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edscoble
Chak
I've just taken the plunge into dynamo lights after a friend did the same a few weeks ago due to his commute being along dark unlit country lanes. He bought a 2nd hand ready built dynamo wheel on ebay for about £40 but then blew over £200 on a set of Supernova lights.
My plan was similar but I wanted to start with as low a budget as possible and still get half decent parts. I bought a brand new Model DN-3N71 on ebay from Merlin Cycles for £25 posted. Being a wheelbuilder I built myself a new front wheel onto a used but ok rim. Bike24 in Germany then provided me with a B & M Cyo (60 lux version) and a Toplight XS for 63 Euros (48 GBP) posted. My wheel is now 400g heavier than the previous one.
I've only used this set up twice but am very impressed with the result. The first was last Wednesday riding from Much Hadham in Hertfordshire to SE London. Dark country lanes lit up so well that you could see where you were going with no fear of batteries dying. The second time was yesterday on an audax ride (the main reason for going dynamo) where I knew I would be riding dark country lanes for 3-4 hours after sunset. Performed perfectly giving me the confidence to ride at normal speed. Coupled with the GPS I could see ahead to how the road would bend and the light showing me any bumps or potholes. More respect from cars too.
I thought I would upgrade when I had tested my current set up more thoroughly but even at this low budget I'm quite impressed with the result and may just stick with it for while and perhaps even do the same with my other bike.