The electrical equipment of the bike
From a wheel with a dynamo, it is possible to charge different devices such as a phone or GPS.
This technical possibility brings autonomy to the cyclist, but it is still necessary to know what can be done, which is the purpose of this article.
Lighting topic:
- Bike lighting for night-time randonnée.
- Led Lenser lighting.
- The specific headlight for the dynamo: Lumotec IQ X.
- The advantage of the dynamo hub powers the endurance cyclist's lighting.
- The electrical equipment of the bike for the long-distance touring cyclist.
The cyclist has a dynamo hub which generally provides 6V and 3W of electricity. With this, the cyclist, and even the hiker, can ride for hours beyond the capacity of their GPS or phone, while enjoying quality lighting both day and night.
Charging during the day or night
is possible since the energy source is unique and the lighting is not used during the day. Therefore, it is good to take advantage of the sunlight to charge accessory batteries. This way, the phone and GPS can be fully charged and used continuously, while the lighting, which is powered directly by the dynamo, will be used when needed.
Everything depends on the connections and regulation.
Connections and regulation
The current from the dynamo is not yet regulated and could damage the accessories. To protect the equipment, Bush and Muller offers a regulator that can supply different voltages and amperage, and regulate the voltage. It comes with many connectors and can be connected to various devices. It is ideally installed on the bike frame and connected to the dynamo. Its output cable can be used to connect other devices.
Then simply connect the devices to the output cable. The USB cable for charging the phone and the USB cable for charging the GPS may be different depending on the USB connector used by the devices. The phone can be stored in a holder on the handlebar or in the front bag. The GPS can be recharged while remaining on its holder. Regarding connectors, between the USB cables and the regulator, the Bush and Muller case comes with a cable whose output is a female USB connector. Otherwise, a cable with a USB output on one end and an input from the regulator on the other can be made. This type of cable can be found online or may require the use of a soldering iron.
There are also power banks or external batteries that can store energy in anticipation of...
For lighting, the front light will be a specific dynamo light such as the Lumotec IQ X already presented here. The rear light can be a classic battery-powered light, as the battery consumption can last several nights, and for long distances, the purchase of batteries and their replacement can be considered. For 100% dynamo solutions, the specific dynamo rear light can be connected to the front light, as Lumotec proposes with its connection slot.
Experience with autonomy
Regarding the experience with autonomy, it has been successfully tested during the Tour de France Randonneur. Several days of cycling were done without stopping to recharge the batteries. The accessories used were the lighting, the GPS counter to be recharged every day, and the phone with GPS turned on for navigation adaptation. Electrical energy was always available and never failed. The backup battery was not used.
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