Dynamo lighting system

[srw]

I've got a Trek mountain bike which I've converted to a hybridish sort of bike (slick tyres, rack) and I'm now looking to make it winter-proof. Neither wheel is exactly in the first flush of youth, so I figure I might as well replace the wheels too while I'm about it. I've put the package below together from rosebikes. I'm planning on mounting the front light on the front brake bolt (it's a trick I borrowed from someone on here and works well on one of the tandems). Is there anything I've forgotten or which might cause issues?

 

[MichaelW2]

The lamp goes on the fork crown bolt rather than a cantilever boss. It is better protected against damage.
Mount your rear lamp on a bracket underneath your rear rack.
Running the cable to the rear can be tricky. Make sure that you dont leave any vulnerable bits to be ripped off. Reinforce with ducktape where needed. I run mine along the brake cable (outer), then across to the rear mudguard under ducktape, then up to the rear rack mounting position. Loop the cable around the bracket a few times.
I avoid running cable along the outside of the rack top, it can get damaged too easily. Some racks may have hollow tubes which is a neat way to run cable.

 

[srw]

I should have said - the fork is a suspension job, so there is no crown bolt. That's why I'm planning on mounting on a brake boss.

 

[freiston]

I can't think of anything else. If your new wheels don't come with rim tape, you might want to make sure you have some in in case you can't re-use the old ones (that scuppered my schedule when I got hub-dynamo lighting). Have you worked out how to route your cable? You might want a supply of small cable-ties. I ran my cable down my down-tube, along the near-side chainstay then up to the lamp on the rear rack by winding the cable up the mudguard stay. Leave enough slack at the dynamo to enable disengagement for wheel removal. Any other slack can be neatly coiled near the headtube to allow movement.

Another edit... the connector block on Shimano hub is designed to be uppermost, with a small 'u' shaped loop of cable going down and up to it, so that water running down the cable drips off before and below the block.

 

[srw]

Thanks all. That's given me enough confidence to push "buy" (or rather double-check the holes on the rack to make sure the back light will fit and then push "buy"). I'll also get some cable ties while I'm about it. The wheels, incidentally, come ready supplied with tubes and tyres, so that all I need to do is swap over the cassette rather than the tubes and tyres too - I'm looking to make my life simpler rather than faff with a pair of Marathon pluses until I have to.

 

[dim]

I had a chat to my LBS and they will be adding dynamo lights to my Surly Long Haul Trucker in November (this is my winterbike) .... I done lots of research on forums where people discuss lighting etc for touring and audax rides, and have opted for the following:

Son 28 polished 36 hole dynamo hub

Lumitec IQ-X front light

Toplight Line Brake plus rear light

E-Werk USB charger (for when I do audax rides or touring)

Cache battery plus adapter cable

 

[srw]

Thanks all. That's given me enough confidence to push "buy" (or rather double-check the holes on the rack to make sure the back light will fit and then push "buy"). I'll also get some cable ties while I'm about it. The wheels, incidentally, come ready supplied with tubes and tyres, so that all I need to do is swap over the cassette rather than the tubes and tyres too - I'm looking to make my life simpler rather than faff with a pair of Marathon pluses until I have to.

All now fitted - despite leaving the extra cable at home today and having to walk the bike for part of its journey. And "ready supplied" doesn't mean (as the picture implied) "ready fitted". I spent a lunch hour in the office putting rim tape, tubes and tyres on a pair of wheels, and then had to pop out to Halfords to buy an official corporate trackpump so that I could ride home again.