Which DynoHub ?

[border-rider]

An ST19 is too big for 23s. You can squeeze a fat 25 onto one and maybe get an odd profile, but 28+ is better, and it'll take a 40 mm tyre if needed. I have a 37mm tyre on my TinOne on an ST19

[Oscar's dad]

An ST19 is too big for 23s. You can squeeze a fat 25 onto one and maybe get an odd profile, but 28+ is better, and it'll take a 40 mm tyre if needed. I have a 37mm tyre on my TinOne on an ST19

Thanks MV.  Andrij, I'll pass but thanks for thinking of me.

[GrahamG]

I suspect there's a few people like me who run Schmidt hubs on the real mile eating bikes - i.e. used for audaxing and winter training. Then can't stomach the cost for other applications like tourers or commuters which don't see quite such heavy use and don't need the uber reliability of 50,000km service interval or whatever the SON is.

My schmidt probably does 5-7k miles a year - that's worth paying the extra for.

[Wothill]

Other Shimano hubs (eg XT) occasionally have inadequate bearing grease when sold. If this happens with a dynohub, it will be a warranty claim when the hub fails rather than half an hour putting some grease in.
DIY service is possible, but there's a farly high chance of breaking the wiring and rendering the hub useless, even if you've done it OK before.

The Schmidt is better sealed, so you are more likely to get away with something like riding through a flood or crashing in a ford (dynohubs are easily forgotten about during the daytime).

With some bikes there may be no option but Schmidt - there are quite a lot more options.

I am slightly confused about the serviceability of Shimano hubs now: are the bearings on the 3N80 serviceable in the normal way or are you saying that the electrics makes it difficult and risky even to do that? If so, it's a bit of a downer because one of the attractions of Shimano hubs (for me) is the easy servicing.

Alf

[andrew_s]

You can service the non-connector side as normal, but the axle/cone/locknuts/shields on the connector side has thin and easily broken wires threaded through to the terminals. Careless disassembly will break them, and I gather the bending required to unthread the locknuts etc from the wires hardens the wires enough that they break on about the 3rd servicing.

I've got a copy of the instructions that used to be on the Trinity bikes website if you want them emailed
(may take a while - the laptop they were on is dead so I'll have to hunt backups)
I did supply then to Chris Juden at one point, so they may be on the CTC website.

[Pickled Onion]

Compare the Shimano DH-3N80 (top of Shimano's range) against the Schmidt SON 28 (what they call the standard model).

Electrically, they're the same.

The Shimano (Ultegra-level hub) IIRC has a little more resistance than the Schmidt when the light is on, and a little less when the light is off.  The Schmidt is 60g lighter.

It's not possible to service the Schmidt yourself, but you can send it back to Germany to get it done.  The Shimano hub is officially non-serviceable.  You can it yourself though it's not easy.

The Shimano is (much) less than half the price of the Schmidt.

Agreed, there used to be a performance advantage for the Schmidt but there no longer is.

If you do big mileages then the 5 year warranty might come in handy. Mine's just failed after 50,000km (the expected service interval) and as I take it off over the summer that's taken 6 years. The cost of getting it serviced will be about the same as a brand new Shimano hub. Given the price difference I would have to get through quite a few Shimano hubs before breaking even with the SON.

Incidentally, you can't send it back to Germany any more you now have to send it to SJS who send it for you.

[Efrogwr]

I've had good service from a Novatech hub. It's dead cheap, but it will drive a B&M IQ Fly from slightly faster than walking pace. The bearings are good, and have lasted well (four years of commuting; fifteen miles a day in North Wales). I assume that it may be a bit more draggy than fancier hubs.

A question of my own; I have a SON20 hub. I know that it will have a lower output in a 700c wheel. From what sort of speed will it produce enough current to give useful light? The lamp will be a B&M Fly, with led rear.

[andrewc]

Incidentally, you can't send it back to Germany any more you now have to send it to SJS who send it for you.

Are SJS the UK importers? You can buy them from several UK outlets.  If that's true it makes buying one direct from Germany less attractive though.

[Pickled Onion]

I don't know the answer to that, but I contacted Schmidt direct and they said I had to send it via SJS, no other option.

[andrew_s]

A question of my own; I have a SON20 hub. I know that it will have a lower output in a 700c wheel. From what sort of speed will it produce enough current to give useful light? The lamp will be a B&M Fly, with led rear.

Pretty much any speed you might actually ride at.
If you are only doing 4mph, you don't need to see a long way up the road.

[Kim]

If you are only doing 4mph, you don't need to see a long way up the road.

...until the wowbadgers attack.   

[citoyen]

What's the best/cheapest option for fitting a dynohub to a Brompton? I'm stuck with using a piddly old Cateye at the moment so need to upgrade (part of my commute is on unlit extra-urban roads) but I'd rather go renewable than buy another battery light (lost my EL610 when it fell off and I didn't notice. ).

Can't afford a SON XS right now though.

d.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Shimano do a Brompton-compatible dynohub.

[L CC]

Given my many miles a year habit, does the panel feel investing my meagre funds into another Shimano hub is a false economy? I'm fairly convinced I can't justify the extra £££ for the SON.

I switch the dynohub between bikes, so I reckon that would be 7000 miles/year, I only take it off for hilly summer 100/200s. I never had any problems with the previous DH-N72 that nefarious lowlives are currently not appreciating anywhere near as much as I did.

(No Andrij, your wheel wouldn't be any good for my purposes)

[tiermat]

I have a 36hole, rim brake Shimano dynohub available  if you are interested, currently built into a 26" wheel, but that can easier be recified

Model number I am not sure, I can easily check though, if you are interested (it's too cold out there at the moment for me to go and check if you are not interested)

[L CC]

I have a 36hole, rim brake Shimano dynohub available  if you are interested, currently built into a 26" wheel, but that can easier be recified

Model number I am not sure, I can easily check though, if you are interested (it's too cold out there at the moment for me to go and check if you are not interested)

If it's a DH-N72 or DH-N80 then yes I am very interested.
I ride 700c x 25.
No huge rush- time for you to put gloves and coat on, anyway 

[tiermat]

'Fraid 'snot it's a Nexus NX-32

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I've ridden a Schmidt for a couple of years, now swapped into a 20" wheel. We're running Shimano dynohubs on various bikes and the next dynohub will also be a Shimano. Schmidts are overpriced IMHO.

[Deano]

I've just had my Shimano dynohub serviced here in Dubai - I got it two years ago, at a guess I've ridden 12,000 miles on it.

It's a DH3N71. Like others, I think the Schmidt is overpriced, which is why I didn't get one.

[Wothill]

You can service the non-connector side as normal, but the axle/cone/locknuts/shields on the connector side has thin and easily broken wires threaded through to the terminals. Careless disassembly will break them, and I gather the bending required to unthread the locknuts etc from the wires hardens the wires enough that they break on about the 3rd servicing.

I've got a copy of the instructions that used to be on the Trinity bikes website if you want them emailed
(may take a while - the laptop they were on is dead so I'll have to hunt backups)
I did supply then to Chris Juden at one point, so they may be on the CTC website.

Thanks, Andrew. At least I could make sure the hub wasn't over tight then. I would be very grateful if you managed to turn up servicing instructions. I had a google on the ctc site but couldn't find them. Don't worry if your dead laptop means this would take a lot of time to find. By the sound of it the risk would only be worthwhile after the bearings started to feel a bit ropey anyway.

Alf

[Deano]

There's a link to the service instructions on this page:

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12516

[Wothill]

Oh great. Thanks, Deano. So much for my Googling skills. I see it's for the N72 but I guess there will be enough similarity with the N80 to point the way to how to service the bearings.

Edit: Now I've looked more closely, this page only tells you not to attempt to disassemble the bearing.

Alf

[citoyen]

Shimano do a Brompton-compatible dynohub.

Oh… <googles> …so they do. Thanks!

 

d.

[zigzag]

no one mentioned sp pd-8 or sd-8 dynamos. they would be my choice if i was in the market for a hub dynamo.

[andrew_s]

There's a link to the service instructions on this page:

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12516

The PDF on PeterBL's dropbox (2nd last post) are what I have. I've got a copy of the original page, but the only difference is that the photos on my version are better.