Dynamo lighting

MichaelW

In the Bikeradar video: Buyer's guide to bike lights for commuting and road cycling, no mention is made of dynamo lighting.
I can't comment on the article (I can't, Bikeradar usernames don't allow it, I need to login using Yet Another Username)

I have been using a modern Shimano dyno-hub powering B&M Fly and Cyo. the system has provided fit and forget lighting, without a blip, for 5 years of everyday, all-weather use. the volume of useful illumination exceeds almost every other system on the road. the off-road systems I see use a powerful but simple, generic flood-light, not the aimed and concentrated beam of a dynamo lamp.
Running costs are zero, no replacement batteries after a year or 2 of recharges.

I wonder at the experience of Bikeradar reviewers if the best solution is unknown to them.

Long_Time_Lurker

You are right - it would be good for some reviews to take dynamos into account, but I assume that it is because the manufacturers don't hand thenm out to be reviewed.
And it does depends what you want from a light. From the reviews that I have read, the B&Ms aren't that good on unlit roads or at high speed.
The requirements for off-roading is completely different. Flooding is sometimes necessary/beneficial. I ride with a 'floodlight' and a headtorch (for a concentrated beam). I think that you need both if you are riding anything technical in the pitch black.
And it can be by-design - I would assume that the flooding effect is caused more by the shape of the unit and the mirroring around the light source.

John_1980

Hi MichaelW,

I was interested to read your post and will look out for any future replies.

I've been cycling for a very long time now but have only just recently started commuting daily by bike following a move having previously used the train followed by a short walk. Now I'll be commuting by bike year round in all weathers and so I'm having to consider the best lighting options for daily use.

I agree that it would be really useful to be able to read more reviews, including long term reviews if at all possible, of dynamo lighting systems. Whilst I completely understand that dynamo lighting will not be for everybody I think that it would be good for people buying lights to at least read about all types of lighting systems on offer in order to get some help and advice on what might suit their riding best.

As I've acknowledged above I know that a dynamo lighting system won't be for everyone. I understand that not everyone will want to get a hub dynamo and subsequently get a wheel rebuilt. In addition there maybe historical experiences have of older dynamos and halogen dynamo lights. However from what I have been able to read there have been big leaps forward with the advent of the use of LEDs in dynamo lights.

I completely appreciate that there will always be a greater percentage of reviews of battery powered lights because there are more of them on the market and they are the surely the most popular type of light in terms of sales. Therefore I can understand battery powered lights form by far the majority of lights reviewed.

Having said the above I for one am really attracted by the idea of getting dynamo powered lights for my bike. I like the idea of not having to worry about the risk of a battery running out on my commute and the convenience of not having to regularly take the batteries &/or lights off the bike to charge them.

There seems to be some good info about dynamo lighting on some US websites such as the one below. However it would be great to be able to get more reviews and opinions from the UK.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/headlights.asp

Perhaps if there were more coverage of dynamo lighting in the UK cycling media then perhaps dynamo lighting may gain in popularity as some people become aware that it could offer the right solution from them. Like I've said I'm not saying that dynamo lighting is for all but it would just be good to read more reviews of dynamo lights in typical UK conditions to see how they perform.

Thanks,

John

Long_Time_Lurker

Good post John.
I agree - I would be interested to see how the dynamo systems perform on my local trails in the winter.
(Maybe a manufacturer out there will send me a set to 'test'?)

KerSplosh

Here in Sweden, nearly all the bikes have dynamo lights (most have hub dynamos) - and we're almost at a stage where we're going to need them to and from work! However, when Im living in the UK I have a bottle dynamo fitted to my bike and it works well - though sometimes slips in the wet. Its not really a problem - I carry led lights too, but the output from the dynamo lights is such that Id need to recharge all the time if they were battery powered.

DrLex

I'm another happy hub dynamo user - a world apart from the awful bottle dynamos of my youth.
This is a good pdf on modern hub dynamos that may interest people. SJS cycles have a good range of dynamos and hubs, as of course do the popular German bike websites.