. I understood that you wanted to unplug the charger for example when you wanted to use your lights.
Do you know what charger you will go with?
For instance, mine is the Cycle2Charge, slightly larger than a bell that sits on my handlebars.
The unit is easy enough to remove and if it was cabled with that in mind, I would imagine that no more than 5 minutes would allow me to fully attach and detach it when needed. And for that scenario, I would run the cable directly from the piggyback at the hub. 
But not all systems are as easy to remove or attach. So that should be a consideration in your choice of system.
That would be flexible, but tidyness is subjective


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## Heltor Chasca (29 Dec 2018)

HobbesOnTour said:


> That's clearer. I understood that you wanted to unplug the charger for example when you wanted to use your lights.
> Do you know what charger you will go with?
> For instance, mine is the Cycle2Charge, slightly larger than a bell that sits on my handlebars.
> The unit is easy enough to remove and if it was cabled with that in mind, I would imagine that no more than 5 minutes would allow me to fully attach and detach it when needed. And for that scenario, I would run the cable directly from the piggyback at the hub.
> ...



Thanks again. I have an idea in my head that I would go for the Igaro D1
https://www.igaro.com/d1

Looking at the images of the B&M E Werk, it looks like you can have spades connected to the piggy back at the hub, then a cable that runs up to a connection plug near the cockpit. Therefore you can remove/use the charging device when you need it. So the only thing that is permanent, is the hub (spades) to cockpit cable (B&M Plug). This I would heat shrink to the light cable and have it all nice and tidy as one entity. I would do the same for the Igaro D(2).


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## Ming the Merciless (29 Dec 2018)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Thanks again. I have an idea in my head that I would go for the Igaro D1
> https://www.igaro.com/d1



D2 in the works, you may want to wait a few months.


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## HobbesOnTour (29 Dec 2018)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Thanks again. I have an idea in my head that I would go for the Igaro D1
> https://www.igaro.com/d1
> 
> Looking at the images of the B&M E Werk, it looks like you can have spades connected to the piggy back at the hub, then a cable that runs up to a connection plug near the cockpit. Therefore you can remove/use the charging device when you need it. So the only thing that is permanent, is the hub (spades) to cockpit cable (B&M Plug). This I would heat shrink to the light cable and have it all nice and tidy as one entity. I would do the same for the Igaro D(2).



That Igaro looks interesting. I didn't come across it when I was researching this 3-4 years ago.
One thing I noticed from the FAQs that I haven't seen elsewhere...
*Does the Igaro D1 work with power banks that require a wall charger?*
_Generally no. This is more power than is available until a higher speed is reached and the power bank may not recheck. The Stability Bank accessory may help with such devices but it is not guaranteed. We recommend using power banks that support charging from a computer/laptop connection._


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## Heltor Chasca (29 Dec 2018)

Something like this permanently attached from the hub to the cockpit. Then everything else is flexible. Happy to wait in the D2. I had budgeted a purchase by the summer.


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## Ming the Merciless (29 Dec 2018)

HobbesOnTour said:


> That Igaro looks interesting. I didn't come across it when I was researching this 3-4 years ago.
> One thing I noticed from the FAQs that I haven't seen elsewhere...
> *Does the Igaro D1 work with power banks that require a wall charger?*
> _Generally no. This is more power than is available until a higher speed is reached and the power bank may not recheck. The Stability Bank accessory may help with such devices but it is not guaranteed. We recommend using power banks that support charging from a computer/laptop connection._



This is a trade off to get a greater efficiency out of what is availble from the dynamo at various speeds.


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## Ming the Merciless (29 Dec 2018)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Something like this permanently attached from the hub to the cockpit. Then everything else is flexible. Happy to wait in the D2. I had budgeted a purchase by the summer.
> 
> View attachment 444477



Yes, the non spade end is the same connector as the ewerk uses. So easy to get replacements / different connection options.


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## HobbesOnTour (29 Dec 2018)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Something like this permanently attached from the hub to the cockpit. Then everything else is flexible. Happy to wait in the D2. I had budgeted a purchase by the summer.



Well, that seems to be your solution. A fixed cable to the hub that you plug into whenever necessary. I'm assuming the connection point is weatherproof?
It almost seems specifically designed to be something that is *not *permanently on the bike.


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## Ming the Merciless (29 Dec 2018)

I can confirm those connections are waterproof after using those on my ewerk for almost six years.


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## Heltor Chasca (29 Dec 2018)

HobbesOnTour said:


> Well, that seems to be your solution. A fixed cable to the hub that you plug into whenever necessary. I'm assuming the connection point is weatherproof?
> It almost seems specifically designed to be something that is *not *permanently on the bike.



On my touring bike I have a similar ‘plug’ type connection from the B&M dynamo light to charge USB devices. Somewhere deep in the small print when setting it up, I read it is waterproof when not in use and the bung is over the ‘plug’. But then it goes on to recommend _not_ charging in the rain.


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## HobbesOnTour (29 Dec 2018)

Heltor Chasca said:


> On my touring bike I have a similar ‘plug’ type connection from the B&M dynamo light to charge USB devices. Somewhere deep in the small print when setting it up, I read it is waterproof when not in use and the bung is over the ‘plug’. But then it goes on to recommend _not_ charging in the rain.


I've an Arkel barbag that came with a flap. that flap now sits over my unit in the rain if I'm charging and if not, I just twist the top so that the usb is covered and protected from the wet. Low tech and simple. Like me.


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## freiston (2 Jan 2019)

Mine is more a permanent wiring solution and not good for disconnecting the charger. I have the Cycle2Charge unit mounted on the top of my stem/steerer (the power wires feeding the charger from the hub enter the charging unit from inside the steerer). I just cut into the wires from the hub to the front lamp near the fork crown and stripped the four ends, twisted the ends of the charger cable (coming out from the bottom of the steerer) onto the stripped ends on one side of the cut lamp cable, then twisted the other stripped ends of the lamp wire onto the naked joined wires (so the join is a "Y-shaped") - all finished off with solder and heat-shrink. I left enough length on the spliced wire to push the joints up into the steerer, so that you have a single set of wires going up into the steerer from the hub and a single set coming out from the bottom of the steerer into the front lamp. 

The front lamp is a B+M Cyo Senso Plus (or something like that) and has an on/off switch; if I'm using the USB charger, I switch the lighting off. I charge a power pack rather than charge devices directly - energy-wise, this is less efficient but as said by others before, overcomes any issues of unsteady output from the charger.

I also have a nifty little AA/AAA charger that runs off a USB power supply so that I can charge my batteries too.

I have tested the setup for functionality and all is good, but as yet, I haven't had to top up the power pack with the dynamo. My objective is to have the ability to do so if required.


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## Heltor Chasca (2 Jan 2019)

freiston said:


> Mine is more a permanent wiring solution and not good for disconnecting the charger. I have the Cycle2Charge unit mounted on the top of my stem/steerer (the power wires feeding the charger from the hub enter the charging unit from inside the steerer). I just cut into the wires from the hub to the front lamp near the fork crown and stripped the four ends, twisted the ends of the charger cable (coming out from the bottom of the steerer) onto the stripped ends on one side of the cut lamp cable, then twisted the other stripped ends of the lamp wire onto the naked joined wires (so the join is a "Y-shaped") - all finished off with solder and heat-shrink. I left enough length on the spliced wire to push the joints up into the steerer, so that you have a single set of wires going up into the steerer from the hub and a single set coming out from the bottom of the steerer into the front lamp.
> 
> The front lamp is a B+M Cyo Senso Plus (or something like that) and has an on/off switch; if I'm using the USB charger, I switch the lighting off. I charge a power pack rather than charge devices directly - energy-wise, this is less efficient but as said by others before, overcomes any issues of unsteady output from the charger.
> 
> ...



Useful information. Thank you. Have any of your cameras got enough charge in them to be able to take a photo of your set up and post here? That would be super useful.


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## freiston (2 Jan 2019)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Useful information. Thank you. Have any of your cameras got enough charge in them to be able to take a photo of your set up and post here? That would be super useful.


The close-up photos have just been taken on my phone, they aren't very good and are not very flattering for my bike...

From the rear, you can just see the heat-shrink from the joins poking out the bottom of the steerer - the wire from the front lamp to the rear lamp has been coiled with a generous amount of excess:






Front view:





Side view:





The charging unit atop the steerer:


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## Ice2911 (5 Jan 2019)

Here’s my effort now. Obviously the front light is for when the bar bag is not there. Dynamo front light underneath and light on front of bar bag.thanks for all the advice and help.


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## Heltor Chasca (8 Sep 2019)

My Igaro D2 arrived yesterday. It is absolutely tiny.

I will be using it to charge my Wahoo, iPhone, GoPro and cache battery on the go. For now I have a cable piggy-backing the headlamp cable down by the dynohub leading up to the stem area where the end plugs into the Igaro D2. This sits in a little top tube fuel pod which in turn has a short USB-C to USB adapter. That is the point I can plug in the various different cables for each device. I can choose to carry the charger or not depending on need.

In the small print there are strong caveats about water ingress via the USB-C cable into the Igaro D2. I have sealed it in a small ziplock bag and I am dreaming about making another protective case for it. You all know how damaged things bouncing and jiggling around bike luggage can get. I also want to protect the two prongs/connectors on the D2. The area needs beefing up. There are no issues with the D2 overheating like the predecessor so this should be ok.

I fettled it altogether last night and just by spinning the front wheel for a bit, my iPhone charged a couple of percent.


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## Ming the Merciless (8 Sep 2019)

I found with my Luxos U a phone would charge from flat to full in three hours of riding. 2% from spinning by hand, 3 mins or so I suppose.


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## andrew_s (11 Sep 2019)

Heltor Chasca said:


> In the small print there are strong caveats about water ingress via the USB-C cable into the Igaro D2
> 
> I am dreaming about making another protective case for it. You all know how damaged things bouncing and jiggling around bike luggage can get. I also want to protect the two prongs/connectors on the D2.


The warnings are about USB plugs and sockets in general. Water won't get inside the D2 via the port, but if you've got current passing through tiny connecting pins, in the presence of water, electrolysis can erode the pins away. Cables are cheap, but replacing the socket in a D2 or your phone wouldn't be.


I found the plastic box a couple of pairs of earplugs came in just the right size for the D2

http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/noise-x-foam-bullet-shape-ear-plugs-2-pairs


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## freiston (13 Sep 2019)

An update on my experience. As yet, my charging capability is still to be tried out in earnest (my intention is that it is a fall-back rather than an M.O.). I realise that the following is by no means "scientific" and that device reports of battery percentages are not always reliable.

I've got a little outing planned for very soon and I have plotted a route on very minor roads for most of the 50 miles per day. I find it too difficult to follow OsMand in sat-nav mode but I find it very easy to follow if I put the OsMand map into night mode, have the track displayed on the map and follow the line. The problem with this is that my phone battery depletes very quickly as the screen is permanently on - a test ride the other day over 15 miles with track recording active resulted in my battery going from 97% to 51%. Which means that I cannot do my 50 mile journey without recharging.

Today I went out with a Ravpower 10000mAh Power Bank (which I had seen described as capable of pass-through charging) plugged into my Cycle2Charge and the phone plugged into it. I had the track to follow displayed on the phone but was not recording. After three or four miles I noticed that my phone battery had gone from 97% to 91% and that it was only charging when I was stopped (or below about 6 mph) - so the Ravpower does not charge the phone whilst itself is charging but once it stops charging up, it outputs to the phone. I unplugged the Ravpower and plugged the phone directly into the Cycle2Charge

I was going quite slow today, with lots of stopping and starting to allow vehicles to pass on the narrow lanes and for the remaining 10 or so miles, the phone battery went from 91% to 86% (it did start to go up on a particularly long downhill stretch).

I'm currently recharging my phone from another powerbank that I have with a percentage display on it, with the powerbank plugged into a USB power supply. The powerbank percentage remained at 72% whilst the phone went to 100% and now the powerbank has started to charge. I reckon I will use this powerbank to pass-through charge the phone and keep the fully charged Ravpower in the bag as a back-up.


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## Ming the Merciless (13 Sep 2019)

Heltor Chasca said:


> My Igaro D2 arrived yesterday. It is absolutely tiny.
> 
> I will be using it to charge my Wahoo, iPhone, GoPro and cache battery on the go. For now I have a cable piggy-backing the headlamp cable down by the dynohub leading up to the stem area where the end plugs into the Igaro D2. This sits in a little top tube fuel pod which in turn has a short USB-C to USB adapter. That is the point I can plug in the various different cables for each device. I can choose to carry the charger or not depending on need.
> 
> ...



Bubble wrap pocket for the D2 ?


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## Heltor Chasca (13 Sep 2019)

YukonBoy said:


> Bubble wrap pocket for the D2 ?



You know that may just suffice. I have a little camera pouch or another net pouch which might work. Tiny dry bag maybe or make sure the top tube bag doesn’t leak.


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## Randomnerd (14 Sep 2019)

This rig gives me all the charge I need from a Son dynamo. Spendy but very neat and totally weatherproof.


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## Heltor Chasca (14 Sep 2019)

Quite happy with my Igaro 2. Today was the first chance I have had to have a play. 

Sealed the USB-C cable to the charger with silicone glue and zip tied it into a double layer of little ziplock baggies. The lot sat in the little net divider inside my top tube bag. Still thinking about a soft, protective sleeve for it to slip into.

Anyway I didn’t charge my iPhone SE last night and set off with 30% charge. Within a couple of hours it was topped up to over 90%. When I left the café, I hooked it up to my Wahoo Elemnt which was on 73%. Half an hour later I was up to 85% charge. 

Nothing scientific in these findings, but I think I feel pretty self sufficient for multi-day mischief now.


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## Heltor Chasca (14 Sep 2019)

woodenspoons said:


> View attachment 485045
> 
> 
> This rig gives me all the charge I need from a Son dynamo. Speedy but very neat and totally weatherproof.



Nice. I looked at these but nothing is suitable or bodgeable for carbon forks with compression plugs like I have on my Audax bike.


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## Dogtrousers (15 Sep 2019)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Nice. I looked at these but nothing is suitable or bodgeable for carbon forks with compression plugs like I have on my Audax bike.


I first read that as "nothing is suitable for biodegradable carbon forks like I have ..."
Biodegradable forks eh? Very eco friendly.


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## tyred (15 Sep 2019)

Dogtrousers said:


> I first read that as "nothing is suitable for biodegradable carbon forks like I have ..."
> Biodegradable forks eh? Very eco friendly.



It is nothing new. All my steel bikes have biodegradable forks as eventually they will return to dust (just like an Alfasud!).


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