tjspiel

The post I responded to implied that the cost of eliminating the hassles of battery lights is a mere $200 so why doesn't everyone do it? Well, one reason is that it's $200 per bike. Of course you don't have to outfit every bike equally, but if you don't you still have the hassles of battery lights (which really aren't that bad).

For me, the one bike that would get the dynamo is the winter bike which I use almost exclusively 4 months of the year, but hardly at all outside of that. So that leaves 8 months of riding bikes with battery lights even after my $200 investment.

But charging USB lights is pretty far down on the list of winter riding hassles which is one reason I haven't made that investment yet. I suspect I will though at some point.

RubeRad

especially as outside of winter, there is more daylight and less need for light.

kickstart

Full time DRL without running time limitation or charging.

noglider 

The degree of "hassle" is in direct proportion to how much I ride the bike in the dark, i.e. not much.

If you like the light that comes out of a dynamo powered headlight, you'll be elated with the power system.

jfowler85

Then I completely missed the irony/flippancy there.

rekmeyata

If you get the lowest costing dyno hub system it may cost you $200 to $240 but what do you get for that money? A light to be seen and not a light to see with, a cheap Sanyo dyno hub, and a cheap rim with cheap spokes. But to get a light that is as good as my battery powered Philips Saferide light that cost only $130 you have to go and buy a Supernova E3 Triple which cost $350 by itself! Then add on top of that a half way decent dyno hub like the Shimano DH-3N70 which will cost about $150, and a half way decent rim and you could easily be out $700 to $800 total.

Sure you can get a $200 to $240 dollar setup but in a very short while you'll wish you hadn't and then be forced to either spend the $700 or so you should have sent originally or be adding on a really nice battery light that you can see the road with very well by itself, which you could have done all along without spending for the dyno system. It all boils down to how much money you want to put into your lighting system, and a dyno system will cost significantly more to achieve the same effect as a much lower price battery system.

InTheRain

My "cheap" Dynohub system cost about $250 ($99 wheel/hub, $104 B & M Lumotec IQ Premium Cyo headligth, $45 B&M toplight rack mounted tail light.) It's has been flawless for 4+ years. It provides plenty of light for commuting. My Light and Motion Urban 800 battery light puts out more light but it "spills" all over the trail. That's fine, except if a someone is riding toward me. At 800 lumens they will be "blinded" by the bright light from a few hundred yards away. As a courtesy, when I see a rider approaching (with their light blinding me) I pivot my light to the right so it no longer is shining forward and into the eyes of an oncoming rider. However, if it were my only light, I wouldn't have any light on the trail/road ahead of me. The dynamo powered light focuses the light low on the roadway and not into the eyes of oncoming riders.

The dynamo light is enough for most of the commute (especially if I don't exceed 15 mph.) The battery light is mounted on my helmet. It's main purpose is to let vehicles know that I am there at intersections/crosswalks/roundabouts.

I've been very happy with my "cheap", low quality, dynamo hub system.

noglider 

@rekmeyata, I think you've overlooked a lot to arrive at your conclusions. I've posted my blog article many times. I've been happy with my setup for two and a half years, despite the fact that you think I couldn't be. It cost me $160, and I now see the point of spending more, though I'm so happy that I don't plan to change a thing.

Also, since different people have different criteria, there is no apples to apples comparison. Some people put a lot of weight on not having to worry about batteries, and some don't. Some people demand a certain minimum amount of light, and some people's minima are lower. Battery systems definitely offer more lumens per dollar, but that doesn't mean they are best for everyone. My Volpe's dynamo system is the only one I haven't messed with and tried to improve, and I have about eight other bikes.

kickstart

My backup commuter has a B&M Cyo preimum plus headlight, a B&M Secula tail light, and a Sanyo roller dyno. It's an excellent setup and the headlight produces as much useable light as a 400 lumen Cateye, with less glare. Purchased from Holland, they're right around $150 with shipping.

My most expensive light is a battery light.

CrankyOne

I think it depends on the dynamo and how well it's set up. I'm using only Nordlicht now which is a bit better than the AXA's I had before. Getting them laying against the sidewall properly and with just enough pressure to not slip helps a lot as well. I've thought I noticed drag but all of the power meter testing I've done says otherwise. At best maybe a 5w-7w difference.

You may well be going faster than me too. Including stops which are few I average about 5 mins / mile so I'd guess maybe 13-15 mph when moving on flat bikeway. I'm also riding a 40lb Dutch Opafiets so the relative difference may be less to and I might notice it more on a 15lb cf road bike.

@noglider and @tjspiel, I have a couple of battery lights I use on my road bikes for training rides though I more and more strongly prefer not to be on the roads after dusk.

CrankyOne

For a point of reference, A Dutch city bike with a Shimano hub dynamo and B&M front and rear lights is about $780. And that comes with a frame, rims, spokes, tyres, chain, IGH, seat, handlebars, ring lock, rack, roller brakes, fenders, spats, and chain guard attached. Oh, and a bell. WorkCycles Omafiets (Dutch Granny Bike)

CrankyOne

Here's an pretty good article on dynamo's and setting up a bottle dynamo. www.DutchBikeBits.com: Selecting and installing dynamo lighting

For radial alignment of a bottle dynamo I have a piece of string with a washer on the end that fits over the axle nut. You could also probably just tie a large loop in the end of the string.

PaulRivers

I don't feel like investing the time into breaking it down, but $350 is with B&M's top dynamo light and a good Shimano dynamo hub. You'd really have to stretch to spend $700-$800, buying only premium highest prices "luxury" stuff. $350 worth of lights is what I have on my own bike.

noglider 

@CrankyOne, that's a really good article. Thanks for the citation.

rekmeyata

Wait, you said in this post that you see the point of spending more...but you're happy with what you have. I think that's an odd statement, kind of like saying I bought a Yugo which I'm happy with but I see the point that I should have spent more.

So now the question to you is how much more should you have spent?

noglider 

Not so odd. I like my system. I understand why others spend more. Maybe I will next time.

rekmeyata

Right, but as you and I both know a bike builder can get parts for less than we can, proof in point is that you can get an all Dura Ace equipped carbon fiber bike for $2200, yet the groupset cost about $1,730 without the rims, spokes, tyres, chain, IGH, seat, handlebars, ring lock, rack, roller brakes, fenders, spats, and chain guard attached. Oh, and a bell or the frame and fork. So your point is not made.

Go to Peter Whites web site, the prices I mentioned were from his site, not made up prices.

alan s 

You have to understand the mindset. It's kind of like buying a Prius, where you pay a premium for an inferior product because you think you are saving the planet. Not sure what it is in the case of dyno lights, but I'm sure it's there. It may be that you are using a tiny bit of energy to charge light batteries, when you should be self sufficient. Who knows, but it's almost a religious fervency to some.

PaulRivers

I've seen zealots on both sides, but there's a heck of a lot of battery light zealots every time one of these threads comes up.

It's more like buying a Toyota rather than an American car, a decade ago. A Toyota Camry wasn't exciting, and it was more expensive than an american, but it was very reliable. It just worked.

I don't know why there's so many battery light fans so threatened all the time - it's just a light. I have both. Battery and dynamo lights have different advantages and disadvantages. Both use the same led's to put light on the road. It's like debating whether yoga or pilates is better, or a full body program is better than a split. Or Perkins vs Denny's. Etc etc.

My bike is great, and my car is great. Some of my battery lights are great, some of my dynamo lights are great. The need to try to battle it out to only 1 winning always shows up and gets more and more absurd.

PaulRivers

Hahaha, sometimes you just can't win.

kickstart

Shimano dynohub $45 Home / Bicycle Wheels / Front Hub / Dynamo Hub / Shimano Hub Dynamo Qr 6V /2.4 W 36 Hole
Busch & Muller Luxos U $117 Home / Bicycle Lights / Busch&Müller Bicycle Lights / Busch&Müller Headlamp Dynamo Hub / Busch & Müller Headlight Lumotec Luxos U Auto Sensor
Busch & Muller Toplite plus $25 Home / Bicycle Lights / Busch&Müller Bicycle Lights / Busch&Müller Rear Light / Busch&Muller Toplight Led Line Plus

$187 + $38 shipping, for some of the best dyno lights available, and as good a dyno as anyone needs.

Wanna save a little money?
Supernova E3 $103 https://en.hollandbikeshop.com/bicycl...hbm-led-black/

kickstart

As someone who uses both, and as you know recently purchased a top of the line battery headlight. The primary attraction of a dyno light system is its always there, providing light day and night, no matter how many hours, days, weeks, months, or years one rides without additional effort other than......riding.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's no "perfect" light, and there's no law that says one can't use both systems.

CompleteStreets

You can get almost the exact same bike for about the same price here in the US. It's called the Breezer Uptown 8. Only difference is it comes with V-brakes instead of roller brakes.

kickstart

"Almost the exact same bike"....except....geometry, frame material, wheel size, brakes, ride position, weight, rack capacity, an many other details.

unterhausen

I like having both, especially when some ******* doesn't dim his headlights, Boom! Battery light on high! Then if he does dim, hand over light, done. Also like having the battery light for a road with a lot of potholes. It's not like a second dyno light is a good backup in case the first dyno light goes out for some reason.

I don't bother on my commuter. Say what you want about how easy it is to charge batteries, but it's a lot easier to get on your bike and ride away with your dyno lights.

Jamis(?) had a bike with fenders, rack and dynohub a while back, 2011 maybe? I know this, because I saw it in a shop, then I checked up on it online. It turned out to be a few years old and nobody had bought it. Not really a standard Dutch commuter, probably weighed 10 pounds less. I bet it's still there.