Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Dynohubs: waht about tail lights?

I've been reading lots of stuf about lights and dynohubs on this forum and on Peter Bicycles (thank you guys) and i'm going to purchase a DH-3D70 Shimano hub (for discs) and a LUMOTEC IQ Cyo R headlight.

But, what about tails lights? what's the best thing available to use with the IQ Cyo and the dynohub?, I've read about some that have an small battery and are on even some minutes after the bike is stopped...

Thanks again and my apologies for my bad english.
Coque

Cheers and welcome to the Forums.

Consider one of the Busch & Mueller's various D'Toplight versions. You can buy one with standlight (stays on for a couple of minutes even when you're standing still) or light sensor (automatically switches on in the dark, useful in underpasses for example) or both. Your front light by the way is made in similar different versions, but I don't know how well the various models are available to you. For details, see the Busch & Mueller web site at http://www.bumm.de

--J

(and I'm moving this thread from Commuting to Electronics etc. Carry on.)

--Juha, a Forum Mod this time

I'm a huge fan of Supernova lighting, and they have a wired 3-LED tail light with standlight feature (stays on for a few minutes after you stop) for around $70. It's 180-degree visible and amazingly bright.

I have a B&M D'Toplight XS and I like it pretty well, although it's certainly not as bright as my Planet Bike Superflash. Also, I don't think there are dyno taillights that blink, so if you think that makes you more visible, that's something to consider. You can use both, of course; a bright blinky for visibility plus a steady dyno that never runs out of juice. I personally think that a steady light is less confusing for motorists, although perhaps less attention-getting.

I use the DToplight XS without problem, very visible, works with my IQ Fly Senso Plus, very nice little combo. Not as bright or flashy as the PB SuperFlash, but much more convenient and secure.

Joey French

My co-worker has the battery operated version of the Dtoplight and got it from Peter White. It has nice side visability as well as very descent rear visability. The auto-on with motion detect is nice. The main difference between this and the SuperFlash is that the DToplight also have an nice large reflector built in. For top rear viability it is nice to have both active and passive items to help you be visable. I allready user two rear lights and have two standard reflectors as well mounted on my rack. One light is a basic 5 LED rear light, the other is the SuperFlash. Next year I'd like to swap out the basic rear light and replace it with the Dtoplight. I might get the wired one as I already has a dyno-hub with DLumotec LED head light. Sadly the then new IQ Fly was not yet shipping. Now I hear there is a light that puts the IQ Fly to shame... Therefore I'd also like to upgrade my main light next year as the DLumotec is OK, but I can always use more light.

Even through the DToplight is good and has a large reflector, I'd still want to add an additional SuperFlash for even better visability. The SuperFlash is fantasticly bright, but has somewhat limited side visability. This combo should provide superb rear lighting at a reasonable cost.

Happy riding,
André

I just use a battery operated taillight. It operates for well over a hundred hours on 2 AAA batteries and no wire to run between the dynamo and the rear of the bike.

The wire is an issue -- that's a long way from the hub to the back. Lack of flashers puts me off . I would like a rear light powered by the dyno though.

Don't let the lack of flashing put you off. Like others have said, you can always get another light and mount it to the seatpost or part of the rack (Planet Bike sells mounts that fit the small-diameter tubing on racks).

And, to be honest, they're quite visible lights already. I've seen enough of them on German streets.

I bought an D'Lumotec Oval Plus Senso LED (http://bumm.de/index-e.html?docu/171y-e.htm) headlight and a Selectra Plus (http://bumm.de/index-e.html?docu/320e.htm) taillight. I'm not sure if the Selectra is available in the States, but it's slick -- it has a standlight and two side LEDs. The main LED is red, too, not washed out like you see in that pic.

The wiring is no big deal, either. The shop gave me a length of wire with plugs on one end, long enough to go from the handlebars (if I wanted; I mounted my headlight on the fork crown), down the downtube, along a chainstay, and up a rack tube. Took less than ten minutes to install, including bolting the light to the rack; maybe 20 minutes total, including the headlight.

So, anyway, I'd say to get a taillight and run it off the dynohub. There's not enough reason not to, and it'll just use free energy.

I've been very happy with my DToplight XS. Slightly brighter than the Spanninga single LED tail-light that it replaced and it always works. Nearly as bright as the superflash, but also has a built-in reflector.

I just use a battery operated taillight. It operates for well over a hundred hours on 2 AAA batteries and no wire to run between the dynamo and the rear of the bike.

+1 Use the dyno for the front, and just get 2 PBSF for the back. You don't have to mess with all of those extra wires and the batteries on the back last a long long time.

+1 Use the dyno for the front, and just get 2 PBSF for the back. You don't have to mess with all of those extra wires and the batteries on the back last a long long time.Having battery operated rear light(s) provides more light and better visibility, especially if combined with proper reflectors. It also allows you to put all the 3 watts from the dynamo to the front light (assuming you can upgrade the bulb to 3W), giving marginally more light there too. But what I personally most like about dynohubs/dynamos is you don't have to worry about batteries. At all.

Messing with extra wires is a small one time effort, if done properly. Messing with the 4 AAs of 2 SuperFlashes can get boring, especially in the winter.

--J

PBSF is not as bright as my homemade wired 3 watt red emitter. It's really cheap to do a rear light because you don't even need optics to focus the light.

PBSF is not as bright as my homemade wired 3 watt red emitter. It's really cheap to do a rear light because you don't even need optics to focus the light.

which emitter are you using?

Reelights might be a cheap-ish alternative on the rear.

which emitter are you using?

This one.

http://www.ledsupply.com/lxhl-lh3c.php

I use the dtoplight in the rear powered from the dyno, but I ALSO use a Dinotte rear light on pulse. The Dtoplight is mostly as a backup in case my battery dies or something like that.

Thanks for all the resplies guys, i think i'll go with the DH-3D70 hub, a "Cyo R" headlight (i like the fact that it focuses some light just in front of the front wheel) and a D'TOPLIGHT XS or a TOPLIGHT FLAT PLUS as a tail light.

If i find that the taillight is not enought, i'll add a reelight tail light since what i want is to forget about charging batteries and mounting the lights my the bike.

I'll give you my feedback.

Thanks again.
Coque.

I've got question for you guys:

Does anyone ever have issues with the security of your Dynamo Head or Tail light? That's the last thing that's keeping me from opting for a battery powered system that I can throw in my bag and take with me. I'll be using this commuter for grocery runs and two night classes at a local college. Once mounted, are these lights easy to grab and run with or are they pretty secure?

I don't think that security will be a problem (knock on wood! ;)). They don't make these lights with quick releases, so a thief would have to have tools to remove them.

1. Are the Cyo R lights available yet? P. White says comming soon (Nov 08?) and hasn`t yet changed his site to say they`re in. I see Cyo 60 on some European vendors` sites, but I think that`s the long throw one.

2. Is there a "clean" way to wire a tail light on a fender? I mounted one a few months ago and never wired it because I didn`t like anything I came up with. Since then it`s just been getting a free ride and I`ve been using the old light (battery D Toplight) on my rack.

2. Is there a "clean" way to wire a tail light on a fender?
You can run the wire/s up the inside of the fender

2. Is there a "clean" way to wire a tail light on a fender? I mounted one a few months ago and never wired it because I didn`t like anything I came up with.

Some types of chromoplastic guards (these are laminated - two layers of fairly tough plastic with a layer of foil between them) have a striped appearance, these stripes are actually strips of foil with gaps.

In the past I've used these foil stripes (in an ESGE guard) to power a rear lamp, though I think the lamp was actually designed to be able to do so, IIRC the rear light was also made by ESGE.

This was using a bottle dynamo which is a single wire (frame earth) system anyway - where you only have one wire to 'lose' to give you an appparently wire free install.

Might be a bit trickier on a dynohub.

And of course you need the right type of mudguard....

Does anyone ever have issues with the security of your Dynamo Head or Tail light? ..... Once mounted, are these lights easy to grab and run with or are they pretty secure?


I have been running a Inoled 10+ head-light and DT Stoplight tail-light for several years in two big cities with relatively high crime rates. I have everything bolted down well with the standard halters from Peter White and also have wrapped a little cosmetically ugly electrical tape around the back of the head-light to "mess it up" a bit.

Have had no troubles at all with theft. Theses wired lights look a little odd and once you have a little tape on them, it isn't at all obvious how to take them off easily. Maybe the thieves are going for the easier pickings of smaller lights.

My wife has been running the same system and has also had no troubles with theft, except twice near a big crowded parking area, the wires to the headlight were vandalized. Strange but true..


p.s. Coque, it was quite easy to run a wire back from the head-light to power the tail-light. I really like never having to worry about recharging any batteries.

Not sure if Peter White has them, but starbike from Germany does:

http://www.starbike.com/php/product_info.php?lang=en&pid=11496

Looks to be around $100 - 110 US with shipping, after currency conversion. I think Peter White is selling them for a few dollars under that anyway?

Thank you guys!

I ordered my setup through Ebay (couldn't find the lights localy and the hub was really expensive here) and i already received the wheel. The wheel it's installed and i didn't noticed more drag than usually riding my bike to the office on my 30 mile round trip. I think today or tomorrow i'll receive the lights and i'll let you know how everything works.

Here's what i ordered:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=190280651795

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=270321122690

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=360127395263

Thanks again for all your help.
Coque.

1. Are the Cyo R lights available yet? P. White says comming soon (Nov 08?) and hasn`t yet changed his site to say they`re in. I see Cyo 60 on some European vendors` sites, but I think that`s the long throw one.

2. Is there a "clean" way to wire a tail light on a fender? I mounted one a few months ago and never wired it because I didn`t like anything I came up with. Since then it`s just been getting a free ride and I`ve been using the old light (battery D Toplight) on my rack.


I ordered a IQ Cyo R N Plus from Peter White yesterday. They are on back order and should be here in a few weeks.

coque -

was shipping pretty beastly on those items? i've been checking some of those ebay sellers, but can't find a good gauge on how much shipping prices would be.

Thanks, all.

...

2. Is there a "clean" way to wire a tail light on a fender? I mounted one a few months ago and never wired it because I didn`t like anything I came up with. Since then it`s just been getting a free ride and I`ve been using the old light (battery D Toplight) on my rack.

My wife's 1965 Raleigh RSW-16 Deluxe has a dynohub and lights built into the fenders (mudguards), which is a very attractive look, I think. The wires run inside (under) the fenders; the front one is so close to the fork that it can dangle free with no risk of getting rubbed by the tire, but the rear one is long and is a potential problem.

That potential problem is solved very cleanly: The wire goes through a light vinyl tube with a piece of wire spring steel hooked to the underside of the fender at front and back, so the whole thing is pressed tightly up into the inside of the fender. It's very secure, doesn't rattle at all, doesn't rub the tire, and is impervious to dirt (and this has to be the dirtiest place on a bicycle).

I believe it's possible to make the appropriate spring steel by bending a piece of wire to the right shape and then tempering it to make it into a spring, but I'm not clear on the details.

If you don't know what an RSW-16 was, here's a photo:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/images/67-rsw-page.jpg

Hi,

Shipping was 25.90 Euros for the wheel and 17.90 Euros combining shipping for both lights, but i live in Europe, in a place called Galicia at the northwest of Spain, so i don't know about shipping overseas.

The rim arrived damaged during shipping (i saw the damage in the box) but nothing serious if you're going to use it with a disc brake, and today the seller wrote me saying that they're talking to the shipping company to send me a new wheel... that's a great service i think.

I would email them asking for a shipping quote.

Coque.

(this may have been mentioned already)

Some fenders have a metal strip built-in for "wiring" to a fender-mounted taillight. You'd connect the wires from the front light to the strip at the end of the fender by the bottom bracket, then attach the wiring from the taillight to the strip underneath.

With me and my rack-mounted light, I ran a wire pair (the shop cut it for me, and it was the right length) from the headlight, down the downtube, along the left chainstay, up a rack tube, and back to the taillight. Zip-tied it down at each corner, and it seems to be pretty solid. I haven't had to touch any part of the lighting system since then.

That built in metal strip sounds like the perfect method. Somebody mentioned that his Esge fenders have them- I looked on my SKSs and it doesn`t look like they still do that. I think I`m going to try the tubing idea. It really had occurred to me before I posted to run them inside, glued in with silicon caulking, but I smeared a bit under my fender to see how well it stuck and I wasn`t satisfied. Semi stiff tubing would make it feasible to "staple" it in two or three spots without worrying about it dragging on the tire.

you can use sand paper, something around 200~400grit to roughen up the surface to allow adhesives to adhere better.

plastic is better off with 400 grit since anything lower really eats away too much plastic.

... The wires run inside (under) the fenders; ... the rear one is long and ... goes through a light vinyl tube with a piece of wire spring steel hooked to the underside of the fender at front and back, so the whole thing is pressed tightly up into the inside of the fender. ...
I believe it's possible to make the appropriate spring steel ....

I just did this on my new folding bike, an awesomely cheap Chinese one I got on ebay. It has full fenders and a rather attractive "reflector" attached to the rear one. Oddly the "reflector" didn't actually reflect worth a damn, but I successfully converted it to a tail light. I ran the wire under the fender as described above. I found the piece of spring steel I needed in an old tire (the wire bead is, wouldn't you know it, spring steel!). It will break of you bend it around much, but you only have to bend it enough to put an eyelet into each end, which I did pretty easily.

Here's how it looks:http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3495/3274430570_169699d1b2_o.jpg

I found the piece of spring steel I needed in an old tire (the wire bead is, wouldn't you know it, spring steel!). It will break of you bend it around much, but you only have to bend it enough to put an eyelet into each end, which I did pretty easily.

That's a combination of "Eureka!" and "duh..." moments. ;) I would've never thought to harvest a wire from an old tire bead. Got any pics of inside the fender, too?

That's a combination of "Eureka!" and "duh..." moments. ;) I would've never thought to harvest a wire from an old tire bead. Got any pics of inside the fender, too?

So sorry, I didn't! I was trying to get the dirty bike project out of the kitchen before my wife got home....

I'll be taking it apart again within the week; I'm replacing the wheels. I'll try to remember proper documentation then.

I am in the midst of building up a dedicated commuter bike. I have the Schmidt Dynohub and the Supernova E3 headlamp with the tail light. I am wondering about routing the wire to the tail light and have been considering the following:

My frame will be a traditional lugged steel frame, if I drill a small hole in the side of the steerer tube, then route a wire up into the steerer tube, through this hole, give it plenty of slack (couple of loose turns around the steerer) and then run in down the inside of the down tube, and up the seat tube and then out the top of the seatpost - does anybody see any problems with this? Has anybody in here routed wires inside the frame?

Mark

If you could pull it off, that sure would be nice. You lost me on the first part- you want to go through a hole in the side of the steerer? You mean drill a hole through your headtube and steerer? I`m sure you mean something else, but I can`t figure it out. Then through the headtube and into the downtube? If you somehow managed to drill little precisely located holes in each of them, wouldn`t you shear off the wire the first time you turned the bars? Again, I think you probably have something else in mind, but I`m not picturing it very well. People do route internal wiring on some frames- I`ve seen mention of it, but I don`t know how much of it is internal and where they go in or out of the tubuing.

If you could pull it off, that sure would be nice. You lost me on the first part- you want to go through a hole in the side of the steerer? You mean drill a hole through your headtube and steerer? I`m sure you mean something else, but I can`t figure it out. Then through the headtube and into the downtube? If you somehow managed to drill little precisely located holes in each of them, wouldn`t you shear off the wire the first time you turned the bars? Again, I think you probably have something else in mind, but I`m not picturing it very well. People do route internal wiring on some frames- I`ve seen mention of it, but I don`t know how much of it is internal and where they go in or out of the tubuing.

He asked the question in another thread, and the response so far is highly skeptical. I'm similarly skeptical.

The idea would be to run the wire up into the underside of the fork crown and into the steerer tube, then out the side of the steerer -- still inside the headtube -- and through a hole in the headtube directly into the inside of the downtube.

The problems are the quite snug clearance between the steerer tube and the inside walls of the headtube and the possibility of weakening the steerer and head tubes by drilling.

I wouldn't do it.