DYNAMO LIGHTING SYSTEMS
The benefits of using a hub
powered dynamo lighting system are well documented, but for some
reason have never become very popular in the U.S. Its hard to
understand why, when these systems offer better visibility, more
theft resistence and freedom from batteries and cold weather battery
failure.
To get started we're going
to need a front wheel with a dynamo hub. Options for the dynamo hub
itself are plentiful with a wide price range from around $40 to
around $350 depending on what you are looking for. From there you
pick your spokes and rim (or work with one of our wheel builders to
find the best wheel components for your needs) and then its time to
build a wheel. As a side note, there are also several options for
prebuilt dynamo hub wheels which may suit your needs, but a custom
build will offer a broader choice of components. We are also more
than happy to build a wheel for you ($45-$60 labor per wheel). You
will also have to choose your lights. Again, many brands and models
are available depending on how much light you need and what types of
features you want.
For this project we will be
using the following components:
-Hub:
Sanyo h27 hub. This is
a great budget minded model for folks who dont have extreme demands
on their lighting sytem.
-Spokes:
DT Swiss champion
spokes. DT ships their black spokes with aluminum nipples, which are
okay, but I always encourage customers to spend a little extra on
brass spoke nipples, they are less likely to round out or crack
during service, they are naturally corrosion resistent and they have
a much longer lifespan than alumimum at a small and exceptable weight
penalty. Side note: DT silver spokes ship with brass nipples.
-Rim:
We are re-using the
customer's stock Alexrims ID-19rim since this bike was only about 1
month old when they decided to upgrade to a dynamo system and the rim
is in new condition.
-Lights:
This customer chose
Busch&Muller for front and rear. The front light is the B&M
IQ Fly RT and the taillight is the B&M Toplight Line Braketec
Plus, both great choices for commuters, this headlight has daytime
running lights and the taillight has a standlight which stay lit up
when you are at a stoplight and also has a brake light which puts out
a brighter light when your bike comes to a stop so that traffice
around you knows what you are up to. Both add a lot of safety to
urban commuting.
Using the Phil Wood spoke
cutter
Preparing the spokes with
a coating of Wheelsmith Spokeprep
Lacing the wheel
Finished wheel being
installed in the fork
Wiring the light can be a
bit time consuming if you have never done it before, so give yourself
plenty of time, take it slow and pay close attention to how things
are looking. Nothing is worse than spending a lot of time on a
project and not liking how it looks at the end. You want to make sure
that the wiring is secured along the frame, has strain relief where
needed and doesn't interfere with any other components or moving
parts.
The tools you will need
are...
-wire stripper (preferably
with metric crimps)
-Zipties
-Marker
-Shrink Tubing (1/16"
and 1/8" optional, but very helpful)
-Heat Gun (a lighter will
work just fine)
-Various Wrenches (depending
on what type of fasteners your lights have)
Side note: We are always
more than happy to wire or re-wire dynamo lights for you in our
service department ($17 labor per light).
Mounting the front light
Installing the shrink
tubing to protect the wires and plugs
The rear light gets wired
into the system
Now its just a question of
running the wiring from the hub to the front light and from the front
light to the rear ligth. Keep the wire secured to the frame out of
the way of any moving parts. Make sure to have strain relief spots
near and junctions to avoid damage to the wires.
That ziptie on the frame
acts as strain relief. It allows the part sof the wire connecting to
the hub to stay loose and flexible so that no stress will be put on
the electric components.
Now, its time to go outside
and try it....
Even with all the ambient
light this headlight still shows up really well to oncoming traffic.
You'll also notice the light patch in front of the bike. This really
helps illuminate potholes and road debris. This light is fairly
average dynamo light, but its performance surpasses all but the high
end battery lights.
And here is a picture of
the taillight in action.
And here is a better photo
of the light patch.
Thanks for reading.
