OT: Dynamo hubs and axle adapters

[Erik Waher]

I'm preparing for the dark season in Seattle and today I'm looking at dynamo lights

It seems that there are 2 brands that don't suck (watts that is)

**SON, and Shutter Precision (SP)**

- The SON28 12 x 100 thru axle with disc - $390

- A SP PD-8X-M 12 x 100 thru axle with disc - $200

The SP has slightly more drag (1/2watt?) at 17-20mph but otherwise they seem to have similar hub weight and power output.

While researching I realized maybe its possible to buy a 15mm thru axle hub, and use an adapter to get it down to 12mm for my road bike. This could allow me to use the dynamo hub on my MTB (which is a 15 x 110m axle). The MTB runs 27.5 wheels, and the road bike uses 650b wheels which, afaik are the same dimensions.

Do you have any advice about axle adapters or dynamo hubs I should be keeping in mind? Thanks

[Scott Perry]

On Aug 25, 2018, at 5:54 PM, Erik Waher <ewa...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm preparing for the dark season in Seattle and today I'm looking at dynamo lights

It seems that there are 2 brands that don't suck (watts that is)

**SON, and Shutter Precision (SP)**

- The SON28 12 x 100 thru axle with disc - $390

- A SP PD-8X-M 12 x 100 thru axle with disc - $200

I have owned both of these and the SON is significantly smoother and much higher quality. The SP was very notchy, more when turning reverse than forward, which is probably fine but as a former mechanic it didn’t really make me happy.

Anecdotally, among randos I know most run a SON (with zero reported failures) and a few [have] run SP (some with multiple failures).

The SP has slightly more drag (1/2watt?) at 17-20mph but otherwise they seem to have similar hub weight and power output.

While researching I realized maybe its possible to buy a 15mm thru axle hub, and use an adapter to get it down to 12mm for my road bike. This could allow me to use the dynamo hub on my MTB (which is a 15 x 110m axle). The MTB runs 27.5 wheels, and the road bike uses 650b wheels which, afaik are the same dimensions.

Do you have any advice about axle adapters or dynamo hubs I should be keeping in mind? Thanks

Sharing the wheel is a great idea. My road fork is a 15mm thru axle adapted down to 12mm (Rodeo makes a fork-specific kit, so it’s skookum). It works great.

Using the IQ-X, my lighting at night rivals my motorcycle (including the part where it doesn’t blind oncoming traffic). You’re going to love it.

Scott

[Erik Waher]

Thanks for the feedback Scott.

The notchy stuff - isn't that just low speed? Both sp and son are reported to be notchy, but once riding they have similar amounts if drag in tests.

How did the sp's fail? Bearings? (This is what I've read) I'm also aware of people not tightening the QR enough which causes wires to get sheared in the hub.

Thanks also for the lead on rodeo. Never heard about them before but looks awesome.

[Scott Perry]

On Aug 26, 2018, at 9:32 AM, Erik Waher <ewa...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for the feedback Scott.

The notchy stuff - isn't that just low speed? Both sp and son are reported to be notchy, but once riding they have similar amounts if drag in tests.

With the hub built into a wheel and my butt in the saddle I couldn’t reliably tell the difference, but in hand the SP would never have passed the Pepsi challenge.

How did the sp's fail? Bearings? (This is what I've read)

Mostly. Also water ingress during biblical weather, which might be somewhat forgivable until you remember that we live in an age of IP67 rated cellular telephones.

I'm also aware of people not tightening the QR enough which causes wires to get sheared in the hub.

Well, you can’t fix stupid. Even a TA could suffer that problem in the hands of the right idiot.

Thanks also for the lead on rodeo. Never heard about them before but looks awesome.

They’re not for everyone, but they were making exactly the fork I was looking for when I was building my bike—right down to the internal routing for my dynamo’s wiring :)

Scott

[Jerome fournier]

Hey SF2G, dear friends dear Scott.

A sad news Ciao Dario' Italian frame builder Dario Pegoretti passed away yesterday at the age of 62.
I was supposed to do a portrait film documentary with him last May and the project has been delayed for next fall at his facility in Verona. Dario was perhaps well known for his outstanding craft as a frame builder and his legendary paint jobs style that decorated his bicycles frame set, but those who recall him more intimately remember the passing of a warm, kind, and truly inspirational figure who was far more than just a painter or frame builder, truly an artist.

RIP.

Jerome Fournier Lanzoni

Art direction| VFX supervision

http://cargocollective.com/jeromefournier
https://vimeo.com/user2597133
linkedin.com/in/jeromefournierlanzoni

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[Max Nachury]

I love my SON 28 thru axle dynamo. Schmidt now makes a nifty connector that makes taking wheel in and off a breeze 

Autocorrected courtesy of iOS

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[Erik Waher]

Thanks Scott and Max.

It sounds like I should just pickup the SON. The water ingress and bearings keep coming up as issues with other hubs. I guess the expense for the SON will be worth it in the end.

[Scott Perry]

Oh yeah the Shimano connector (used by SP) is super convenient, it’s nice to hear SON has come up with a convenience that doesn’t require custom fork dropouts ( https://nabendynamo.de/en/products/sl/ ).

Erik: enjoy never having to charge a battery again!

Scott

On Aug 28, 2018, at 5:27 AM, Max Nachury <nac...@gmail.com> wrote:

I love my SON 28 thru axle dynamo. Schmidt now makes a nifty connector that makes taking wheel on and off a breeze 

[Erik Waher]

Went with SON28, Edelux II, B&M tail light.

Ended up with the SON because everyone reports good things and bullet proof (5yr warranty too). The low speed output is reportedly better, so doing a slow hill at night might be a little brighter in theory.

Edelux II because it has a reed on/off switch (magnets). The B&M lights all use sensors and cannot be turned off (DRL stays on no matter). I can't throw my bike on a bus and have the stand light glaring into some vehicles window. Apparently the beams a bit wider than the B&M IQ-X, and the stand light (light when you are stopped) is a bit brighter. All objective data for which I have no comparison for, but sounded like they would benefit my commute better.

Spec'd the hub and rims for use on both MTB and road bike. If there is interest I can post some photos or whatever which describes the situation.

[John French]

Went with SON28, Edelux II, B&M tail light.

That's exactly what I've got (skewered hub though), and it's great.

Edelux II because it has a reed on/off switch (magnets). The B&M lights all use sensors and cannot be turned off (DRL stays on no matter). I can't throw my bike on a bus and have the stand light glaring into some vehicles window

The one thing to be aware of there is that the switch on the Edelux II cuts off the input from the dynamo, not the LED, so the light stays on until the standlight capacitor discharges, a few minutes if you've been riding immediately before switching it off. (at least on the upside-down model I've got, the rightside-up model might be different?)  I've had multiple people on Caltrain remind me that my lights are still on and had to explain that they'll go off on their own.

[Scott Perry]

On Aug 31, 2018, at 11:05 AM, John French <m...@johnfren.ch> wrote:

Went with SON28, Edelux II, B&M tail light.

That's exactly what I've got (skewered hub though), and it's great.

Edelux II because it has a reed on/off switch (magnets). The B&M lights all use sensors and cannot be turned off (DRL stays on no matter). I can't throw my bike on a bus and have the stand light glaring into some vehicles window

The one thing to be aware of there is that the switch on the Edelux II cuts off the input from the dynamo, not the LED, so the light stays on until the standlight capacitor discharges, a few minutes if you've been riding immediately before switching it off. (at least on the upside-down model I've got, the rightside-up model might be different?)  I've had multiple people on Caltrain remind me that my lights are still on and had to explain that they'll go off on their own.

This is one thing I like about the IQ-X; the button may be aggravating for other reasons (it’s SPST, so it requires power to change the state) but it will cut the stream of photons when you push it.

Scott

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