Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 12,727
Likes: 2,105
From: Madison, WI
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
Dynohub hubs are just as good as regular hubs. I have built up two new wheels with SP hubs, very happy with them, the oldest one was built in 2013. Use them just like any other wheel.
I do not feel any extra drag from using a dyno powered light or using a Sinewave Revolution charger. I think the USB Werk will draw about the same power as the Sinewave, you should feel no extra drag.
I rely on the dynohubs for touring mostly for battery charging. I ride at night so rarely on bike tours that I almost never use a headlamp on my bike on a tour. My expedition bike has S&S couplers and it has to be nearly disassembled and reassembled when I fly somewhere, I decided on my last tour to not even install a headlight on the bike. Instead carried a headlight in my handlebar bag that I could plug into my battery pack with a USB cable in case I needed it for a tunnel or trip to the pub, it attaches to the handlebar with an elastic band. I used my dynohub 100 percent for USB charging, not for lighting on my last tour.
On flat ground I get about 2 watts of power on average out of my Sinewave Revolution charger into my power bank, assuming some stop lights, etc. Where more ups and downs, the uphills produce a lot less power because of my slower speed, so likely less than 2 watts when touring in hilly areas. By being stingy with my power use, I can be self sufficient for power on a tour. But I go on multi-week tours. My battery pack is rated at 44 watt hours. My point is that to take my battery pack from empty to full would require 20 to 30 hours of rolling time. If you are sold on the dynohub, then get it, but do not think a few hours of rolling will charge up all of your devices, they do not put out that much power.
How long are your tours? If you are talking a week or less, I think you would be best off with some good battery powered lights, use AA or AAA batteries. Then if you find you need more batteries, every convenience store sells AA and AAA batteries. And a good sized battery pack to charge up a phone. And skip the dynohub upgrade.
I use Ikea Ladda white AA and AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries, the white ones cost more than the others that they sell but the white ones are better.
If you do get a dynohub, I am pretty happy with the B&M IQ-XS headlight, it is low budget from Bike24 but well built with a nice beam pattern. I have that on my rando bike.