Originally Posted by
abshipp
WalksOn2Wheels didn't I see that you have a Shutter Precision Dynamo hub on your Crockett?
I'm looking into building a new wheelset for my Trek and am considering a dynamo hub. How long have you had it and how do you like it? Any issues?
Yes. I will say that while I have had it a while, it has not seen major miles or much inclement weather. People have run them on the Tour Divide before (2,700+ mile offroad event) and other ultra-distance events in all sorts of conditions and I haven't heard anything bad about them. They sort of sit in between the really cheap, heavy commuter based options from SRAM and Shimano for townie bikes and, from what I can still gather, the ultimate standard of SON Dynamo hubs from Germany. Because lights are required by law on bicycles in Germany, that's where most of the good lights and dynamos come from.
I like it because it is always there, I never need to hunt it down, I never need to charge it, it always works, etc. The reason I put it on that bike is because it was built as the do-everything/training bike. I have done many night rides with it paired to a German B&M light with an awesome beam pattern. I did a lot of night commuting at one point and HATED the anxiety that came from getting a low battery warning from my rechargeable headlight. For that reason alone, it's worth it to me. Never could get into the idea of the high end lights with a battery bag hanging off the frame somewhere.
As far as drag, it really is not a noticeable thing. Here's a good link:
https://www.cyclingabout.com/dynamo-...g-lab-testing/
I have one of the PV series and if you look at that chart, it's no more than a few watts at reasonable speeds. That's within the range that you would most likely be able to upgrade tires and it be a total wash. EDIT: that is a few watts with the light switched off. It is somewhere around 8 watts switched on. Definitely not nothing, but not like putting on a small brake or anything.