Dynamo lighting that doesn’t slow you down in the daytime

[Biggsy]

Bombproof the wire to spade connections: solder, crimp, epoxy and heatshrink.  Do all four!  The epoxy and heatshrink provides strain relief.

[T42]

With the Secula you get two wee plastic plugs that will fit into the holes within which the connectors nestle.   However (as far as I could figure it out) if you put a spade clip on a wire and shove that onto the connector, so much of the clip remains outside the plug hasn't a hope of reaching the hole.  If you want to connect up simply by threading the wire through plug and through the hole in the connector (yes, they have holes in, dahling), bending it over and bringing the end back out, then pushing the plug down over the bent-back end - well, if you can manage that there's a future for you as a brain surgeon for ants.

So I have a Secula on each bike and four little plastic plugs swanning about the bench looking for a home.

[tatanab]

Bombproof the wire to spade connections: solder, crimp, epoxy and heatshrink.  Do all four!  The epoxy and heatshrink provides strain relief.

But not enough to satisfy my urge to consider a wheel removal with cold fingers on a dark night in the lanes.  Epoxy and to some extent solder just give stress points to fracture the wire if pulled - tried that 30 years ago.  Hence with my SON I have soldered contacts directly to the very tight fitting small spades and then fitted the other half of contacts to the wires which means that decoupling the wheel will be a doddle.  An expensive option I know http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/supernova-qr-gold-connector-set-with-integrated-shrink-wrap-prod21402/ 

[fuaran]

Or use a Shimano or SP hub instead, much easier to unplug the plastic brick.

[Samuel D]

Gee, I’ve only just got my SONdelux after weeks of deliberation and you tell me I made the wrong choice!

I am careful with cables. Even my three-year-old iPhone charging cable looks like new, while everyone else’s falls apart in months. Can’t imagine the spade connectors being a problem for me.

[Feline]

Gee, I’ve only just got my SONdelux after weeks of deliberation and you tell me I made the wrong choice!

I am careful with cables. Even my three-year-old iPhone charging cable looks like new, while everyone else’s falls apart in months. Can’t imagine the spade connectors being a problem for me.

You didn't make the wrong choice. You've bought a beautifully engineered bit of kit and won't regret it 

[Samuel D]

That’s better!

[Samuel D]

This story has an important final chapter.

When I got the slightly damaged wheels (see photos on page 5 of this thread), I dropped Spa Cycles an email saying they should know their packaging wasn’t up to snuff, at least to this part of the world.

I hadn’t asked for anything to be done about the hub scratches, so I wasn’t shocked to get no immediate reply. But in mid-November I got an email apologising for the shipping damage and offering a fat discount on my next order. I thought this was over the top, but I said I hoped to buy a Spa Audax frame in the future and would appreciate having the headset fitted for free. John P instead came back with an exceptionally good price on the Audax frame, prompting me to abandon all decorum and order it immediately.

Just thought it would be fair to put on record Spa’s effort to make amends for the shipping damage. I appreciated that, not to mention getting a nice new frame at a great price.

I still haven’t built the frame up (it’ll be after Christmas now), but the wheels are doing very well.

[jamesld8]

OT but a vote for Spa; recently requested a cheap rear wheel build--Ambrosio / XR2 rim for winter use and to go with their build of PV8 dyno / XR2 front.

Within a few hundred km it was well out of true and the bearings were getting loose, ie wheel bearing wobble, bearings felt very rough. So not good, disappointed---contacted Spa , sent wheel back and received brand new (not a rebuild) wheel within a few days as well as full reimbursement of my P&P sending wheel back.

Very top marks for customer service and John P sorting it so quickly.