not true ;)

anyway, like I always say, the North American market is tiny, and if Philips pulls out, that tells one something :)

their home entertainment electronics and Razor business is more lucrative..

and HVAC units :-/

It seems like most bike shops in the US don't really deal with dynamos or dynamo lights. They tend to push battery lights, both largely USB rechargeable now, but some replaceable batteries typical at the lower end.

There are some bikes that come with dynamo lights stock sold in the US, but its the exception.

Do stores not generally deal with dynamo's because the consumer in the US doesn't want dynamo lights? Or do consumers not want dynamo's because stores push battery lights and they don't know otherwise?

I think part of it is that most bikes sold in the US are for recreation, not transportation or utility: roadbikes where people try to outspend others in the ridding group for the lightest bike, mountain bikes, and hybrid/town bikes used largely for recreation/exercise. These bikes are usually used in the day, so lights are an occasional after thought for most bikers in the US, hence and add-on they can buy and remove when they don't want them.

In some areas using bikes for transportation and utility is growing. Maybe more shops will start catering to these users and dynamo lights will start to grow in popularity, but for this to really happen more of this stuff would need to be in stock and standard on bikes. My guess is that this will not happen quickly so dynamo lighting will remain more niche in the US.

Phillips is one of the largest lighting manufacturers in the world and is well known for their industry leading ballasts and other lighting products. They also own one of the largest LED brands, Lumileds.

What is not true? That there is both a battery and dynamo version of the Saferide light? Or that one poster said that only the battery version was available in the US. I didn't say that it was only the battery version, someone else did. I really don't know.

I do know there was a battery version and you could buy it in the US, at least until recently.

I actually had heard philips was killing the saferide light entirely, not just pulling out of the US. Maybe this isn't true, but if it is then they are pulling out of every market for that product, not just US. This sort of killing of products entirely or in markets is very common for a company the size of Philips. I can't imagine it was a big money maker for them.

The USA is behind when it comes to city bikes, so what else is new? Dyno hubs will be big in the USA when electric shifting takes over. The idea of riding a bike that isn't a goofy 15lb dropbar doesn't make sense to the high end market, 99% of bike shops couldn't care less about the commuter market.

upgrading ... not killing ;)

the dynamo is always "accessible" in the NA market, whether or not it's "officially" for sale is irrelevant.

LOL, just keep making it up as you go along, it sounds great, as if you actually have a clue....

Believe me, I know.

Nope.

The NA bike market will always be behind/different than the rest of the globe.

I assume it will always be like the NA auto market (different/minor).

I assume you noticed that I mention they make both a dynamo and battery powered version.

So I'm curious - what point do you think they're missing here in the US? There's a few of reasons why a battery power version is useful:
1. Smaller upfront cost - d. Dynamo wheels in the US cost $135, $220, or $400 depending on the model and wheel. Obviously a $120-$150 light is cheaper than the wheel + the $110 for the dynamo light itself.
2. If you own and ride multiple bikes the cost is exponentially less.
3. Easier to resell a battery light if you end up realizing it's not for you (shipping costs are much lower than shipping a whole wheel)
4. If you own a race bike, it's unlikely you want to put a relatively heavy dynamo hub and wheel, along with some very slight drag on it. For most bikes it's a non-issue, but if you spend thousands of dollars to drop weight it's not something you'd want to do. A battery light works better as you can remove it for racing/day training.

I mean - I agree that the US is behind in even hearing that dynamo light has gone from being silly (with tungsten lights) to useful (with LED lighting). I've heard that supposedly dynamo stuff is much much cheaper is Europe. But I think there will always be some reasons to have battery lights...

Same things that North America is always missing...

quality-of-life...

why save a few $ when you can reduce stress when the bicycle is the primary means of transport.

this can be extended to work:life balance, healthcare, childcare, free tuition, etc...

the North American market distills everything to a finite amount of $ ... in that regard it's just like China, but with a different baseline.

edit: your prices are way too high, I can easily beat those prices shipped to your door.

Earlier today I was telling one of the battery-light fanboys that I thought he was full of it, now I'm telling a dynamo-fanboy he's full of it. I guess it's been a balanced day...

http://www.bikeforums.net/electronic...ight-gone.html

Wow, hostile group today. I said I heard, not I know...actually read in in these forums at some point, but didn't pay to much attention to it at the time. I even said it may not be true, as I realize half of what I read in these forums is likely not true. Looks like it still being sold in the US too, at least the battery version, not sure if its a new model or the same.

Edit: Thanks to PaulRivers, you can see I don't just make this stuff up as I go, I read it here.
http://www.bikeforums.net/electronic...ight-gone.html

lol ... rename and release in 12-18 months ... feel free to quote me.

I don't think battery vs dynamo lighting is going to change that. :P

Ok, I'll bite, how would I do that? I'm curious...

dynamos hubs run around $30 shipped to the US ... wheels from around $100 ... would you like links?

Nope? nope to what?

I think for the most part I actually AGREE with you, the NA/US market is unique, and dynamo lights will probably never be a big mainstream item here. I am not saying I like that, but thats how it is.

I question if its accurate to describe the NA auto market as minor, as auto companies create a ton of special vehicles to chase this market you call "minor". I would guess that most people in the US own cars, spend a lot of money on cars, and buy new cars more frequently then many other parts of the world. Probably all good reasons so many auto makers spend a lot on the NA market.

Honestly have no idea how the US bike market is compared to other countries, but it seems like bikes are generally not considered a primary form of transit and to many bikes are a form of recreation.

That's the definition of minor, or?

I just don't understand how you can call the US auto market minor, and not have any facts to back that up.

Check out this article
Global auto sales hit record high of 82.8 million

Some quick excerpts:
The firm tallied year-end sales numbers from around the world and came up with a total of 82.84 million vehicles, a 4.2% increase compared to 2012
...
Sales growth in China and the United States – the world's two largest auto markets – underlies the record surge in new cars and trucks.
...
In the U.S., 2013 auto sales climbed 7.6% to 15.6 million



So you consider 15.6 million out 82.8 million to be minor? I am guessing its a good % of money too.

I see that this conversation is becoming prototypically American ... as in if I call a market "minor" based on your definition, you're insulted.

You claimed special "cars" for your market.

Now, you're showing the entire market.

Logically fallacy.

Distill all of the Honda Accords, Toyota Camrys/Crowns/Corollas out of those numbers ...

then get back to me with the "special vehicles to chase this market you call 'minor'?"

then we can discuss like adults :)

Yeah, definitely!

Fahrrad Nabendynamo schwarz DH-3N20: Amazon.de: Sport & Freizeit

ships to the US -19% VAT (so roughly 30 USD)

full wheels:

559:

Bike24 - Shimano-DT Swiss MTB 26" Vorderrad DH-3D32 Nabendynamo 6-Loch QR - 466d Disc - schwarz

in english, because i'm nice

Bike24 - Shimano-Mach1 Trekking Front Wheel DH-3D32 Hub Dynamo 6-Hole QR - Neo Disc Black Patch - black

Thanks for the links, but - according to that last link, that last wheel would cost $147.61 when shipped and converted to US dollars. That's cheaper for a Shimano hub, but more expensive than the cheapest option I mentioned above....