Does anyone know why Jamis got rid of generator hubs on their Commuter series bikes? It looks like 2011 was the last year that they included a front generator hub and light. I find the Commuter 3 to be perfect for what I'm looking to ride, but it's disappointing to see they did away with a nice amenity.

I don't know the answer to your question but it prompted another question in my mind.

What are your thoughts on the slidepad braking system on their commuters? I met those guys at Interbike and their system is really cool and it really works.

I'm guessing that their market study said they would make more money by not including it in their line up.

Cost? That would be my guess. The current Marin Pt Reyes are way down in spec compared to my '04. It's pretty common for manufacturers to lower the specs on their bikes to try to keep the costs down.

Never heard of this,so I Googled it. It's a linked braked system,something like what they've been doing on motorcycles for decades(Guzzi had it in the '70's). Like moto systems,it looks like it's ok for beginners,but experienced riders will still do better with traditional setups. Note,in the video where the two riders stop side-by-side and the one endos,the endoing rider shifts his weight forward(watch the slow-mo). If he had shifted his weight back,like you're supposed to,he would've been fine. So this system isn't magic. Also,you now have a single point of failure for both brakes. I had a brake lever get trashed locking up to a rack once,and had to ride home with only one functioning brake. With the Slidepad system,I would've been hosed.

My guess would be cost considerations as well. At least Breezer still offers dyno light set-ups on about half of their 'Transportation' model line-ups.

The shop I wrenched at was a Jamis dealer and I've never met a single customer who was interested in a bike with dyno hubs no matter how much I pointed them out. We also had some nice Breezers with dyno hubs that just sat collecting dust.