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What’s wrong With Dynamo Powered Lights?
In my view, and in the view of many bicycle safety experts, dynamos are usually not an attractive option. This is for reasons of both cost and performance. Decent dynamo light sets are much more costly than decent battery powered lights, and the battery powered lights have vastly more superior illumination than even the most expensive dynamo powered system.
I'm always surprised that so many serious cyclists who otherwise recognize the equivalence of bicycles to other vehicles take exception to lighting requirements. I wouldn't dare operate a motorcycle with a 3W light, so I don't understand the recommendation to operate a bicycle (at often similar speeds) with such inadequate lights. Perhaps this was an accommodation to the technological limitations of the past, but in these times of readily available and relatively cheap, high-wattage alternatives, it seems a bad way to go.
Bottle Dynamos
Dynamos that rub against the tire rim have a few undesirable properties. They are noisy, they can slip when wet, and they wear the sidewall of the tire. The problem of slippage was solved on the higher end dynamos by the optional use of a material that provides more friction with the tire |
Hub Dynamos
Dynamos encased in the hub of the wheel has made resurgence recently. These work in any weather and they do not wear the sides of the tire. They produce some extra drag even when they are not engaged, but the additional drag is minimal. Retrofitting a hub dynamo means building a new front wheel with your existing rim and a new hub and new spokes.
Although these are ok products. We don’t sell them, a well built motor-assisted bike has a battery to run it’s front and rear lights. | If you cant live without one! I recommend Peter White Cycles | | Best 12V Bottle-Dynamo, (That I have seen). The Busch-Muller Dymotec S12 (12 volts/6 watts)
The best quality bicycle generator light set is based on the Busch-Muller Dymotec S12 12 volt dynamo. This dynamo can power a 5W headlight and a 1W tail light. The price for this system is quite high, around $250. USD.
|  | | | | | Hub Dynamos
These work in any weather and they do not wear the sides of the tire. They produce some extra drag even when they are not engaged, but the additional drag is minimal. Retrofitting a hub dynamo means building a new front wheel with your existing rim and a new hub and new spokes. There are some good ones out there,but they are expensive. Priced around $100.00 USD and up. |  | |
What’s the Bottom Line?
The most important thing is that cyclists that ride at night use adequate lighting. While the 12V/6W dynamos do produce adequate illumination, they are far too costly for most cyclists to consider. I wish that it were possible for inexpensive, dynamo powered lights to provide adequate illumination for commuting, but it isn't. Although I do recognize that a few people can afford nearly $250 for a 5W dynamo light. --- For commuting, where there is no problem charging batteries every night, a high power quartz-halogen set-up is more economical. What about the cheap models from ( K-Mart or Wal-Mart )? We wouldn't dare operate a motorcycle with a 3W light, so I would not recommend you operate your bicycle with such inadequate lights. Sales Policy Back |
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