The dynamo hub powers the endurance cyclist's lighting
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The solution has been available on the market for years, but it is increasingly being adopted by randonneurs: the dynamo hub
Lighting topic :
- Bike lighting for night-time randonnée.
- Led Lenser lighting.
- The specific headlight for the dynamo: Lumotec IQ X.
- The advantages of the dynamo hub for the endurance cyclist
- The electrical equipment of the bike for the long-distance touring cyclist.
Yesterday, the dynamo rubbed against the side of the wheel and allowed the cyclist to have a headlight at the front of the bike and a rear light to be seen by others.
Later, the dynamo was housed under the bottom bracket, and a pulley rubbed against the tire tread. Some cyclists completed beautiful Paris-Brest-Paris rides with this lighting, while others wore out the dynamo so much that the pulley had to be replaced.
Then, various headlight models came out, with battery-powered versions and later with rechargeable batteries, while at the same time, the first hub dynamos were introduced.
Different brands entered the market, from SON to Shimano, to equip bicycles, mountain bikes, tandems, Brompton bikes, and even bike-sharing systems
The offers from manufacturers
Shimano offers dynamo hubs for 28" or 26" wheels, suitable for rim brakes, disc brakes or drum brakes. Depending on the hub, it can be a front wheel dynamo hub or a freehub dynamo hub. Shimano also offers pre-built wheels with Shimano rims.
The Shimano dynamo hub is a good option for cyclists whose bikes are equipped with a Shimano DI2 groupset.
SON (Schmidt Original Nabendynamo) is the top-of-the-line dynamo hub, both in terms of performance and price.
There are two models: Dynamo SON 28 and SON Delux.
Both models are available in different colors, with the SON 28 specialized for 28" wheels, while the SON Delux was originally designed for 20" wheels. The number of spoke holes can vary depending on the desired rigidity and weight.
In both cases, the SON hub works well with the voltage regulator from Bush-Muller. The regulator comes in two versions:
The I-werk, which delivers regulated 5V current via a USB port, ideal for charging devices that require this voltage (such as those that can be charged via USB)
The E-werk, which delivers manually-regulated open voltage up to 13V via connectors.
SRAM : also offers a dynamo hub model, the I-light, which is available with either disc or rim brakes.
Supernova offers the Infinity model, which works well with a headlight from the Supernova range.
In terms of lighting
The dynamo can directly power the headlight but can also power other devices such as a battery, smartphone, GPS, etc.
For road bikes, the lumotec IQ is a good option, requiring 6 volts and 3 watts with a power of 100 lux. It can be mounted on the front fork. For mountain biking or higher power needs, the dynamo can power a battery that can power a light of 800 or 1,000 lumens, requiring 8 volts. For example, the Magicshine MJ 900 can be mounted on the handlebars.
Since the days of the sidewall dynamo, products and needs have evolved. Cyclists and bikes are consuming more and more electricity in a world that is also striving to be more environmentally friendly. The dynamo in the hub can then contribute to making the cyclist not necessarily more environmentally friendly, but certainly more self-sufficient and independent.
On the Tour de France Randonneur, the bike was equipped with a SON dynamo hub, which allowed for several consecutive days of cycling while recharging the GPS, phone and lighting up the evenings.
However, the cyclist still needs to pedal, and they know how to do that very well!
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