Today, it's still cheaper to buy a $30-$50 dual xml2 china light than spend $200+ on a dynamo setup.


Peterwhitecycles doesn't list the efficiency of shimano hubs because he wants to sell schmidts. I had the disc version of the 3N70 (3D70) for 7 years, it died due to freezing weather, it had a good run. The newer shutters, deore lx, and deore xt dynamo hubs I'm using are lighter and more efficient.

Supernova is a rebadged Shutter precision with a different shell, they are online only. Shutter precision is online only, no distribution in the us. Great hubs, highly recommended over Schmidt SONs, uses the same connectors as Shimano (the shape is different but the entry snaps in just the same).

Novatec dynamo hub. Novatec makes quality lightweight sealed bearing road hubs (have one), but their dynamo seems to be on par with the Sanyo, haven't tried it.

Actually, even cheaper - for $16 you can buy a cheap light on amazon right now. Claims 1200 lumens, probably realistically more like 600 lumens. Which is still 3 times the lumen output of my first good bike light.

The thing is - I've 4 Dinnotte lights and 2 Light and Motion lights. They range from $100 to...I don't recall exactly, $400? $600? The problem is - the beam patterns are usually "sufficient" for riding at night. But for actually being able to see? My Cyo (my dynamo light) is about tied for the #1 spot vs using both my Light and Motion lights - the Seca 900 on high, and the Seca 1400 on medium at the same time. They both have their ups and downs - the Seca combination will blind anyone coming towards you. That's 1600 lumens, 750 of which is with a specifically wide angle lens. The Cyo on the other hand, specifically doesn't blind anyone - including pedestrians and other bikers on the MUP I ride. It doesn't affect my night vision (I ride in a city, the trail is unlit but you get ambient lighting), so my eyes still see more - something no other regular beam light does.

For $130-$140, you can get a battery version of the Cyo Premium, same shaped beam but no additional dynamo cost required.

I have no interest in claiming that the dynamo or battery lights are superior to one another - they both have their advantages and disadvantages. Cheap china lights are undoubtedly cheaper at $16-$50. They're also less reliable, there's a little more worry about the battery overheating while charging because it's so cheap, they don't seem to be waterproof, they're more likely to break, etc.

For around $100 you can get a well made, waterproof, american light with a decent beam pattern - still cheaper than the dynamo.

With the dynamo, you get a worry-free light. It's never accidentally left at home when you needed it (happened to me). You never forget to charge the battery (happened to me). You never charge the battery last week, but the light drains it even though it's off because you didn't realize you had to disconnect it (happened to me). You never have your lights shut off in the middle of the ride because your batteries got old and don't hold much of a charge, without warning, leaving you in the middle of an unlit bike path (happened to me - luckily the moon was out). It's totally waterproof. You battery life doesn't go down when it's cold outside, or go into low power mode because it's cold. And of course - you never just plain end up on a ride that's longer than your battery life.

And of course if you're touring, you may not have the possibility of recharging light batteries at all, and a dynamo lets you charge other small items like a phone.

They both have their advantages and disadvantages. Niterider sells a $560 mountain bike light. Light and Motion sells a $500 battery light. I see full carbon bikes all the time, and those start at $2,000. It's like iPhone vs Android - there's plenty of reasons to go with one or the other, neither is the "winner" or has a clear consistent advantage.

...I want to be very sarcastic, but when I write it out it sounds way harsher than I mean it. Go read the page, and you'll find that's not true - at all.

I use both systems extensively, you said many things that have been said before and doesn't need repeating, you are also overexaggerating the benefits of dynamo system greatly.

You're the same guy who said Peter White doesn't list the efficiencies of Shimano hubs on his page because he wants to sell SON hubs, in reference to me posting a direct link to his site where he directly listed out the efficiencies of the Shimano hub - right?

[PEDANT MODE]What's the difference between exaggeration and overexaggeration?[/PEDANT MODE] ;)

None really. To quote Urban Dictionary...

Only idiots say overexaggerate :lol:

Wow, thanks for posting that. I looked at the direct order site, it looked like you could order but they only took a foreign currency (which paypal would convert for you). The site was kind of confusing, and they listed a lot of dynamo hubs.

The second set of links was definitely better...wish there was more info out there on them. All dynamo hubs put out the same amount of power - the differences are in efficiency (which is for a very small load to being with anyways, etc.

Intelligent Design site is really cool. The guy from the site is really helpful and responsive on e-mail.

I purchased the Herrmans H-Track tail light and the Herrmans H-One S head light from them for my first dynamo set up (the result of my original post)

Herrmans H-Track - Herrmans - Dynamo Taillamps | Intelligentdesigncycles
Herrmans H-One S - Herrmans - Dynamo Headlamps | Intelligentdesigncycles

While I don't have any other dynamo lighting experience - I have used a decent amount of headlights and tail lights over the past few years - and both of these are VERY bright. This video I made shows it somewhat - but I feel very confident riding with these in the dark. (The blinking light is not one of the dynamo lights)

This isn't entirely accurate, though 6v 3w has been the standard for a long time. Though most dynamos are designed to output 6v 3w, wheel size is a factor. With Schmidt, for instance the Son 28 is rated 6v 3w on a 700c wheel at a given speed, whereas the SonDelux is designed to output the same at near the same speed on a 20" wheel. This means that the SonDelux produces less output at the same RPM. Peter White has a discussion about this in the SonDelux section on his website. Similarly, with the Shutter Precision hubs 8 series, the P model hubs output more than the S models on the same size rim. I believe its 3w for the P models and 2.4w for the S on a 700c wheel. Also, there is a Shimano 1.5 watt hub out there. I don't doubt there are other non-standard designs out there as well.

Technically that's true, but my point was about dynamos with the standard and common design. Sometimes people think that a better quality dynamo will get them light or something, and that's not how it works. Pretty much all (I'm sure there's an exception somewhere) of the dynamo lights assume a 6v 3w hub.

Sorry I missed your point, Paul. It is a valid one.

That's not correct. While most hubs are rated at 3W, in real life you can get lots more out of Shimano, SP and SON hubs. I've pulled 12W out of a Shimano 3D-71. Some LED lights take advantage of that such as the SuperNova triple. It will not run off of an Sturmey 3W hub, needs Shimano, SP or SON to operate. When I looked at SafeRide my first question was will it run off of a Sturmey 3W dyno.

BTW, there is an even wimpier Sturmey dyno, 2.4W. Be careful when purchasing discount Sturmey dynos, some of the 'bay offerings have been the 2.4W version. The very old steel Sturmey dyno hub is only good for ~1.8W.

Here's a website with good info on how extra power is pulled from the better dynos:
Dynamo LED Light Systems for Bicycles (electronic circuits)

I bought off the 'bay from the Intelligent Design guy and it included the adapter. There's also a ebay seller that makes an adapter:
Headset Tools, Wheel Adapters items in mtbtools store on eBay!

Cool, that's totally fine, I just didn't want the idea to degenerate into a bunch of niche and edge points. For most people thinking about getting a dynamo, they all put out the same amount of power, you don't have to worry you'll get a less expensive unit and your light won't be as bright or something - they all power the lights the same.

Technically, there are other dymamos out there somewhere that put out different amounts of power - don't buy them. :-)

That's not correct.