Dynamo hubs and lights.

Joshvegas · Post by **Joshvegas** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:25 am

My googling has been useless today.

I'm having a second go at strathpuffer and am trying to decide lighting plan.

Last time i had a mtb batterries on the bars and some led torches plus loads of batterries . This was okay but i was in a pair so i only needed a short period of capacity plus i went otb (about ten meters from the end of the lap infront of the crowd) and had to retire a couple of laps later.

So this year its solo... I need more time about 18hrs. Was initially thinking batteries but the amount i'll need dynamo hubs seem to be a far more practical solution and more likely to be useful in the future!

So... what do i need?
A hub and lights. The hub seems fairly easy but reccomendations always welcome! but i'm a little unclear on lights. Can i use my mtb batterries head unit? If not why not and what do i need instead?

Price wise.... cheap is good.

Alternatively if someone knows of a good roundup advice website/blog post etc...

ctznsmith · Post by **ctznsmith** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:28 am

Are you planning on running light off the dynamo?

i.e. Exposure Revo

Or charging batteries for lights whilst you ride?

Joshvegas · Post by **Joshvegas** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:41 am

Well thats just it I don't really know!

Ideally I'd like to just "have constant light" not massively fussed by hows that achieved but i like the idea of my winter bike being good to go for any night ride (terrible at charging lights)

I guess the main question is does the actual light have to be designed for a dynamo or can anything just plug straight in?

Bearbonesnorm · Post by **Bearbonesnorm** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 12:21 pm

I guess the main question is does the actual light have to be designed for a dynamo or can anything just plug straight in?

You'll need a specific dynamo light. I use an Exposure Revo, plenty of light in most situations although it'll dim on long steady climbs.

SJS list a few different dynamo lights - http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/lighting-hub ... pt710_pg1/

Trail-rat · Post by **Trail-rat** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 1:48 pm

My 50 pence having done it a few times and supported the mrs a couple times

Would be maxx d on bars and joy stick on the head with a couple of mtb batteries piggybacks.

I had a 3 cell piggyback hooked up to my maxx d and i had 2 joysticks (one borrowed) that i rotated out every few laps and rode the whole 24hrs with no stopping.

I wouldnt be in a rush to stick an expensive dynamo hub - ie the sp with their notorious bearings on the front of my puffer bike. The only bearing i havnt had to change after a solo ride up there is the ceramic/stainless hope bb one. Without fail the wheels and headset bearings come back gubbed, along with ninja star stainless ss gears that were new pre puffer !
Fannying about changing torch batteries just gives you more time to get cold , you want to keep your stops to an absolute minimum.

How ever i wanta revo for other purposes i just find it hard to justify when my maxx d still does the job well

ctznsmith · Post by **ctznsmith** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 2:16 pm

Are the SP bearings notorious?

Probably jinxed it now, but I've put mine through some pretty harsh conditions (water, sand, snow, dust, approx 10,000 miles) and they seem ok.

Joshvegas · Post by **Joshvegas** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 2:22 pm

ctznsmith wrote:Are the SP bearings notorious?

Probably jinxed it now, but I've put mine through some pretty harsh conditions (water, sand, snow, dust, approx 10,000 miles) and they seem ok.

There are tough conditions then there is strathpuffer...

Having said that other then removing all the anodising on a set of cranks after one lap I can't say I noticed any of my bearings being knackered!

My plan was to run with the torches on my helmet, already got spare batteries for them so essentially thats sorted.

So its a case of extra batteries for existing lights or new light new hub... hmm.. i'll do some thinking. cheers

johnnystorm · Post by **johnnystorm** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:45 pm

Something from the Exposure Outlet?

http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.co ... ry-seconds

Probably has an "18 hour" setting. My Six pack is one of the older pre-oms ones but has a 3-10-24 (iirc) setting. With a smartport you could also run your garmin from it?

Joshvegas · Post by **Joshvegas** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:04 pm

I can see this is going to be expensive...

johnnystorm · Post by **johnnystorm** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:15 pm

Joshvegas wrote:I can see this is going to be expensive...

Exposure were at Bontrager 24/12 Hiring out lights. Do they venture that far North? I don't have any regrets with my Exposure lights, they always work whatever the weather and my Six pack has a big dink after being the first thing to hit the ground during an off. Still works perfectly and neither seem to lose any charge between uses.

Wotsits · Post by **Wotsits** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 12:05 am

I thought Carbon Monkey from this parish was renting some Exposure lights out, but it doesn't look like they're on his site anymore..

Joshvegas · Post by **Joshvegas** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 7:54 am

Renting might be an option but to be honest I can see the benefit for all general use so I think I can justify the expenditure!

So an SP hub and a revo looks like the way forward.

Cheers!

ianfitz · Post by **ianfitz** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:27 am

The sp bearings 'should' be better than average as they are installed with a massive press due to fitting inside a ring a magnets.

They are not user sevicable but the warrantee is good! I had mine replaced. It had been built by 18 bikes who have a spare they can lend if this happens!

Trail-rat · Post by **Trail-rat** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:40 am

to be fair the SP hubs are pretty bullet proof - you only have to look at the number of them being used on RTW/ PBP/other audaxes an of course a number of folk on here using them for long distance trips. .....

its just the the puffer does seem to just laugh at bearings when your soloing - I've never trashed them when in quads but for some reason solo just murders them - perhaps i just have an enthusiastic pit crew but its hard to imagine them being trashed by a weed sprayer and ditch water.

what i will say is exposure have the best back up in the business IME - and what ever i do buy for lighting from now on will be exposure unless they deviate from their currently highly successful business model. Dropped your 8 year old light and broke an emitter - no problem sir - 15 quid fixed and returned.

They are usually at the puffer , and support the event and many around the uk with ultimately a loaner light if they have one and your exposure lights gone tits up , a charging point and prizes for the event winners !

cousinmosquito · Post by **cousinmosquito** » Wed Oct 21, 2015 10:19 pm

There does seem to be a problem with bearings on the thru-axle version of some of the SP hubs. It seems very random. But I know two people that had theirs fail after a week of sporadic use. I have heard that the factory is doing some reingineering, and are very very good at sorting replacements. I just have a 9mm QR one and I haven't heard of any issues with those ones. It does seem to be a random issue. Lots of people are tooling up with them over here for the Tour Aotearoa so anything that goes wrong gets reported pretty quickly.

Joshvegas · Post by **Joshvegas** » Sun Nov 01, 2015 2:36 pm

Update.

Bread and water for the rest of the month!

Thanks for input I went with revo and sp. It'll get alot of use in adition to the puffer so i think its a more viable option.

Cheers

Dynamo hubs and lights.

Dynamo hubs and lights.

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