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SP Dyno Hub?

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Old 09-03-14 | 03:41 PM
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SP Dyno Hub?

Does anyone have any experience with this hub? Thanks!
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Old 09-03-14 | 07:55 PM
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Subscribing as I'm considering the new SP 9 dynamo for a fast and light bike. I feel like just going for it and see what happens!

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Old 09-03-14 | 09:24 PM
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I have a PD-8 on my gravel bike. Works fine. Not much else to say about it. It's better looking?
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Old 09-03-14 | 11:51 PM
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Originally Posted by unterhausen
I have a PD-8 on my gravel bike. Works fine. Not much else to say about it. It's better looking?
How long you had it? Do you have other dynamo hubs to compare? Can you tell when is on and off?
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Old 09-04-14 | 12:22 PM
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I have the following: Shimano LX, Shimano XT, and the SP PD-8. SP PD-8 has the least resistance, lightest, and least chunky looking. Durability wise (such as extended backcountry touring) I would go for Shimano XT. I had the SP PD-8 for over a year now and it works great, very dependable.

Buy them all and find out for yourself.
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Old 09-17-14 | 07:13 PM
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We have run an sp pd-8 on our tandem and have about 1500 miles on it. While I have no experience with other hubs, this one has proven flawless. I did not notice any additional resistance going to this wheel from the original one. We have now built a 16" wheel with an sp pv-8 for our Bob yak and use it to charge an auxiliary battery.
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Old 09-18-14 | 12:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Double0757
How long you had it? Do you have other dynamo hubs to compare? Can you tell when is on and off?
I have never been able to tell if a light is on or off on any of my dynohubs. I know there is extra drag, but I don't feel it. I use a sanyo, a really cheap Shimano, and 2 of the top of the line Shimano dynohubs. I can't really tell the difference at all.

I have had the PD8 for over a year now, but I wasn't' riding it until this year. Probably 1000 miles on it by now. I would say our gravel is pretty extreme conditions. I never had trouble with a shimano under those conditions either though.
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Old 09-18-14 | 02:04 PM
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I can sometimes feel my Sanyo on my Bianchi Volpe, usually at high speed. It's a vibration. I can't detect that it is slowing me down.

I recently put another Sanyo on my Viscount. That vibrates a lot more. I'm not sure why! Maybe it's because the bike is a lot lighter. The fork is aluminum, so that could pass on more vibration. But again, I can't say I really perceive the drag, though I'm sure it's there. I perceive the vibration.
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Old 09-18-14 | 02:16 PM
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Have had a SD-8 for about 6 months, and 3-4000km, works just as well as the SON it replaced, would have preferred a SON but was swapping forks to one with a disc brake, and the SP was half the price.

For resistance, not really noticed any difference between this and the SON it replaced, or a Shimano XT I have on another bike.
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Old 09-19-14 | 12:11 PM
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I have the Shimano 3N72 with a Cyo Premium light and I can feel the difference between on and off when I switch back and forth, but in ordinary riding I don't much notice it. I was going to get an SP hub, but decided on the Shimano because it was cheaper. If I were building for a road bike I'd look again at the SP because it is much lighter.
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Old 09-19-14 | 08:28 PM
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Originally Posted by Tandem Tom
Does anyone have any experience with this hub? Thanks!
I got the Shimano DH-3N80 from eBikeStop for $87. I can't tell a difference between when the light is off or on, but then I leave the lights on all the time
It looks good too !
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Old 09-20-14 | 12:30 PM
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1 Shimano-Brompton wheel, and 2 black Schmidts [& a Polished 32 hole (classic) not in a bike.. ]

NB .. newer SON dynohubs are lighter than the classic.

I think the Supernova hub dynamo is a rebadged Shutter Precision..

Last edited by fietsbob; 09-20-14 at 12:34 PM.
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Old 09-20-14 | 06:20 PM
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Did you ever notice that all dynamo hub brands start with S?

Shimano
Sanyo
SP
SON
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Old 09-20-14 | 06:40 PM
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Originally Posted by noglider
Did you ever notice that all dynamo hub brands start with S?

Shimano
Sanyo
SP
SON
SRAM I-Light/D7
Sturmey Archer
...

whoa, that *is* weird!
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Old 09-20-14 | 10:45 PM
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Novatec dynamo does not start with "S".
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Old 09-22-14 | 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by noglider
I can sometimes feel my Sanyo on my Bianchi Volpe, usually at high speed. It's a vibration. I can't detect that it is slowing me down.

I recently put another Sanyo on my Viscount. That vibrates a lot more. I'm not sure why! Maybe it's because the bike is a lot lighter. The fork is aluminum, so that could pass on more vibration. But again, I can't say I really perceive the drag, though I'm sure it's there. I perceive the vibration.
I'm curious about the vibration at speed, I've never thought of that comparison. Felt to comment about the Viscount -- you are a brave man to ride the death fork. Was a handsome fork though
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Old 09-22-14 | 10:47 AM
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I could run some experiments. Another thing I forgot to mention is that the Viscount has a weird hybrid light. It has a halogen bulb for the main beam plus a standlight feature with an LED. The halogen might present a greater load than an LED bulb, but I doubt it. I'm under the impression that most bike headlights intended for dynamos are designed to use 2.4 watts or so.

It should be easy to swap the front wheels to see if the hubs are different somehow. Swapping the headlights isn't terrifically hard, and I'm thinking of doing it anyway.

I'm told that I have version 2 of this fork (as it has a steel dowel in the bottom of the steerer tube) and that I should be OK.
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Old 09-22-14 | 10:52 AM
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Originally Posted by mrbubbles
Novatec dynamo does not start with "S".
Darn, and you had to tell me of its existence!
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Old 09-22-14 | 02:03 PM
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all my dynohubs have exhibited vibration at some particular speed, I just never thought to turn the light off on the same stretch of road. I don't find the vibration bothersome, but I can feel it
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Old 09-22-14 | 06:58 PM
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Originally Posted by unterhausen
all my dynohubs have exhibited vibration at some particular speed, I just never thought to turn the light off on the same stretch of road. I don't find the vibration bothersome, but I can feel it
Yeah, try it. It's interesting. I can reach my headlight's switch, and I can definitely notice the difference. Like you, I don't find it annoying, but I notice it.
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Old 09-22-14 | 09:23 PM
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My dyno lights have remote switches near my shifter for low, off, high. I can definitely tell there's vibration with steel fork, but with carbon or aluminum fork, I can't tell.
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Old 09-24-14 | 09:37 PM
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I've had the SP pd-8 for a little over a year now and have had no problems. A friend had his go out on him with no warning. SP sent a replacement first then asked for the return second. Pretty good customer service considering it's a small company so far away.

I've never noticed the vibration while riding but only when spinning the wheel on the work stand.
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Old 09-25-14 | 10:36 AM
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Yes, you definitely need 3 watts if you want to run headlight and tail light.
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