Shimano Dynamo Hub

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I am thinking of improving my lighting now that the nights are getting darker.

Has anyone experience of this dynamo? I was thinking of this plus a couple of lamps that would
stay on when stationery.

I have one of these with Hella Safety lights equipped with standlights. The system works very well
for both lighting your way when the road is properly dark and visiblity on lighted streets. Where it
falls down a bit is in situations where there is significant ambient light (from car headlights etc)
but not enough to see by. One's eyes tend to adjust to the brightest thing around which isn't
necessarily the beam of your light, meaning it can be difficult to see where you're going!

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Or does anyone use the lights that have a re-chargeable battery pack that hangs from the cross
bar. They appear to be cheaper but are they effective?

From what I've seen they're very powerful, but you must remember to charge the battery of course.
Dynamos are pretty much fit-and-forget.

Regards,

-david

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I am thinking of improving my lighting now that the nights are getting darker. Has anyone
experience of this dynamo? I was thinking of this plus a

couple

Quoted message said:

of lamps that would stay on when stationery.

The SON is better but it's also much more expensive; the Nexus is a very good product. I have
one of each.

Quoted message said:

Or does anyone use the lights that have a re-chargeable battery pack that hangs from the cross
bar. They appear to be cheaper but are they

effective?

Yes, and they are fine until you forget to recharge them or your ride lasts longer than you expected
or you are late leaving on a day you thought you wouldn't be needing them...

For a commuting or utility bike, dynamos are the way to go, and given that dynamos are the way to
go, hub dynamos are best by a country mile IMO. Your lights are always there, always "charged" and
if the battery runs flat the bike stops ;-)

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.comOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Has anyone experience of this dynamo? I was thinking of this plus a couple of lamps that would
stay on when stationery.

I have the Schmidt SON on two bikes, which is reckoned to be a better bit of kit but costs a lot
more. Everything I've heard about the Shimano says it's quite good *enough* and is good value
for money.

For lights I use B&M with standlights, front and rear on the 'bent, front only on the folder with a
LED rear (LEDs are fine for rear if you get a BS spec one like the Cateye AU100, and the wiring
routing is an issue on the folder as it has to, errr, fold, but not much reason not to get front and
rear on a "normal" bike). Been very happy with them, good bits of kit.

Quoted message said:

Or does anyone use the lights that have a re-chargeable battery pack that hangs from the cross
bar. They appear to be cheaper but are they effective?

I have some of those too, though since I discovered dynohubs they've been on long-term loan to a
friend. A good set of rechargeables will give out more light, but the limits of a dynohub will only
really be felt at a fair speed on completely unlit roads/trails (I use my dynamo lamps on unlit
roads and only have to slow down from lack of illumination on descents). The main problem with them
is you have to keep track of the amount of charge you've got left, and every then and now you get a
set turned on in your bag by mistake or similar fiasco. With dynohubs you've got lights always
available, they're just a lot more convenient if you'll be using lighting regularly.

Though the dynohub and standlights are my preferred solution, a set of rechargeables would make more
sense for sporting machinery, or if you'll only be using lights once in a while. But I can't recall
seeing a bad word here about either the Shimano or SON hubs for general use, if you've got the cash.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Thanks for the advice. I have just bought a lead acid re-chargeable system consisting of twin
halogen headlights. 10 and 2.5 watts.

I have just got hooked on biking after a short break......40years. Stopped smoking this year and
wanted to get the lungs exercised and cleaned up. I seem to have swopped one addiction for another.
I am on my 3rd bike in 12 months.

Now for the rear lights, helmet lights and lights for the computer. ; )

--
replace deadspam with btinternet to reply Tom Anderson Leighton Buzzard England

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the advice. I have just bought a lead acid re-chargeable system consisting of twin
halogen headlights. 10 and 2.5 watts.

The Smart 201s, by any chance? (wot I got, good value kit). Whatever, as long as you take note of
the charging instructions they should give you plenty of good service.

Quoted message said:

seem to have swopped one addiction for another. I am on my 3rd bike in 12 months.

Time you moved onto a recumbent, then ;-)

Quoted message said:

Now for the rear lights, helmet lights and lights for the computer. ; )

For rears, LED units are often very good. Look out for a BS kitemark. Note that although technically
it is illegal to use a flashing light, in practice you're very unlikely to have anyone complain.
Some people find it easier to spot flashing lights but harder to judge distances to them, so you may
wish to run a constant and a flashing light just to be sure.

I had a helmet light for a while but the bracket broke. Not actually been that worried about not
having it any more, just something else to get in the way.

What is worth looking at is a selection of reflective stickers. Since my bike has a large seat back
facing to the rear I've plenty of room to play with, and have been compared to the Blackpool
Illuminations when in someone's headlamps from behind, but any bike's visibility can be enhanced by
using reflectives in strategic spots.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Yes they are the Smart ones.

They are charging up now for my ride at 0445 tomorrow morning.

Tom

Tom Anderson Leighton Buzzard BEDS, England.

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Stopped smoking this year and wanted to get the lungs exercised and cleaned up.

Way to go, I packed up over three years ago and took up cycling again after 25 years.

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I seem to have swopped one addiction for another.

Believe me, you're not alone. With cycling the denial manifests itself as 'riding away from
it all' !!

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I am on my 3rd bike in 12 months.

I have a Shimano Nexus hub, and I think it's brilliant. I have it on a 'town run-a-round'.
Works well.

gb