Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Generator Hubs

I have NO experience with them. Are they hard to pedal when engaged? Do they provide about the same as the bottle generators? I see they are more expensive than bottle generators, are they really worth the extra money? Because I see pictures from other countrys where it would be impossible to swing a dead cat without striking a cycle with a bottle generator.

In my mind, I'm seeing a bottle gen front/rear light as a secondary system. I have a Planet Flash Super Blinkie for the rear on order, and am looking into a battery driven front light in the $40-60 range. This will be my primary light source.

Opinions?

if you get a dynamo hub you will never need to use batteries again. modern dynohubs like the top end shimano and especially the SON by schmidt offer very low resistance, are designed for competition and are about 90% efficient, I believe. You will deff. not feel the generator engage/disengage.
paired with front and rear LED systems they will offer you all the light you need reliably and forever, as they are pretty bombproof, simple to service, and modern LED systems will run on them for 100,000+ miles.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=510817

I have one on my go-fast bike, and I still out-coast people. I had it on my commuter. It's really nice not to have to worry about lights. All the bottle dynos I have used make noise, but I haven't used one for a long time.

How much money is the battery light + bottle generator going to cost you do you think?

You asked for thoughts, I think you have it backwards. A $50 battery light is going to put out pathetic amount of light. They're only good for 2 things:
1. An emergency light because you don't normally ride in the dark but you want something just in case you get caught out in the dark.
2. A "be seen" light so other people can see you - perhaps everywhere you bike is so well lit you don't even need a light.

Modern dynamo lights put out an amazing amount of light, especially compared to the ones of old. I recently bought one, and if you ponied up the money for the hub and a decent dynamo light that can easily be your only light. I didn't believe it either at first, but I now own one - it's really something. Take a look at these camera shots from the Peter White site:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/headlights.asp

Lumotec Cyo (the best value for your buck that's bright enough to be your only light):
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/images/products/Lights/B&MCYO1.jpg

The Supernova E3 Asymetrical (just another example):
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/images/products/Lights/supernovae3assym1.jpg


There are 3 different pieces of advice I would give you depending on your situation (which I don't know):
1. You just need something to be seen by, in which case I'd just get one or two cheap battery lights (though I've always wanted lights, personally).
2. You need something to see by, in which case I'd get a "real" bike light - $100-$130 bike lights put out waaaaaaay more light (enough to actually bike by) than a $50 light. The downside is the need to charge them after 2 hours of riding, so you pretty much charge them every ride. Suggestions include the Dinotte 200L, or I've always liked the looks of the Busch and Mueller Ixon IQ. Both in the $100-$130 range (including batteries and charger).
3. Forget completely about the $50 battery light and buy a generator hub and a good dynamo light (like the Lumotec Cyo). You can buy a new wheel with a Shimano hub for about $200, and a Lumotec Cyo for $100. If you're a wheelbuilder (I'm not) just the hub is $120. It's certainly relatively expensive, but you get a system that puts out enough light to bike at, even at normal speeds and never needs to be charged.

I guess you could go with the bottle generator + battery backup light - the 6 volt sidewall generator costs $50 (on the Peter White site) vs the $200 wheel with the dynamo built in. But I think you need to buy more than just the generator - I think you need the roller thingy (and they wear out after a while, according to the peter white sight) plus some wiring. You also might need to buy a new front tire as I've seen tires that have a specific sidewall dynamo strip. Personally, I think that the sidewall dynamo would require a backup light (they're more fragile) while the hub dynamo would not (no moving parts, no worries about not working in the rain with a wet tire), so it's $100 difference.

I believe that in Germany bike lights and dynamos are legally required on new bikes, which is why you see so many in pictures - the sidewall dynamos are cheaper, so cheaper bikes use a cheaper dynamo.

Here's what I know about how generator hubs are better than sidewall dynamo's:
1. I've heard that sidewall dynamos generate noticeable drag, while hub dynamos do not (on longer trips I wonder if there's extra drag from the dynamo, but I cannot actually tell whether it's on or off while pedalling with my hub dynamo).
2. Sidewall dynamos can have issues with slipping on the tire when the tire gets wet - hub dynamo's do not. They don't have any problems with snow or ice either.
3. Sidewall dynamos take up a water bottle cage (I think).
4. Hub dynamos get locked up with your front wheel, it's more work to try to secure the bottle/sidewall dynamos.
5. Sidewall dynamos need adjustment to keep them in contact with the tire if you're taking your front wheel on and off.

I don't know, in addition to lower drag, hub dynamos just seemed more maintenance free. Plus...well, the drag is always a big thing for me. :-)

Just get a dynohub. If I had one at the beginning, I wouldn't have futzed around with so many battery lights and saved a crapload of money (probably enough to buy a whole 'nother bike).

Dynohub + good LED front light w/ standlight + good LED rear light w/ standlight = worry-free, maintenance-free, pick-up-and-go, why-didn't-I-do-this-before lighting system.

I don't notice any more drag with my Shimano dynohub than when I hit a light breeze. In fact, if it weren't for the lights' output, I can't tell when I have the lights turned on unless I look at the switch. I want to get one for my road bike.

What I have now:
Shimano hub
B&M D-Lumotec Oval Senso Plus (http://bumm.de/index-e.html?docu/171y-e.htm)
B&M Selectra Plus (http://bumm.de/index-e.html?docu/320e.htm)

This setup is doing nicely on my city bike with its rear rack. I'd get the Supernova lights for my road bike.

...
3. Sidewall dynamos take up a water bottle cage (I think).
...

You have strange thoughts.

I'm running a Schmidt SON28SB dynohub (which means the black version, disc-brake compatible) on my Goat*, and it's been wonderful. Had it built into a wheel by Peter White. More info about the hub is here: http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/schmidt.asp

It's powering a Schmidt Edelux headlight and a B&M DToplight in the back, all available from Peter White. Works great. Will probably duplicate this setup for my Long Haul Trucker when I can scrape up the cash...

*Surly Big Dummy

Couple of photos...the Goat's third from the left in this shot:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3624/3564407817_1496219663_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3442/3364814712_39c96ba989_o.jpg

I've got two Schmidt dyno lights with halogen bulbs on two touring bikes. For 15mph riding in pitch dark it's not enough. Yes they're great, well made, always available and you can see with 3watts of light,,but it's 3watts of light. I'd like to try the best LED combo but haven't yet. You won't notice it when it's off and you do notice 3watts of drag but it's not objectionable. But it's $500 not $50.

Bottle generators are objectionable to me but if your budget is that cheap,,there's a reason bottle generators are so ubiquiteous. I believe they are required by law in some European countries.
For $40-$60 I'd look at 3watt LED flashlights, a holder and rechargable AA batteries.

LeeG:
I recommend you swap your E6's for just one edelux. You will become a believer.
I can cycle single tracks at top speed with my edelux, with 80-100 LUX/lumens of output, it is almost like a car light. In fact, when I ride behind my GF she keeps thinking I am a car trying to pass her!

I'm in the process of converting my cycles to dynohubs, having always used bottle or B/B dynamos in the past.

I've got 3 shimano dynohubs to fit, I just wondered if anyone had any idea if they are regulated at all ?

Do they have zener diodes inside them, or do they just rely on saturation to limit the power output ?

Cheers.

:)

I've got 3 shimano dynohubs to fit, I just wondered if anyone had any idea if they are regulated at all ?

Do they have zener diodes inside them, or do they just rely on saturation to limit the power output ?

I think they're self-regulating, but I'm really not sure. Peter White's page says that the headlights have circuitry to prevent overloading.