Wiring rear dynamo lights

[ElyDave]

how long is the cable to the switch/USB charger on the Luxos U?  Long enough to get up the boom to the handlebars on a 'bent?

[Kim]

how long is the cable to the switch/USB charger on the Luxos U?  Long enough to get up the boom to the handlebars on a 'bent?

Fairly sure it's not even close, and since they removed the connector because it leaked, you'd have to splice it.

Or get an IQ-X and a USB-Werk 

[ElyDave]

how long is the cable to the switch/USB charger on the Luxos U?  Long enough to get up the boom to the handlebars on a 'bent?

Fairly sure it's not even close, and since they removed the connector because it leaked, you'd have to splice it.

Or get an IQ-X and a USB-Werk 

That 's along my lines of thought, especially with the Alpkit custom boom bag to hold an USB-Werk.  The Luxos is relatively steep for that basis.

as an aside I'm susprised how much lower prices are from europe vs at home for this stuff

[Kim]

as an aside I'm susprised how much lower prices are from europe vs at home for this stuff

I reckon that's a combination of the Ripoff Britain factor on sensible bike parts that don't fit in with the British marketing ideal of a bicycle (ie. sports equipment on which practical things like lighting and luggage are an afterthought), combined with the fact that B&M sell a lot more of their products in countries with mandatory lighting rules.  The effect was a lot more pronounced before the pound crashed after the referendum, of course.

It was interesting to note on my recent tour that while hub dynamos were ubiquitous in both Germany and the Netherlands, the Germans seemed to have a lot more high-performance LED lights (B&M IQ Fly or better), and were more likely to ride around with them switched on in daylight.  Mind you, a lot of the German bikes were newer-looking, too.

[Polar Bear]

There is some sage advice in here - thanks.

I'm going to take the rear light feeds from the back of various B&M led front lights along the head tubes down a chainstay to the brake bridge then attach to the mudguard with tape.   For the rear mudguard light requiring the wire in from beneath the mudguard I will drill a small hole in the guard a few cms above the light and pass the wire though with tape covering the hole (and wire) on both the topside and the underside.

I need to buy a crimping tool to finish off the job.   
 

[ElyDave]

There is some sage advice in here - thanks.

I'm going to take the rear light feeds from the back of various B&M led front lights along the head tubes down a chainstay to the brake bridge then attach to the mudguard with tape.   For the rear mudguard light requiring the wire in from beneath the mudguard I will drill a small hole in the guard a few cms above the light and pass the wire though with tape covering the hole (and wire) on both the topside and the underside.

I need to buy a crimping tool to finish off the job.   

That tape looks useful.

I've now got a dynohub, B&M IQ2 Luxos B, B&M rear light and USB werk on their way from Germany.  Just need to get a wheel built - I'm going for 26" for the front of the M5 - and then i'm ready for winter Audaxes.

I'll stick with my collection of battery lights for the shorter shopping/commuting/utility cycling

[aidan.f]

Note to all fettlers, cable ties get grit underneath which then scratches frame or fork, a thin layer of colour co-ordinated PVC tape underneath cures this and avoids the schoolboy sox.

[tonyh]

Useful note, thanks!

[Biggsy]

I often shrink heatshrink with a soldering iron (side of tip shaft).  It only melts or burns if you linger too long.  It's about time I bought a proper hot air gun, though.

[Crofton]

Piggy-backed to the rear [disc] brake hose with cable ties along the down tube, under the bottom bracket and duct taped all the way along the underside of the mudguard to the mudguard attached light. Very neat. Hope it will stand up to winter.

[BikinOn]

How about some pictures when the job is complete, this is a task I intend to take on in the next month or so and 'tis a kindness to share!

[zigzag]

i'm planning to drill two small holes in a frame (alloy), one in head tube just above the lower headset bearing and another near the rear cable stop on the top tube, and route the cable internally.  any reasons why is this not a good idea?

[Kim]

i'm planning to drill two small holes in a frame (alloy), one in head tube just above the lower headset bearing and another near the rear cable stop on the top tube, and route the cable internally.  any reasons why is this not a good idea?

Assuming a sufficiency of:

blood, sweat and foul language

I expect it's mostly the fear-factor of drilling holes in something important.  You probably also need some sort of plan about rust.

[Polar Bear]

I recall something said in a conversation many moons ago with Kim but need clarification, so...

Bonus question:  Can I run more than one rear light with my SON Klassic and a Cyo Premuim front lamp?  If so I guess that they should be wired in parallel?

I would ideally like one rack mount lamp and one mudguard lamp.

[Kim]

Should just work.  Wire them in parallel.

Barakta's trike has two Spanninga pixeos wired in parallel from the rear light output of an original Cyo.  They're now powered by regulated 7.5VDC from the battery system, but before that they were running from an Axa bottle dynamo without issues.

[aidan.f]

i'm planning to drill two small holes in a frame (alloy), one in head tube just above the lower headset bearing and another near the rear cable stop on the top tube, and route the cable internally.  any reasons why is this not a good idea?

bad idea -  getting the cable inside without  damaging it and will be a  pain, and  then stopping it chafing on the holes, wrapping  itself  around  the  steerer and cutting  itself apart on inevitable internal sharp edges + drilling an alloy frame = stress raisers + water ingress. 

[Kim]

i'm planning to drill two small holes in a frame (alloy), one in head tube just above the lower headset bearing and another near the rear cable stop on the top tube, and route the cable internally.  any reasons why is this not a good idea?

bad idea -  getting the cable inside without  damaging it and will be a  pain, and  then stopping it chafing on the holes,

I'd have thought these problems could be mitigated by careful de-burring and/or use of cable grommets.  Also, use Schmidt coaxial cable so if the outer jacket gets chafed, it's only exposing the grounded conductor (it's also easier to work with).

No idea how much chafing from the steerer is likely to be an issue though.  Maybe if you inserted a bit of rolled plastic into the head tube to hold the cable away from the steerer.  Or just pull a fresh cable through when you replace the gear/brake outers.

Disclaimer:  I've only done internal cable routing on a bike frame designed for it.  I did drill and file the handlebar on barakta's trike for internal routing of a gear cable, which worked well enough, but that's not structural.

[Brucey]

i'm planning to drill two small holes in a frame (alloy), one in head tube just above the lower headset bearing and another near the rear cable stop on the top tube, and route the cable internally.  any reasons why is this not a good idea?

It is easy to overdo this; drilling holes in a frame is a perfect way of making sure that your frame warranty is no longer valid. It will also allow water into the frame in all new places, the steerer may chafe the cable..... there are lots of minor problems that might crop up.

 More importantly it might weaken the frame too; I've seen quite a few head tubes crack in aluminium frames, so giving it another excuse to do so wouldn't exactly be high up on my priority list. 

There are plenty of other ways of securing the cable, e.g. using helicopter tape, or winding it around the front brake cable until it is level with the top tube, then bridging across to the rear cable. If you have an exposed brake cable run on the top tube, use an external sleeve on it and tape the lighting cable to that.

If you want a neat job, you can use short lengths of heat shrink insulation to secure the lighting wires to the brake cables.

FWIW I prefer a lighting set whereby the whole shooting match can be removed from the bike in one go, wiring and all; this allows it to be modified/repaired/tested on the bench should the need arise.

cheers

[zigzag]

i'm planning to drill two small holes in a frame (alloy), one in head tube just above the lower headset bearing and another near the rear cable stop on the top tube, and route the cable internally.  any reasons why is this not a good idea?

bad idea -  getting the cable inside without  damaging it and will be a  pain, and  then stopping it chafing on the holes, wrapping  itself  around  the  steerer and cutting  itself apart on inevitable internal sharp edges + drilling an alloy frame = stress raisers + water ingress. 

i thought about all these, but can't see why is it a problem if everything is done properly. routing the cable inside should not be a problem with a guide line/wire, cable would be attached with glue/tape near the holes so it doesn't move, it would also be attached to the inside of head tube away from steerer tube. two small round holes should not become stress risers as they would be in relatively stress free areas (besides i'm not a heavyweight) and water ingress is not a problem at all - small drop of silicone sealant around the hole and job done!
any other potential issues?..

[zigzag]

i'm planning to drill two small holes in a frame (alloy), one in head tube just above the lower headset bearing and another near the rear cable stop on the top tube, and route the cable internally.  any reasons why is this not a good idea?

It is easy to overdo this; drilling holes in a frame is a perfect way of making sure that your frame warranty is no longer valid. It will also allow water into the frame in all new places, the steerer may chafe the cable..... there are lots of minor problems that might crop up.

 More importantly it might weaken the frame too; I've seen quite a few head tubes crack in aluminium frames, so giving it another excuse to do so wouldn't exactly be high up on my priority list. 

There are plenty of other ways of securing the cable, e.g. using helicopter tape, or winding it around the front brake cable until it is level with the top tube, then bridging across to the rear cable. If you have an exposed brake cable run on the top tube, use an external sleeve on it and tape the lighting cable to that.

If you want a neat job, you can use short lengths of heat shrink insulation to secure the lighting wires to the brake cables.

FWIW I prefer a lighting set whereby the whole shooting match can be removed from the bike in one go, wiring and all; this allows it to be modified/repaired/tested on the bench should the need arise.

cheers

thank you for the suggestions, no external wiring will look as neat as internal (i especially loathe the the cable wrapped in spiral around other bits - aesthetic crime ). frame warranty is not a concern and as mentioned above i'm struggling to find valid reasons not to route the cable internally. potential rattling of the cable inside could be solved with some double sided sticky tape around it.

[frankly frankie]

I have used the metal foil contained within ESGE (now SKS) mudguards - you have 3 separate conductors there.  Making good connections to the foil is tricky though.  In the end I preferred ribbon cable glued under the down tube and round the inside (side surface) of the mudguard.  Shortly after that I gave up on generators entirely.

[Brucey]

I have used the metal foil contained within ESGE (now SKS) mudguards - you have 3 separate conductors there.  Making good connections to the foil is tricky though...

tricky?  'Impossible' is more like it.

  I don't think that I have actually seen a working lighting setup of this sort; not one that has actually been used much, that is...  the problem is that the connections are both manifold and all liable to corrode.  The idea that anything as flakey as that should be used for something that is arguably 'safety critical' is rather worrying. 

I tried with corrosion resistant fasteners in fresh drillings and used extra seals as well as other water/corrosion proofing agents  and it 'worked' for about 12 months in daily use before failing in the usual predictable fashion.

BTW whether there are three, two or no separate conductors depends very much on how the rivets and other fasteners/brackets are mounted to the mudguards.

cheers

[aidan.f]

and water ingress is not a problem at all - small drop of silicone sealant around the hole and job done!

Brucey, You do know you need to use a neutral curing sealant ?
http://www.intek-uk.com/RTV%20382%20Non%20corrosive%20silicone%20adhesive%20sealant.pdf

[ElyDave]

Do B&M rear lights need the voltage limiter that comes with the shimano dynohub?

[Kim]

Do B&M rear lights need the voltage limiter that comes with the shimano dynohub?

No.  Well, not the LED ones anyway.