Front Dynamo Hub for Road Bike

[confusedcyclist]

I'm looking to add a front hub dynamo setup to my commuter road bike because I like the idea of never having to faff with batteries or unclipping lights again.

What do I need to consider in terms of sizing/practicality with the 700c road wheels? I wasn't able to locate any guides on which dynamo hub would be best for a road bike, are all hubs made equally? I know I'll be doing the wheel build myself, and am prepared to buy new rims with the correct number of spokes.

Has anyone got any experience with running a dynamo on a road bike?

Can anyone recommend a particular hub that's capable of running "to see by" lights and a decent rear. I'm not interested in any touring/fancy usb recharging stations

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Not run a dynamo for over 40 years & then it was one fastened to the frame & ran against the wheel, the problem then was that if you stopped moving whilst waiting in the middle of the road to turn right you morphed into a Ninja

 

[confusedcyclist]

I hear modern lights have built in battery capacity to overcome this. I won't be stationary for long on my commute

 

[snorri]

Not run a dynamo for over 40 years & then it was one fastened to the frame & ran against the wheel, the problem then was that if you stopped moving whilst waiting in the middle of the road to turn right you morphed into a Ninja

There can't be many oldies left around who actually used these things.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I've been running dynos in my bikes for years, both on the MTB and road bike.

Both my dynos are Shimano but there are plenty of other good (and more expensive brands).

Because wheel speed differs for bikes with large or small wheels travelling at the same road speed, dynos are often wheel specific, with some overlap. Modern headlights have a capacitor that sorts out turning into a ninja at stop streets. These capacitors keep the light going for minutes after you stopped riding. Kind souls often come running in to where I work and tell me my lights are on.

I don't use it for the rear light. I find a rechargeable one there works fine and I don't like the idea of wiring it up all the way from the front. Sticky-taped wires never work well.

Dyno's generate AC, not DC, so your light has to be compatible - most are. All you need to know in terms of specs is 6v/3W.

Now, a word on Shimano hubs. Shimano hubs are great but not meant for the klutz. The cup-and-cone bearings require proper servicing, adjustment and care. Trashing a hub wheel is expensive. Because a dyno hub's bearings don't feel the same as another hub's bearings, it requires skill to adjust the cones properly. You can't just turn the axle with your finger in order to judge the cone's tightness. You have to resort to other tricks. People get this wrong and end up with hubs where the cones are too tight and ruin the cones within a few miles. Hubs do NOT come from the factory with the cones adjusted properly.

If the above scares you off, go for one of the more expensive hubs with cartridge bearings.

Depending on the hub, you may have to lace the wheels2X instead of 3X, but your measurements will dictate that.

 

[si_c]

I've been doing a lot of reading around this, as I want to get a dynamo setup for my commuting bike, largely because during winter I don't want to faff about with charging lights every day. Also would be nice to be able to charge my GPS unit/phone on the go reducing the need to worry about that.

All dynamo hubs from a decent brand will power lights sufficiently well for your purposes.

Shimano hubs are the cheapest, perform well, are relatively easily serviceable (@Yellow Saddle knows more as above) but are generally slightly heavier. SON hubs are generally considered the dogs danglies, but are much more expensive. Shutter precision do a model that sits between the two.

Spa Cycles will build you a front wheel with dynohub as well as the lights and wiring loom etc as a package, which is what I've been leaning towards.

 

[ianrauk]

Have a chat with the very knowledgeable David at DCR Wheels.
His price listing of hubs here

He built a wheel for me with a Son Delux Hub. (Which as @si_c quite rightly says, are the dogs danglies.)

 

[confusedcyclist]

Thanks all for input. I am leaning more towards the Son Delux at this stage due to reduced weight and sealed bearings. I'm not scared by DIY and have rebuilt a rim before and quite enjoyed the process.

Edit: I just totted up the cost of the hub/wheel built from new components, £228... ouch!

Where is the compromise with cheaper shimano units?

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I hear modern lights have built in battery capacity to overcome this. I won't be stationary for long on my commute

Yeah I figured that may have now happened

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Thanks all for input. I am leaning more towards the Son Delux at this stage due to reduced weight and sealed bearings. I'm not scared by DIY and have rebuilt a rim before and quite enjoyed the process.

Edit: I just totted up the cost of the hub/wheel built from new components, £228... ouch!

Where is the compromise with cheaper shimano units?

The bit of extra weight is neither here nor there. It isn't an issue. Those hubs are great for the price and have no disadvantages other than what I've stated about skill required to adjust the cones.

 

[si_c]

Edit: I just totted up the cost of the hub/wheel built from new components, £228... ouch!

I'm assuming that doesn't include the lighting rig, you'll need to budget an additional £100 or so for a decent front/rear light and the wiring. There is no significant performance penalty for a decent shimano hub, although they do have more resistance than the SON/Shutter Precision hubs when the lights are on, if that's important to you. An interesting breakdown of perfomance can be found below, although it is aging a little and the SON hubs are supposedly better now.

http://www.bikequarterly.com/VBQgenerator.pdf

 

[confusedcyclist]

The bit of extra weight is neither here nor there. It isn't an issue. Those hubs are great for the price and have no disadvantages other than what I've stated about skill required to adjust the cones.

How often are you servicing the shimano hubs? I'm doing about 4000 miles a year in all weathers. The 40,000 km service interval on the sealed cartridge bearings is an attractive selling point, but not worth the fuss if I can get 10,000 miles or so out of the shimano models...

 

[Yellow Saddle]

How often are you servicing the shimano hubs? I'm doing about 4000 miles a year in all weathers. The 40,000 km service interval on the sealed cartridge bearings is an attractive selling point, but not worth the fuss if I can get 10,000 miles or so out of the shimano models...

I service hubs as a routine. But that's just 'cause it used to be what I do for a living. I take a peek every so often and if the grease is contaminated, I service. Service intervals depend on many things, including how often you ride in the rain and how you wash your bike.

 

[confusedcyclist]

Fair enough! It never stops raining here so I'm constantly checking and relubing various bits. Also, I have a penchant for pressure cleaners (kidding... or am I )

 

[confusedcyclist]

I'm assuming that doesn't include the lighting rig, you'll need to budget an additional £100 or so for a decent front/rear light and the wiring. There is no significant performance penalty for a decent shimano hub, although they do have more resistance than the SON/Shutter Precision hubs when the lights are on, if that's important to you. An interesting breakdown of perfomance can be found below, although it is aging a little and the SON hubs are supposedly better now.

http://www.bikequarterly.com/VBQgenerator.pdf

Yeah, no lights, cool article thanks!