What is the best dynamo hub for touring?

[mnichols]

I am looking to build a new front wheel for light weight touring

I'll be carrying two small light panniers on the back and nothing on the front

The bike is a titanium enigma etape with a carbon fork

The wheel/tyre will be 25mm

I want something with very low drag (zero when not charging) small, light to provide backup power via USB to my garmin, phone and a nice to have would be a phone - which I haven't bought yet

I want tidy or invisible cabling and integrate a USB port into headset cap. Can I bring the cables through the headset?

When not touring I will use my other wheel

Oh, and I don't want it to look like a massive dynamo hub

[Heltor Chasca]

I've just had a wheel built with a Shimano XT Dynamo. Almost no drag, powers my B&M lights perfectly and charges my iPhone which I run the Runtastic app. Unfortunately not at the same time though [emoji17]. Can't have everything. Get some little cable ties and route the cables secretly. You'll forget they are there. Or get a black bike [emoji12]

EDIT There's a stem cap USB that you can route the cables through too although I've only seen it on another bike so I have no experience...hc

[andrew_s]

Zero drag (rather than very low drag) means being able to disengage the generator when it's not in use. There are only 2 such dynohubs that I know of. These are the Renak Enparlite 2, an the SP Dynamo HB-11/13/15/17.
The Renak generator is small, similar to a bottle dynamo inside, with a disengageable gear train inside to speed up the hub revolutions to something fast enough to work with such a small generator. It's small, but you'll have to google for reports on how noisy it is, or how much drag there is (bear in mind that there was a version 1, which will have been worse). And good luck finding one
The SP generator is a fairly normal hub dynamo, but with a switch that will move the magnets and the windings apart so there's no power and no drag. It's "a massive dynamo hub" in appearance.

It's far easier just to use a regular dynohub.
The smaller models are the SON SONdelux or the SP SV8/SD8. These were originally intended for use with small, faster spinning 20" wheels, but are often used with 700c because of the lower drag. They still give enough power for lighting, but tend not to be so good when powering chargers or similar power hungry devices.
Regular hubs (Shimano, SON 28 or SP PV8/PD8) are better at supplying power, but give marginally more drag (not that you would be normally be able to tell the difference).

If you want a USB port in the head cap, that sounds like the Tout Terrain/Supernova "The Plug". It normally uses wires fed up inside the steerer tube from the fork crown. This is the only such option.
Schmidt (SON) do have an option to take the power from the hub via connections built into the dropouts, so there are no plugs to connect or disconnect, and with wires that go up inside the fork blades, It's custom built frames only though.

[willem jongman]

Since you asked about the best, I think the answer is the Schmidt hubs. Others have improved, but the SON hubs are still the best. Personally, I would consider dropping the idea of charging gadgets. This summer, I used a Garmin Etrex 30 gps for the first time. I had chosen this model because it is the smallest and lightest model, and lasts longest on a set of batteries (and it is the cheapest). I had been led to believe that that would be about two days, and that indeed was what I achieved with a set of older batteries. However, one set of new quality Eneloop types (Ansmann 2500) lasted five full days. This was riding preloaded tracks rather than making the gps do the hard work of calculating a route. Other models, and particularly the touch screen models, use far more battery power, however. I have a SON 28 hub, but I have now decided that I don't need the extra expense and extra weight and hassle of an E-werk or the like. Keep it simple, and just take enough rechargeables for your trip. If your luck runs out, you can always buy a few AA's. Take a little wall charger for a long trip. I only switch on my phone for a few minutes each day, to keep in touch with the family, so that will last for ages as well. If you decide to take this route, the SONdelux hub will be enough for your lights. I have the older model SON for 28 inch wheels, and my wife the model for 20 inch wheels (both on 26 inch wheels). The difference in light output with Edelux lights is invisible, other than at very low speeds. With lights on, I can clearly notice the difference in drag and vibration level, however. Not with lights off.

[foxyrider]

SP8 will fit your requirements, i'm using the disc version atm and at first glance you wouldn't think it was anything but a disc hub! Pop on an Axa Pico30 for lighting and Bobs your uncle.

Must admit that the charger thing is something i'm not fully convinced of, this looks like the neatest of the options http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/supe ... aid:713880 but its a chunk of dosh. Up to now i've managed using 'free' power at campsites and hotels to keep everything powered so i need some convincing!

[iviehoff]

Personally, I would consider dropping the idea of charging gadgets.

What's the point of having a dyno hub on your touring bike if you don't charge gadgets with it? For touring, your lighting needs are small and some small, cheap LED battery lights for use occasionally (pub to campsite) will be much lighter and cheaper. Different matter if it is your commuting bike.

[honesty]

the article here gives a bit of a run down on the current ways of charging from dynamos. I went for the B&M Luxos U light because I liked the idea of everything in one, and the handlebar button. Its worked really well for me so far, charging my garmin 800 from low battery notification to full in about 30 miles of cycling whilst being used. the obvious downside is that you cant use a different light with it, but the luxos U light is very good so thats not a problem (apart from being huge, and not looking as good as some others)

[willem jongman]

I like good lights, and there are enough occasions when I need them. Imagine you have got your planning wrong, and you are arriving much later at a campsite, and even more so if you are riding a forest trail to get there. Or riding in bad weather or in a tunnel. Do you never go to the pub in the evening? Sure, if all of this happens only very rarely, a good battery taillight and some little Petzl headlight may be all you need (or better a cheap sidewall generator and a basic generator headlight). I need more, and I think many do.

[foxyrider]

I like good lights, and there are enough occasions when I need them. Imagine you have got your planning wrong, and you are arriving much later at a campsite, and even more so if you are riding a forest trail to get there. Or riding in bad weather or in a tunnel. Do you never go to the pub in the evening? Sure, if all of this happens only very rarely, a good battery taillight and some little Petzl headlight may be all you need (or better a cheap sidewall generator and a basic generator headlight). I need more, and I think many do.

I think in a decades worth of summer tours i've only once needed lights and not had them - but i was on a lit cycle route anyhow. I've never toured with a dynamo, small led lights have got me through tunnels and if i go to the pub i walk. I always plan to be at my overnight stop by 18.00, again only once has this been missed, and in summer there is usually good light far beyond that.

My commuter bike which i will use for the 2015 trip has a dynamo but i'm not convinced i need it for a 2 week summer tour.

[mnichols]

My primary requirement is as a backup source of power for my garmin and phone. I'm cycling from Canada to Mexico next year and whilst I am planning to stay in motels I thought that having backup power would be a good idea as I'm using an inland route which can be remote.

Im planning to cycle during the day so battery powered lights will be fine

My phone is also my backup GPS, map, hotel paper work, camera, video, email, etc,etc so is equally important

The hub option is starting to look expensive for my requirements

I do have a small battery that will provide one charge to either and can then be recharged when I have power - maybe this is enough?

What about solar?

[willem jongman]

That clarifies things. In remote areas I would indeed also like some backup and even produce my own electricity. Solar is getting better, but heavily dependent on where you are. In your area it may be quite viable. As for the rest, I think you need to distinguish between gps and phone. As I said, the right kind of gps can last a long time if it does not need to work hard (can you design and load tracks in advance?). Phones consume rather a lot. On the other hand, you can buy these external battery packs that will give you a couple of extra charges for your phone (buy serious quality). If you take a e.g. netbook (I don't, but many do), its battery can serve the same function. The other advantage of an external battery pack is that it does not matter that much if it gets stolen. My Etrex 30 cannot be charged from usb power, however.

[mnichols]

I will be planning and downloading my routes in advance onto a garmin 800. I'll keep my phone on...so that I can take quick snaps, but power hungry functions like GPS, wifi and Bluetooth will be switched off when not in use so should last a day, maybe longer in airplane mode.

My friend will also have a garmin so we could keep one switched off rather than having both switched on, maybe same with the phone.

So backup battery maybe enough?

[gplhl]

Headset plug by tout terrain. I'm using one on my current tour. Cabling is routed through the steerer tube.

One problem with it which I emailed them about but they have not acknowledged is that when riding under a speed that provides enough charge to a connected device, the led blips periodically and sends power to the device for a split second. Enough for an iphone or other device to light up and think it'd been connected for charging, therefore running down the device! On my bike/wheel setup this is 8mph.

That said it'd still been good, when riding at a speed that causes a problem I pull out the lead.

There's more info on my bike/dynamo/hub on my website.

Gary
www.longbikeride.co.uk

[Aushiker]

I have a SON 28 dynamo, a Shutter Precision PD-8 Black and a Shimano Deore XT DH-T785 dynamo. I have listed them in the order I rate them from best to worst. That said I really notice little difference between the SON and the Shutter Precision dynamos. The SHimano however does have noticable drag at low speeds which is probably more noticable because it is on my off-road touring bike.

Buying a new now? I would probably consider a Shutter Precision PD-8X.

This is what the Australian distributor, KLite.com.au has to say on them

The new SP PD-8X sets an entirely new standard for hub dynamos. It is more efficient, technologically advanced and simpler than competing hub dynamos while also being 40 grams lighter in weight than any QR15 hub dynamo available. Current tests show the PD-8X to have achieved a new record breaking efficiency of 78 percent (i.e. watts of mechanical energy converted directly in watts of electrical energy - minus wasted muscular effort that would otherwise be propelling rider and bicycle forward), ranking it above the SP 8 series hub dynamos which previously ranked highest in the world at 72 percent.

Andrew

[pete75]

Since you asked about the best, I think the answer is the Schmidt hubs. Others have improved, but the SON hubs are still the best. Personally, I would consider dropping the idea of charging gadgets. This summer, I used a Garmin Etrex 30 gps for the first time. I had chosen this model because it is the smallest and lightest model, and lasts longest on a set of batteries (and it is the cheapest). I had been led to believe that that would be about two days, and that indeed was what I achieved with a set of older batteries. However, one set of new quality Eneloop types (Ansmann 2500) lasted five full days. This was riding preloaded tracks rather than making the gps do the hard work of calculating a route. Other models, and particularly the touch screen models, use far more battery power, however. I have a SON 28 hub, but I have now decided that I don't need the extra expense and extra weight and hassle of an E-werk or the like. Keep it simple, and just take enough rechargeables for your trip. If your luck runs out, you can always buy a few AA's. Take a little wall charger for a long trip. I only switch on my phone for a few minutes each day, to keep in touch with the family, so that will last for ages as well. If you decide to take this route, the SONdelux hub will be enough for your lights. I have the older model SON for 28 inch wheels, and my wife the model for 20 inch wheels (both on 26 inch wheels). The difference in light output with Edelux lights is invisible, other than at very low speeds. With lights on, I can clearly notice the difference in drag and vibration level, however. Not with lights off.

With a dynohub one usually has a front light. Front lights with a built in USB charger are available so no extra gadgets are really required for charging a phone or whatever. I use an android phone with Alpinequest for navigation and use an Axa Luxx 70 to charge it. The phone will last about 10 hours on a charge using Alpinequest so on a trip lasting more than a day a charging system on the bike is needed - I don't usually stay in hotels or other places with mains electricity. It all seem to work without problems