Shimano or Schmidt

[Tewdric]

I've had my Schmidt about 7 years now - at the time it was the only game in town.  It's been fine until this year when it slightly stiffened up, so it's gone back for a service.  Must have done 50,000 Km though. 

If I were buying new now I'd probably try one of the higher end Shimanos.

[Simon Galgut]

I have two Schmidt SON28. One of them does about 10000 miles per annum and lasts about 18 months before it has to go back to Germany for repair. OK, the repair is free, but the wheel has to be rebuilt and the carriage costs and time are a pita. (or you can send the entire wheel, but the carriage costs are high)

[Chris S]

Lots of excellent techie stuff here. Here's my anecdotal input.

Pompino: Shimano 3N71. It's done about 24,000km and probably reaching the end of its life. It makes an annoying clicking sound, but still generates well enough to run my XB2 Solidlights.

Dawes: SON. Many fewer miles than the Shimano. No issues whatsoever. It drives a Cyo perfectly well.

I'm not athletic enough to feel any difference between them in terms of resistance - the difference in feel because of the bikes they are on is much more significant.

[daimountaingoat]

Thanks for all the various tips and advice still undecided. The dilema i have is that i use my local bike shop and have done for many years so would like to purchase the wheels etc through them, although would work cheaper by going through someone else. 

[Feline]

Thanks for all the various tips and advice still undecided. The dilema i have is that i use my local bike shop and have done for many years so would like to purchase the wheels etc through them, although would work cheaper by going through someone else. 

Buy the hub from where ever and get them to supply the rest and build it up?

[The Mechanic]

I bought my Shimano N80 from Germany and had it built up by Big Al using an Ambrosio Evolution rim.  It has been fault free ever since, about 3 years.  highly recommended.  I recently replace my IQ Fly with a Cyo.  What a revalation.

[Lycra Man]

Here's my contribution:
1st dynohub was a complete wheel with Shimano hub, bargain off eBay - about £45.00 complete. Ran an IQ Fly, no problems.

2nd dynohub is another Shimano, built for me by Warlands in Oxford, into a Mavic OpenPro wheel, £124 built. Linked to IQ Cyo, which is much better.

I run the light all the time during the day (and night), and have expereinced no problems. If there is any drag, I can't detect it. Just completed first year, and 5841 miles.

Sorry I can't remember the model numbers. I'd chose Shimano again. If I won the lottery I'd chose Schmidt.

Incidentally, I was cycling in front of Els on the Kennet Valley Run last Saturday. Her IQ Cyo (same front light as me) powered by a Schmidt, was generating a shadow of me in my own front light flood. So her light was brighter than mine. Do Schmidt generate more electricity?

Lycra Man

[LittleWheelsandBig]

No, Schmidt and Shimano dynohubs put out virtually identical power. You'll always get a shadow within your bicycle's light beam from an identical light drafting you.

[MacB]

After much helpful advice on here, and several rethinks, I eventually went with the Shimano Alfine dynamo front wheel. My only concerns were longevity(won't know about that for a while) and the low spoke count as was complete wheel. But have to say the overall package has impressed me, I'm using disc brakes so having to get a centrelock adaptor was an extra. The Alfine came matched to a 622-19 rim, same as the existing rear wheel, and I use 700x35 tyres to it matches up fine.

It really did come down to cost v blinginess, I desired a Son Delux with Edelux front light but my wallet said no. I got the Alfine front wheel, IQ Cyo, B&M rear light and centrelock adaptor for about the same as the Son Delux hub on its own would have cost....£200 all in.

The Shimano connectore is very easy to use as well, a definite plus for the hamfisted like myself.

[MSeries]

Thanks for all the various tips and advice still undecided. The dilema i have is that i use my local bike shop and have done for many years so would like to purchase the wheels etc through them, although would work cheaper by going through someone else. 

Buy the hub from where ever and get them to supply the rest and build it up?

that's what I did with my first dynamo hub wheel, I ask the LBS, Bob Jacksons if they wanted to source the hub and rim for me, they weren't interested but were happy for me to fetch them in and they'd build the wheel. Since then I've rebuilt it twice myself, the first time to have an OpenPro and the second time to replace the worn out OpenPro. I am not very impressed with OpenPros, my rear one exploded in Hebden Bridge

[Hot Flatus]

Ive got a DH 80 wotsit on order from Rose for £53, and an Open Pro rim from Wiggle for £38.

[Mark C]

It looks like Shimano are to introduce an alternative to the Son Deluxe.
"The range of SHIMANO ALFINE components for sporty and fashionable cycling has been further expanded with a 1.5W sports hub dynamo with Center Lock disc brake rotor mount. DH-S700 features a super smooth rotation and a lightweight design (420g). It will be available in silver and in black.

This sports hub dynamo will also be available with a neutral Shimano logo (DH-1D70) and in a version with Shimano logo and without Center Lock mount (DH-1N70)."
 

   Shimano Introduces New Cyclo-Cross, MTB  & Alfine Components

[Hot Flatus]

Looking online, I cant see anything on the Shimano instructions about grounding one of the wires from the light to the fork.

[MSeries]

Looking online, I cant see anything on the Shimano instructions about grounding one of the wires from the light to the fork.

you don't need to, they have two terminals. It's just that one side isn't insulated from the drop outs so if you have lamps that are also not insulated then you need to connect them up carefully to avoid short circuiting the generator

[Hot Flatus]

Got carbon forks....that should do it 

[Andrew Br]

It looks like Shimano are to introduce an alternative to the Son Deluxe.
"The range of SHIMANO ALFINE components for sporty and fashionable cycling has been further expanded with a 1.5W sports hub dynamo with Center Lock disc brake rotor mount. DH-S700 features a super smooth rotation and a lightweight design (420g). It will be available in silver and in black.

I've seen that elsewhere.
It suggests to me that Shimano is either expecting another huge leap forward in LED lighting technology or they're releasing a low output/drag hub to keep an electronic shifter battery topped up.

[andrew_s]

I've seen that elsewhere.
It suggests to me that Shimano is either expecting another huge leap forward in LED lighting technology or they're releasing a low output/drag hub to keep an electronic shifter battery topped up.

I'd guess the latter.

Forthcoming latest LEDs aren't much brighter at low bike power. They are instead maintaining that efficiency to higher power, so they will give 100 lumen per watt up to 10 watts rather than frying themselves at 4 or 5W. You can look forward to lights like a Lupine Betty with 2 LEDs instead of 7, which should make beam shaping more practical.
A 1.5W hub would be a retrograde step in terms of brightness - good to be seen by, or emergency lighting, but not for riding fast.

[Kim]

Although that's presumably 1.5W in the sense that the normal ones are 3W - realistically you can exceed that if you've got some electronics that'll make use of higher voltages at speed (like the current crop of LEDs do).  I'd go so far as to suggest that the performance of an IQ Cyo or similar would be acceptable when run from one of them.

The electronic shifter idea seems likely, though.