Dynamo hub for tandem

[thesloth]

I'm considering getting a dynamo wheel built up (disc) for my tandem. I've been very happy with the two SP PD-8's I've got on solo bikes. Their website says they only go up to 32 hole, but a few retailers appear to have 36 hole.
Has anybody used a used an SP hub on a tandem?
I see SON do a tandem specific hub...at twice the price. I'm ashamed to say I don't know how many spoke on my current front wheel. Might be 40 or 42.

[marcusjb]

What weight are you as a team? 

We're a light team (120kg) and tour with a 32 hole SON built up with DT Alpine III spokes and a Mavic 719 disc rim.  We've yet to do a camping tour on that setup, so we've not had huge weight on it.  But the Tandem Shop were happy with it being used with big loads and much bigger teams than us.

It does seem these days that lower spoke counts are being used even with tandems.  Our first tandem had 48 spokes! 

I guess stiffer, wider rims and big fat spokes are the reason?

[Thing2]

We have an old SON on our touring tandem (48 hole), and an eDelux on the Santana (36 hole).  We haven't any experience with the SP hubs, or dynamos with discs I'm afraid (we have rim brakes at the front on all our tandems).
Our newest tandem only has 28 spokes on the training wheels and 24 on the carbon set, although we are a pretty light team (under 130kg) and the most luggage that bike sees is on 1200's where we are definitely not on the carbon rims.

[thesloth]

Thanks. We're about 145kg. I was thinking about it solely for audax, very little in the way of luggage on the front.
So it looks like I could get away with 36.
The thought of a catastrophic front wheel failure on a tandem at speed does fill me with fear!

[LittleWheelsandBig]

36 hole front wheels was proven reliable for touring tandems decades ago. Similar or lower spoked rear wheels became reliable with better spokes and rims.

[L CC]

We had a SON on the front for a while but snapped spokes on every outing. It's been fine on Mr Smith's solo.

Back to the Shimano for us. (up to 190kg team)

[The French Tandem]

Has anybody used a used an SP hub on a tandem?

We never tried on our tandem , but I once asked Mr Panoramix, of this parish, who is a retailer of these products, and he clearly said no, they are not intended for tandem use.

[321up]

We use Son 28 hubs with 36 spokes, thus far they have been great and no problem for us.  We done over 400km loaded with front panniers with the 36 spoke Son 28 wheel but most our distance is more lightly loaded on Audax.  We are trying out a front disc brake attached to our Son 28 - thus far it's fine - although we will be switching back to a front rim brake before we do any big steep decents.  We had a 40 spoke Son 28 wheel on our Dawes tandem, but I prefer 36 spokes on the front for a less harsh ride.  A 32 spoke wheel might be ok, but it may be more problematic if a spoke breaks.

[Wowbagger]

Mrs. Wow have done big miles on our tandem and we are a heavy team - probably 180kg or more. We have also taken luggage - cycle camping luggage. Possibly the most heavily-laden the tandem has ever been was for a tour of East Anglia with Nutkin when we took a tent each. That changed the bike's handling and it took me a mile or two to accustomise myself to the bike's handling.

We had a Schmidt front hub with rim brakes. In the 14000 or so miles that the bike has done, we have only ever broken one spoke.

[bhoot]

Our initial front wheel was a 32 spoke SON Klassik (we have no idea why it was a 32 hole as we weren't expecting that!) We did break a spoke on that. We have a second wheel this time with a SON28 36 spoke. We haven't broken any spokes on this one.  We have toured with camping load (and we don't travel light camping, plus we aren't featherweights) on both, about 1500kms on each. Both wheels are disc braked. 
So I realise not much use as we don't have any experience with an SP hub... but from our experience we prefer the 36 spokes!

[Veloman]

...... plus we aren't featherweights ....

That is true.  I would describe you as lightweights (and not with regard to your cycling ability, but your individual weights).

[CrinklyLion]

I have an SP disc compatible one on the Helios.  36 spoke, from memory... but tiny wheels!

[Assasin]

48 hole SON (the square tin can shaped one) has been on my tandems for 13 years.
Its seem two rims come and go but still continues to knock out the watts for the edelux lamp.
Pilot weighs 108kgs so crew must be in the region of 180Kgs + plus luggage.
For the last four years its been on the front of a tandem trike - they really do eat front wheels.
so 48 works for me.
So yes lighter riders could get away with less spokes.
Its worth remembering that SON hubs are serviceable by the manufacturer so unless you tear the flange they should last you forever.
My oldest hub from so long ago I can't remember when has just has new connectors and bearings and is as good as new.

[DaveJ]

Mrs. Wow have done big miles on our tandem and we are a heavy team - probably 180kg or more. We have also taken luggage - cycle camping luggage. Possibly the most heavily-laden the tandem has ever been was for a tour of East Anglia with Nutkin when we took a tent each. That changed the bike's handling and it took me a mile or two to accustomise myself to the bike's handling.

We had a Schmidt front hub with rim brakes. In the 14000 or so miles that the bike has done, we have only ever broken one spoke.

An old thread I know, but the bearings on our front wheel have gone, and new cones don't seem to be available (HB-M760), so I've been looking at replacing it with a dynohub.  SJS are selling the old 32 spoke SON 28 Klassic for £120.  From memory, Thorn used to fit this hub (back before it was called Klassic) to their Mk.1 Raven Twins.  Is this what you have on your tandem?

We have a Mk.1 Raven Twin with a 32 spoke 26" wheel.  We don't cyclecamp, but we are not a lightweight team.

I'm not worried about the spoke count.  32 spokes are clearly enough for the use we make of the bike, given that its the bearings that have worn out.

Its the width of the hub I am concerned about.  Do I need the newer SON 28 where the flanges are further apart?  Thats what Thorn are selling now as dynohubs for their Raven Twin.  They say that the Klassic would be OK on the tandem, but I wondered if anyone one here has any experience with older model. 

[bhoot]

We have a SON 28 Klassik tandem wheel (700C) - it's not our current wheel though. It was the orginal that came with the bike and we were a bit surprised by the 32 spoke count. We broke a spoke on it (in the middle of the night on a 400km audax) but as it is the disc brake model it didn't really matter too much, we finished.  I suspect it was the fact it was the disc version that made it more likely to suffer broken spokes. It got rebuilt (although with the wheel builder expressing some doubt about the suitability of a 32 spoke 700C tandem wheel!). Checking my records it looks like we did around 7000 miles in total before we bought a "spare" with 36 spokes and the newer SON, and switched to that. Given we have had no issues with spokes on the second wheel and no wearing rim, that one is still in use today and the Klassik is relegated to the spare lurking beside the bookcase in the living room!

[Russell]

Have a word with John and Ruth at JD.  I'm very happy with our SON.  They do 40 and 48 hole SONs.