eeksll wrote:Also I found it very hard to get enough information to know exactly what I needed to do and buy to install it before parting with cash .... if you can speak german, you might do better there though.
As for the cost of setting up a dynamo light set, my bike is my transport. I considered what sort of money I'd be prepared to pay for the lighting system on my car. Then considered these lights are protecting my life. The costs reduced in significance quite a bit to me after this.
“The pain of poor quality lasts long after the joy of a cheap price”..... or to put it another way, the pain of a high price disappears quickly while you enjoy the value of high quality for a long time.
Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.
eeksll wrote:Also I found it very hard to get enough information to know exactly what I needed to do and buy to install it before parting with cash .... if you can speak german, you might do better there though.
[url=<a class="vglnk" title="Link added by VigLink" href="http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/lightingsystems.htm]Peter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/lightingsystems.htm]Peter</a> White Cycles[/url] is a good starting point.
As for the cost of setting up a dynamo light set, my bike is my transport. I considered what sort of money I'd be prepared to pay for the lighting system on my car. Then considered these lights are protecting my life. The costs reduced in significance quite a bit to me after this.
“The pain of poor quality lasts long after the joy of a cheap price”..... or to put it another way, the pain of a high price disappears quickly while you enjoy the value of high quality for a long time.
This.
It's not that expensive either. I landed a Shimano hub (not as nice as a Schmidt, but I've used one for years, no complaints) plus front and rear B&M lights for about $200 last year. Both lights and hub have been excellent.
The only reason it is expensive is when you try and get the premium stuff, agreed. My poor skinny legs can't give up any more watts than absolutely necessary!
The only reason it is expensive is when you try and get the premium stuff, agreed.
Pretty much top level dynahub set-up (with Shimano, not Schmidt) for a total cost (shipped to your door) of $A186. Really not so sure about this 'expensive' bit
Xplora wrote:My poor skinny legs can't give up any more watts than absolutely necessary!
I've been using a dynohub for the past 3-4 years. Believe me when I say, you will really not notice the difference - especially if you go for Schmdit, but even the Shimano dynohub is quite unnoticeable. I roll downhills just as fast as my non-dynohub mates.
Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.
its the sort of thing I'd like to test out for myself, is the $200+ hub worth getting over the $40 hub. On top of that it needs to be built into the wheel further making a upgrade later on a worthwhile exercise.
But I do like the idea of the dynamo, maybe next year, this year/right now I am spending on disc brake upgrade. Although I DO need a new wheel for this, so it is actual the ideal time to do it .... since I need to spend around 130 on a wheel anyway ... not that my budget on this hasn't already been blown out ... sigh ... SIGH
il padrone wrote:Pretty much top level dynahub set-up (with Shimano, not Schmidt) for a total cost (shipped to your door) of $A186. Really not so sure about this 'expensive' bit
Any chance you can repost ... the link did not seem to work, must be linked to your cookies.
Busch + Müller Lumotec IQ Cyo Senso Plus LED Front Light 175QSNDi - 50,34 € Busch + Müller Toplight Line Plus LED Rear Light 323ALT - 21,76 € Shimano Deore XT DH-T780L Hub Dynamo black Number of Spoke Holes: 32 holes - 54,54 €
Total Product Value excl. VAT - 126,64 €
Shipping and Handling - 19,95 € Total Value excl. VAT - 146,59 € VAT included - 0,00 €
With today's exchange rate this comes out to $A186, like I said, to your door.
Some good footage of what these lights look like..... in daylight...... and after dark (click on the smaller panels for separate sections of the video) [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKtN93BObkI&feature=player_detailpage#t=53s[/youtube]
Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.
il padrone wrote:Busch + Müller Lumotec IQ Cyo Senso Plus LED Front Light 175QSNDi - 50,34 € Busch + Müller Toplight Line Plus LED Rear Light 323ALT - 21,76 € Shimano Deore XT DH-T780L Hub Dynamo black Number of Spoke Holes: 32 holes - 54,54 €
This is essentially (exactly?) what came with my Vivente WR. I can say from my one week experience that it's a great setup. Only issue with dynamo lights is that they do not have a strobe feature and most of them are designed to light the path and not cause glare to other road users.. great on cycle paths at night but also reduces you visibility to motorists. Best to combine a dyno light with a cheap LED blinking light for that bit of extra notice if riding on the road at night.
Check out my practical cycling and cycle touring website:VELOPHILE AUSTRALIA
elStado wrote:great on cycle paths at night but also reduces you visibility to motorists. Best to combine a dyno light with a cheap LED blinking light for that bit of extra notice if riding on the road at night.
Lack of visibilty is definitely not an issue with the headlight. My own observations of friends and responses to me by motorists tells me the lights are very clearly seen, especially the headlight. I do like a blinky tail-light as a secondary, but don't see a need for the front.
I've just ordered this one, to go on my rear muguard - PDW Fenderbot, just released.
Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.
The only reason it is expensive is when you try and get the premium stuff, agreed.
Pretty much [url=<a class="vglnk" title="Link added by VigLink" href="http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=9;navigation=2;menu=1000,2,98;mid=2;page=1]top" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=9;navigation=2;menu=1000,2,98;mid=2;page=1]top</a> level dynahub set-up[/url] (with Shimano, not Schmidt) for a total cost (shipped to your door) of $A186. Really not so sure about this 'expensive' bit
Xplora wrote:My poor skinny legs can't give up any more watts than absolutely necessary!
I've been using a dynohub for the past 3-4 years. Believe me when I say, you will really not notice the difference - especially if you go for Schmdit, but even the Shimano dynohub is quite unnoticeable. I roll downhills just as fast as my non-dynohub mates.
According to Schmidt (http://www.nabendynamo.de/produkte/SONdelux.html), the difference between their hub and a Shimano is about 4W at 30km/h. That's really not a big deal. Anyone who isn't riding full-blown race tyres and latex tubes is probably losing an order of magnitude more from their tyre choice. There are other reasons to choose them (like durability/maintainability; my first-generation Shimano hub is on bearing cone number three) but IME Shimano hubs are just fine.
Premium AKA Schmidt SONdelux and matching light comes out to a VERY intense amount of cash iirc considering that the hub is just that - a hub, that needs to be put into a wheel. The overall expense of the hub, wheel build and lights really can't be overstated. I vaguely recall it was going to cost 700 bucks to redo both wheels and add the eDelux schmidt light. I would upgrade both wheels, not point trying save cash if you're putting nice stuff onto your cromoly steed. Maybe that included Pitlocks as well? You can burn a lot of cash on these things, hence why I was so pleased with my MagicShine before it had reliability issues (YAY back on topic)
Xplora wrote:The overall expense of the hub, wheel build and lights really can't be overstated. I vaguely recall it was going to cost 700 bucks to redo both wheels and add the eDelux schmidt light.
You are inflating the cost of a dynohub system quite a lot.
From Starbike:
Starbike wrote:Mavic XM 719 32H. black - 47.90 € SON 28 dynamo hub 32H silver - 199.00 € DT Swiss Alpine III 2.34/1.8/2.0 mm incl. silver brass nipple 254 mm0.70 - 22.40 € starbike.com wheel building service - 24.50 € Busch & Müller Toplight Line plus rear carrier light (323ALT) - 20.90 € Busch & Müller Lumotec IQ Cyo T senso plus (175QTSNDi) - 64.90 €
20.00 € - Shipping (insured) - 63.80 € - less 19% VAT 335.80 € - Total sum
Nowhere near $700 for this complete dynohub wheel
$424 for the wheel and all lights. This is a top-line set as well. There are cheaper options in the headlight choice and the dynohub. Then you could also simply go for a sidewall dynamo for a much lower cost.
Xplora wrote:I would upgrade both wheels, not point trying save cash if you're putting nice stuff onto your cromoly steed. Maybe that included Pitlocks as well? You can burn a lot of cash on these things, hence why I was so pleased with my MagicShine before it had reliability issues (YAY back on topic)
Absolutely no reason to upgrade both wheels. Pitlocks are an option (not overly expensive), but the Schmidt hub already comes with a more secure hex-key skewer.
Reliability is what the Schmidt excels at These lights, with senso operation and standlight for stationary moments, are a 'set and forget' lighting system. The value of high quality endures long after the pain of a higher price is gone.
Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.
The sondelux was a bit pricier (I've got disc brakes as well!), and once you add the second wheel it is starting to approach the 500++ mark. Like I said... it was a choice I made and I'm not dissatisfied with the direction I've taken, if 808E finally dies then I'll reconsider, especially since I've committed to keeping the Kona as a dedicated commuter, not a fast bike
I have one of the original magicshine headlight sets. It has been going great, however, I have an issue with the connections.
Has anybody pulled the headlight apart to replace the wire and connector? If so, are you in sydney or do you have some info to help me figure out how to do it without hurting it?
cheers Glenn
----------- "Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever" Lance Armstrong
r2160 wrote:I have one of the original magicshine headlight sets. It has been going great, however, I have an issue with the connections.
Has anybody pulled the headlight apart to replace the wire and connector? If so, are you in sydney or do you have some info to help me figure out how to do it without hurting it?
cheers Glenn
This might help
Les 06' Giant TCR C1 08' Colnago CLX 07' Apollo Swift VW Jetta Diesel 5.5l/100km
----------- "Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever" Lance Armstrong
Comedian wrote:I'm just about to retire mine again until next winter. Two full years of faultless operation.
mine will stay on for commuting, just in case i get stuck at work - definitely not needed on the weekend rides
I find the size, weight and general hassle isn't warranted for me. I put a small 2watt smart light on instead. Given its light now at 5 and not dark until 6:15 for the odd occasion I get caught outside those times the little AA light is good enough.
Many of the people I ride with have already switched to knog type "be seen" lights so I'm still over the top.
Once you can climb hills on a bike it's all downhill.
Hopefully I'll know what that's like..... one day.
Comedian wrote:I'm just about to retire mine again until next winter. Two full years of faultless operation.
I retired mine permanently this year after too many wiring failures (principally from plugging and unplugging the stupidly tight plugs).
Now gone cordless (Philips Saferide) and loving it.
My MS is dying also. The wire is broken somewhere near the plug. Can't understand why they made the plug so tight, the wire so weak and did not include an isolation switch. Can you give me a rough review of this light? How does it compare light wise to the MS and what is the runtime like on full and low settings?
These lights, with senso operation and standlight for stationary moments, are a 'set and forget' lighting system. 
