noglider 

My wife likes to ride bike but can't be bothered to think about bike maintenance, particularly keeping bike lights charged and attached. I realized dynamo lights would be best for her. I installed a new B&M Eyc headlight on her bike. To save money, I installed an old Sanyo under-BB dynamo which goes where a kickstand would normally be attached. I got it for $10 at a swap meet. I used a several-years-old Toplight taillight which I got from a BF member for $10. I paid a few bucks for the mount to attach the tail light to the rear rack, so I guess total cost of the system was around $80 plus my time. The time was actually considerable, as I had to solve a few problems of wiring and soldering, but now that it's on, it should work for years with little or no trouble. My wife has to remember how to engage and disengage the dynamo. She has trouble remembering stuff like this if she doesn't do it frequently, so I'll make sure she practices twice a year whether she needs the lights or not.

I'll post pictures in a couple of weeks. She's happy already.

The little Eyc is tiny. It's smaller than a baby's fist. My wife asked me if I had installed a headlight on her bike, because she didn't see it. But it puts out a lot of light. Plus she's a real greenie and likes to use fossil fuel and generate toxic waste as little as she can, so it's just her style.

pdlamb

Sounds like a great solution! I honestly hadn't looked at the Eyc, but it's more light for 1/3 the price I paid a few years ago. No senso function on the bottle dynamo, obviously, but if she's comfortable flicking it on or off, your wife is set.

(Mandatory curmudgeon-ism: so much for people who say a dyno light solution costs too much.)

noglider 

She may never ride the bike at night, but we want her to be ready for the occasion. The dynamo produces noticeable drag, which is the downside. It's not exhausting, but I wouldn't run the lights without needing them. I now have two bikes with dynamo hubs, and I run the lights all the time, since the drag is imperceptible, and having them on might enhance my safety.

83cannondale

In case anyone is looking for somewhat reasonably priced dynamo I just set up son 28 refurbished I got from Peter white cycles for $130. Seemed like a good deal.

zacster

I don't find the drag to be imperceptible from my hub. I can definitely feel the difference. It doesn't feel like I'm dragging 50 pounds of dead weight, more like a 2-5% increase in drag. I've found myself riding with the light on during the day and when I realize it and turn it off it definitely feels lighter and faster to pedal.

fietsbob

I had one of those BB generators in the 80's*, A toe touch to the lever releases it onto the tire , without stopping.

*got a British remanufactured version with a rubber strip around It. since the metal drum invariably slipped on a wet tire.

I think they were DC, (+ wire, frame ground) so may be incompatible with LED headlights
run from Hub Dynamos which now are AC.

[I did not have an Oscilloscope available to confirm AC] ( 1 hot+ wire and thru the frame cold- and ground is possible)

E Bike LED's I think leave out the rectifier chip, since they use the battery that powers the motor.

I ran Mine off Bulbs , Union Halogen 2.4w. regular tungsten 0.6w taillights .

noglider 

@zacster, you're riding a small-wheel bike, and that could explain why you feel the drag whereas I don't. I do feel vibration, and that might make someone interpret that as drag, though I'm not saying that's the case for you. Are you using a hub specifically designed for a small wheel?

@fietsbob, I don't know if it's supposed to work, but the BB generator does work well with the modern lights on my wife's bike. I suspect all bicycle dynamos put out AC, including the BB one.

twodownzero

Anyone have any similar suggestions for my touring bike? I have the Shimano dynamo front hub on it but I've never installed any lighting...yet.

Darth Lefty 

I just looked at building a "premium" dynamo wheel as a project - Alfine or LX dynamo, and A23 and CX-ray spokes - and it was too expensive, $300 for the parts. But Taylor in Germany will sell you a decent-enough dynamo wheel for quite cheap, mostly with Shimano 3N31 hubs. Some of them are listed <$40 sans tax and before shipping. I found a matched front dynamo / rear 8-speed set that was about $200 shipped. Tempting!

noglider 

You can get a dynamo wheel at a great price from an American outfit. I have an IDC Stout front wheel with Sanyo dynamo. I couldn't pass it up for $95. It's a 700c rim whose brand name I've forgotten. It's not top end stuff, but it works flawlessly for me. Their website currently doesn't list the front wheel alone, but they list a pair like you're looking at, also for $200. It seems totally worth it.

Listing

I normally prefer building my own wheels because I enjoy doing it, but this was too good to pass up.

I've also picked up sidewall dynamos from ebay for about $15. They are loud, and anyone can feel the drag, but for a bike you don't ride in the dark much, it's great. It weighs less than a hub dynamo and is easy to put on. It produces at least enough power, probably more than needed.

I have learned that there are low end battery lights, high end battery lights, low end dynamo lights, and high end dynamo lights. Each genre has its pluses and minuses. It just isn't true that you can't run dynamo lights economically. You definitely can, and I do it on various different bikes in various different ways.

bikemig 

I liked the sanyo under BB dynamo generator as well as the Union one that went on the seat stays. The only problem with the under the BB generator is that it can have issues in a heavy rain but a fender usu. fixes that problem.

I wish it were still made. It's a pain to have to build a front wheel with a generator hub. No doubt it's a better solution than the under the BB generator but at least that allowed you to retrofit an older bike without having to build a new front wheel.

noglider 

I think you can scarcely go wrong with a Busch & Müller headlight. The headlight is where you should spend the most money. The only problem is that there are SO MANY different models. It takes time to figure out which one is right for you. The model numbers add and subtract letters as you add and subtract features. Some have daylight sensors which turn the light off or down in daylight. I don't want that feature. All have the standlight feature, as far as I remember. You definitely want that. Whether or not you buy from them, check out xxcycle, as they seem to have every model ready to ship. Their prices are good, and shipping (from France) doesn't take too terribly long.

If you are going to use a rear rack, I'd say a B&M tail light is your best bet. Be sure to get the mounting bracket for it. See my article on how I connected mine onto my Bianchi Volpe. If you are not going to attach a tail light to your rack and figure you'll put it on your seat stay or rear fender, get the Spanninga Pixeo. It's a very elegant little light. It doesn't flash, though, and I think a flashing tail light is a good thing, so I normally run the dynamo tail light as well as a flashing battery light. Two or three tail lights can't hurt, and they don't take much energy from either a dynamo or a battery, so they're all convenient.

If you have any more questions, please come back here and ask. We can help you get it going, and once you do, you'll be really happy with what you have.

noglider 

My wife rarely rides her BB dynamo bike in the dark. In fact, I think her aim is never, but it's ready when she needs it. The chances of her riding at night in the rain are low. If that problem occurs, we will address it.

I got this one at a bike swap meet. You can probably find one there or from craigslist or ebay or one of those bike shops that hoard old bike parts, such as Via Bicycle in Philadelphia.

bikemig 

That's a great price on the whilst from IDC stout; that is a fine solution for a 700c commuter.

twodownzero

Thank you so much! I am going to install a rear rack and then focus on getting lights installed. I'm looking forward to it now that I know I don't have to spend $200.

noglider 

@twodownzero, let me reiterate, get the best headlight you can afford. A dynamo powered tail light is nice but you can use a battery powered one instead of that works for you. You don't have to recharge them often. I use a dynamo powered tail light (which is steady), a battery powered tail light (set to flash) and also a spoke light. It is an economical combination for rear and side visibility. I use only one headlight. I also use reflective bands on my ankles. The spoke light uses a watch battery which lasts for months.

Road Fan

I agree that the drag is perceptible, but it's considerably less than I have felt with bottle-equipped bikes.

Road Fan

I just saw the IDC wheels on Ebay today.

noglider 

I recently learned that they are hand built. They are an insane value. I convinced my boss to buy one.

Road Fan

I've been looking at adding a generator light to my Mondonico frame. We're thinking of a 5-day tour in Michigan, and I need a headlamp that can possibly work for a few days without much chance to recharge. Cheap, good and quick. I was thinking of stealing the SON wheel from my 650b, but then I have to swap on an Open Pro or similar rim. I have a few spare bottle dynos (new and old Soubitez, and a B&M 6), but I'm worried about damaging the thinwall (7-4-7) ELOS tubing or the carbon fork with a bottle dyno clamp. I'm similarly intriqued to see about an old Sanyo BB dyno I have, but I'm not sure I can fit it onto this racing frame. So an IDC wheel with a hub dyno might be my best choice.

Any other suggestions?

noglider 

As I've said, the Sanyo hub works great for me. Buy the best headlight you can afford. That's where the money belongs. In theory, the bearings in my Sanyo hubs will fail one day, and as they are irreplaceable, it will mean I will need to replace the hubs. But I'm not worrying about that yet, and I can build wheels.

I realized I haven't provided photos of my wife's bike (with the under-BB dynamo), so I hope to remember to shoot them tomorrow. She still has used the system only once, and she may never use it again, but it's there when she needs it.

jyl

Wow. $95 for a decent dynohub front wheel. I think I'm going to buy one.

DiegoFrogs

Although my touring bike doesn't get that much use, mine has been flawless over the past 3 years. I was skeptical of the no-name rim, and thought I'd upgrade if I liked it, but I don't see the need, to be honest.

fietsbob

only got 2 years and low, small town, Mileage out of my Shimano dynohub, As a Hub it still works but the output is zero electrically.

Good Luck..

mrchaotica

Anybody know of a similarly-inexpensive 26" version?