New (serviceable) dynamo hub

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BigdummySteve
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by BigdummySteve »

Alternatively buy a SON.
Although the entry price is a little salty it’s unlikely to randomly soil it’s pants in the middle of Outer Mongolia or worse Wales!

I’d gamble on the 5 year warranty from SON.
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lune ranger
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by lune ranger »

Looks good but where are you going to get the spare parts from?
I wonder if a SON failure has happened?
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I wonder if a SON failure has happened?
According to my sources, yes they still fail from time to time.
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fatbikephil
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by fatbikephil »

Good stuff, I hate 'non serviceable / sealed for life' stuff as they always break eventually and I'd rather fix them myself than wait for someone else to do it. Hub bearings should never wear out on a bicycle, they only fail when water gets in so its not just a case of being able to fix it when it breaks, you can take it apart, clean and regrease it before it breaks. Wonder when they'll do a 150x15 one.....

That said shimano dyno hubs can be taken apart so maybe we are over thinking this....
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whitestone
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by whitestone »

lune ranger wrote: Sat May 23, 2020 2:19 am I wonder if a SON failure has happened?
Not failed as such but I sent mine back for servicing last year when the output began to get a bit "choppy" and blew a light. The bearings were still fine. I didn't get a service report so no idea what had gone wrong.
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Lazarus
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by Lazarus »

I can only see upside to a serviceable dynamo hub personally - I guess the only real issue is reliability- which may let it down and only time will tell
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I guess the only real issue is reliability- which may let it down and only time will tell
I'd say that with regard to dynamo hubs, servicability or lack of, have no bearing (no pun intended but I'm keeping it) on reliability.
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Lazarus
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by Lazarus »

Wondered if it was more prone to water leaks as it can come apart or if the bearings were weaker tolerances/higher etc or it was just a bad design

Basically its untested so we do not know but yes, you are correct, serviceability should have no impact on reliability - all other things being equal
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

My dynamo hub failures were all on non servicable hubs Jon. I couldn't afford to move to SON so went the Shimano route instead and no problems since.
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Lazarus
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by Lazarus »

Never broken any of mine, but everything breaks eventually, and one of them is about 15 years old and was also used for commuting and allbreakags wr enon servicable as I think this is a first - also have an issu as i have to have a 15mm one and this has to use smaller bearings which i believe are a weak point [ but it still works]
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I think it was something of a lottery Jon - some were faultless and run forever, others fall apart within a few hundred miles. It was the not knowing that made me switch to Shimano - it also felt better knowing that if it did pack in, then it'd only cost £40 :wink:
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Lazarus
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by Lazarus »

Fair point the 15 mm one was quite spendy
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sean_iow
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by sean_iow »

I like that, the fact that you don't have to rebuild the wheel to replace it. It also means you could have a single centre you swapped between wheels? If you had one of those modular rear gear hubs as well you could have both 650B and 700c wheels for a bike but only have to buy 2 hub centres.
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Cyclepeasant
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Re: New (serviceable) dynamo hub

Post by Cyclepeasant »

Hurrah!
Except I have never had a dynohub failure.(As much as I enjoy dismantling stuff and repairing them) Even cheap unbranded ones! I have six bikes with dynohubs, my everyday work/shopping hack has an unbranded one used in all weathers from the early 90's.
As soon as Shimano made a disc version (xt I think) I fitted it to my to enigma MTB.
It meant I could junk the heavy bottle nicad battery lights that lasted about one lap (1-1.5hr) of a 24hr or overnight event.
Dynohubs are underrated and serviceability is a good thing. :-bd

Apologies to the weight weenie's!
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