Finding a bike with generator hub
 

Hi!
I'm moving from Europe to Philadelphia for a year. Here at home, I'm commuting by bike. I have an all-year, all-weather bicycle at home, but it probably won't pay off to take it with me.

Especially the light is important for me, I prefer a generator hub with LED lights (front and back). Searching through the internet, it seems to be very very difficult to find such bikes in the US. I have no idea why. Here, you can buy such city bikes at every corner, reasonably priced. Also a good chain protection, a gear hub and hydraulic brakes would be nice. (The hydraulic brakes don't freeze so easily in cold winters.)

Can somebody recommend an (online) store where I can find such a bike? Hopefully for less than 1000$. At home, big sports shops usually also have a large collection of, often cheap, city bikes. One of these might be just fine for a year. I don't know if this is true for the US too, as city bikes with lights seem to be very uncommon.

Thank you in advance for tips!

Milan

Alas, there are uncommon here in the States. Cycling is primarily viewed as a 'sport' and the market is largely driven by people obsessed with performance= and sensible items are jettisoned in favor for weight savings. And those manufacturers that do offer up something like what you're wanting, often charge a premium...

ETA: In order to meet your budget, you'll probably have to make some compromises and add the dyno-wheel yourself.

anyone had any success at getting a bike shop to swap wheels? I'm pretty sure my bike shop would do it. I've been trying to talk them into stocking cheap dyno wheels, but having no success.

Mylan,
You might want to also consider where you will be living and riding in Philadelphia. Bike theft and vandalism can be a problem in some areas so a new $1000 bike make not be the best option to be parking outside.

One idea you could think about would be picking up something off craiglist when you get here and have a local shop install a dynohub or swap in a dynohub wheel. $150-200 should get you a very usable city bike and then add your hub and lighting. Might even luck out and score one already setup with a dyno. I just saw a local junk guy selling an english 3 speed with front dyno and front rear lighting and fenders. It needed some work but it was only $40. Another $150-200 and that bike would be great.

Start checking craiglist before you come then you'll have an idea on what's a good deal or not in the area. I can recommend some shops also if needed.

Breezer is a good match.

http://www.breezerbikes.com/bikes/transportation

One of these could work also then have a shop install your add ons.
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/city_bikes.htm

Breezer - 3 spd for $650. 8 spd could also be under $1k I don't know.

In the U.S. the preference seems to be for battery lights over dynamo lights. So not many shops stock dynamos and dynamo lights. The bikes that do come with dynamos are going to be higher end randenour bikes.

You'll probably have to get your bike and then get a wheel built with a dynamo hub.

Thank you all.

I would prefer a complete bike over upgrading one, as I will have little spare time to do it.

Breezer seems to be a good choice.

Milan

My wife has a breezer uptown w/ 8 spd and full chaincase (not partial) and she likes it a lot. Had to swap the bells, the one it came with kind of unwound its mechanism but otherwise it has stayed stock and steady for several years.

Raleigh Detour Deluxe. Internal geared rear hub and dynamo front.

Here in the US there is a chain of high quality sporting goods stores called REI - they carry bicycles, and one of the bikes that they offer under their own 'house' brand would probably fit your needs nicely: it's called the Novara Fusion.

Dynamo hub, disc brakes, fenders, rack, internally geared hub, and under $1000 (barely). They have a store near Philadelphia, so you could go there and try one out. They also have a very good warranty on their bikes. A friend who rides one of their bikes recently had an issue with a broken spoke on a wheel, and they replaced the wheel for him, with no wait at the shop.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=266453

Forget the dynamo and just buy a set of decent lights. Will cost less and work better. You can take them with you when you return home, and remove from the bike if parked outside or not needed during the months with longer days. Lots of rechargeable lights that put out a ton of light (even though light doesn't actually weigh much, if anything). Plenty of so called "city bikes" out there that would met your needs. However, as I would never actually ride one, can't really make any specific recommendations. Most decent size bike stores carry something that will meet your needs, such as REI.

Just in the last couple of years, various bike manufacturers have started addressing this market. Trek's Belleville and the REI Novara Fusion both have dynamo LED combinations.

You may be able to order the REI bike online. I'd suggest you go check it out at one of their stores near Philly, or phone around to the local bike shops (LBS) to see who has a Trek or something similar.

Unfortunately, you need to forget going to a "big sports shop" and getting a good bike. With the exception of REI, sports shops in the U.S. will have a few basketballs, footballs, and volleyballs; a huge selection of golf clubs; some clothes for people participating in sports; and half the store will be dedicated to branded shirts, jerseys, and caps for local pro and college teams. If they have any bicycles at all, they're probably cheap, poorly made, and limited selection of Bicycle Shaped Objects.

Here's another vote for the Novara fusion. (Although you might ask at the REI if they could put a dynamo hub and lights on a cheaper bike).

Trek Has the Belleville, but you buy them from dealers, not from the couch.

Spanninga lights are be seen not High Performance ride fast in the dark,
but can be upgraded..


Brompton only uses dynohubs in their B-Spoke spec list.. Shimano or Schmidt SON.

Folding bikes are good to have in small but expensive apartments.. 'park' under a table.

Might be easier just to install one. Let me know when you are in Philly and I can introduce you to a guy I just met in Philly that can help you.

Why you coming to Philly? Feel free to drop me an email at cyclesdalecyclist at gmail.com

There is another chain store like REI that bears mentioning- Sun & Ski. Maybe not on the exact same level, but totally doesn't deserve to be lumped together with the likes of Dick's, Academy, or Sports Authority. They do offer 'ship to home' option on some of their closeout models.

I bought a wheel with a Son hub generator from Peterwhitecycles.com
That, in addition to a supernova E3 triple. That was four years and nearly 20,000 miles ago.

Good luck.

Wow, thanks, again. I do have quite some options now and I think I will take my decission once I'm there.

While more expensive than I was planning, I like the Breezer Uptown Infinity. Not really the color, but I'm really curious about the Nuvinci N360 gear hub. I can't imagine how seamless shifting would feel. Besides, this gear hub seems to be very resistant, good for all year and all weather use. Let's see if I decide to spend so much.

where are you moving from and what brand of bike did you have before? reasonable city/trekking bikes are somewhat had to come by in the US for a reasonable price.

to be fair ... I assume that the OP is looking for something cheap like this...

an Alu city-bike with fenders/SRAM 7-speed IGH/dynamo/LED lights/rear rack/chain guard/crappy front suspension for less than 300€.

when one considers that 20% of that roughly 300€ is tax ... 240€ (less than 300USD) is a really good price for a bike for a year (and i've seen these last 5-10 years quite easily with zero maintenance except tube changes)

this is what one would chain up outside their flat and leave the subway...

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=267119

might be a reasonable thing , to get one of those bikes , there, since the marketplace in the US
is different, and the package of all that much less common.

Keep your Receipts , get them stamped at departure, and You may get the VAT refunded
as the bike becomes an exported product.

I got a wheel with gen hub pretty cheap off Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Redline-XCE500...ator+hub+wheel

You'll need rim tape, tube, tire, and lights

I was thinking that too.. shipping might be expensive but OP could still come out ahead cost wise and get what they're accustomed to riding. Or just ship their current bike.

I would be willing to bet that a short time on Craigslist at the end of the year would have a proper city bike sold to the right buyer in Philadelphia at little loss.