Velocity Dynamo Hub - Opinions???

[Steve]

I'm considering a dynamo hub for my Platypus and am wondering if anyone here on the list has had experience with one?   Velocity's web page doesn't offer any electrical specs, but the Google-sphere  suggests they are manufactured by Schmidt and/or SP. The price is attractive - $90 if included as a wheel build ($170 if purchased alone).

Steve in AVL

[Ben Miller]

Steve,

That hub looks like a SP Dynamo. Those are usually around $90. So good deal, but $170 would be overpaying. SP hubs are good, in someways better than Schmidt hubs (certainly better in price). But Schmidt SON look better to my eye and my experience suggests they last longer. (SP dynamos still last a long time, just maybe not the "forever" that Schmidt hubs seem to last). I have Dynamo hubs on all my bikes, and more than half of them are SP. I'll go Schmidt if it's a fancy build or higher milage. But SP hubs are great.  

FYI, Crust sells a complete wheel set with an SP SV-8. But I'm guessing you are just looking for a front wheel?

[Will Boericke]

Going to throw in my experience with Kasai and Shimano dynamos: bulletproof.  I ride every day, in all weather (rain, snow, salt, etc).  I would not hesitate to buy an SP wheel, but I'd probably prefer to buy a $50 Shimano dynamo hub and build a wheel because I like that.

Will

[Steve]

Thanks Will and Ben -  your input is appreciated. Velocity came to mind as a choice as the bike is currently sporting black Velocity Quill rims (with black WI hubs) and I'd like to stick with the same rim up front.  This would be my first dynamo hub so I'm eager to glean what I can from those with experience. I have used rim powered bottle dynamos in the past -  loved having the always available lighting but hated the drag and the noise, 

Steve

[Tim Burke]

I also have a mix of son and sp hubs in my stable and they’re great. Son hub is definitely more reliable at low speeds, but I don’t know that justifies the price. 

Rando folks will disagree for what it’s worth.  

Also, myself and everyone I know who bought the crust wheel sets had problems with them. I broke my rear but am still riding the front (with an sp hub) on my Sam. Just  putting it out there. 

Tim in Philly 

[Joe Mullins]

Some people like that the Shimano dynamos come with a quick disconnect as part of their design. I purchase the Son quick disconnects and solder them onto mine and prefer those over the Shimano but it ads to the already pricey price of the Son. I have one bike with a Son hub from a wheel set I bought used from a gentleman who used them on a touring bike. No clue how many miles were on it before I got it and I've since added many hundreds (or thousand+?). It works just as well as the newer Son I hub I have on a different bike. But I also live and ride in Los Angeles where we have perfect weather all the time. :-)

Joe in LA

[Ben Miller]

Tim, 

How'd your Crust rear wheel fail? I have a Crust wheel set, but probably only have 300 km on it. I've been thinking about rebuilding the rear wheel with a Shimano hub I have (cause the original hub is too loud for my taste). Did the rim fail or the hub?

Ben

[Morgan Fox]

Steve, I don’t have any direct experience with the SP dynamo hubs but my dad does. He has had the same one on his daily commuter for the past four years and it is still holding up. We live in northeast Ohio so he has taken that hub through many a salty, slushy, wintry season. He rides 5-6 days a week, about 30km a day. 

I personally use the Shimano DH-3n72 and have found it to be just as reliable as his. If you’re on the fence about dynamo, I’d say hop it! The only danger is that you’ll end up wanting one for all of your bikes. 

[Patrick Moore]

FWIW, my 2 SP dynohubs have been unaffected by several thousand miles of the fine silty riverine sand I ride through. I’ve not used Shimano dynohubs for 15 years or more but the two I owned were entirely trouble free.

[Tim Burke]

Ben - Rear wheel cracked at 14 spoke different spoke holes. I checked my front wheel this morning and that now has 3 cracks in at, also at spoke holes. 

I have heard that the newer wheel sets Crust sells are stronger, but I don't think I'd buy them again personally 

[Steve]

I had a hunch members of this group would have plenty of experience with dynamo hubs -- thank you all for sharing your knowledge!!!   Sounds like either SP or Shimano would be a solid choice while requiring less of an investment ($$$) than a Schmidt.  

Thanks, Steve

[Michael Moore, Jr.]

Hello Steve,

I have been running a Shimano DH-3D71 on my Bleriot since 2008 or so. I only keep two bicycles at a time for myself (one road and one mountain centric), and the Bleroit has always gotten the bulk of the miles in all types of weather. That hub still does the job powering my front and rear light after tens of thousands of miles. I keep thinking I'll replace it, but it just keeps going. They are also affordable by comparison. 

Now if only Shimano made the DH-UR708-3D in a 110x15mm thru-axle  . . .

--

Michael Moore, Jr.
Arcata, CA

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[Kat]

Slightly off the original topic, but I have the Crust wheels (with an SP dynamo) and no issues 1200km in. 

Thanks,

Kathryn

[Justin Kennedy]

Always like to give a shout-out to the budget Panasonic/Sanyo dynamos that Peter White sells. I've had these on several builds (currently on my Bike Friday) and they're a fantastic bargain.

https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/panahub.php

[Wyatt]

I have a dynamo wheelset I bought from Velocity three years ago. The Velocity branded dynamo is a rebadged Jtek dynamo hub. As far as I can tell from a Shutter Precision hub I also own, the Jtek is a nearly direct copy (or possibly exact copy) of a SP hub and functions in all ways the same. Three years later and several thousands of miles on that bike, I have no complaints or mechanical issues to speak of. Still does exactly what it is supposed to do.  

[Will Boericke]

I'm reasonably certain the JTek hub is a Kasai.  The one I reference above is a JTek-badged Kasai.  Probably 8000 miles in, no issues.

[Steve]

It's starting to sound like I could pick any one of the mentioned hubs and not be disappointed.  Thank you to all who've shared your experiences!        Not to goose the thread I started - but I'm also now considering a Velogical rim driven dynamo, largely for the versatility of moving it from one bike to another. 

Steve

[Patrick Moore]

Steve: If you do choose a Velogical rim dynamo, please innundate us with details and photos and descriptions of how well it works for you. In particular, please document by word and photo how you mount the Velogical to your fork or stay.

I’ve long wondered whether a Velogical might not be a better occasional dynamo light option than dynohubs in our dry (but dusty) environment.

Thanks.

[Steve]

I promise a full report with photos --  if I go the Velogical route. I'll probably mount it with their canti brake boss adapter on the rear wheel. 

Steve