Dynamo Lights

I can't love the B&M Toplight enough. It's wicked. And Not Small. Who wants small? It's a rear light, you want it like a car-sized light in my book.

What do people think of these?

Powerful, but beam is too narrow (bright spot in middle), I'm forced to use this because of the compatible rear light

Better lights would be the B&M and Schmidt Edelux, the Edelux may not appear as bright, but they cover a much wider area and stop blinding people in front of you(major problem with the E3 as you have to dip it enough to prevent this).

For a very cheap and cheerful one, about £40 for the wheel/hub/lights and £15 for postage from Germany.

ebay.co.uk/itm/28-Front-Wheel­-Complete-Set-with-Hub-dynamo-Remodel-ki­t-Union-LED-20-Lux-/311309808855?hash=it­em487b82b4d7:g:cycAAOSwAF5UaMsJ

Just bought 26" wheel with Shimano dn30 series light for my bro in law from this seller, plus 35 lux front light and fairly basic rear, with cables, damn cheap and super fast delivery. Under 90 euros for the lot. Amaze.

just checked that ebay shop and he's got this disc one
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28-Front-wheel-Disc-Shimano-Hub-dynamo-and-160-mm-Brake-Disc-Disc-brake-/381180918498?hash=item58c0273ae2:g:yRAAAOSw8d9U1NjY

I'm assuming 28" front wheel is 700c? Am I wrong in this assumption?

I'm assuming 28" front wheel is 700c? Am I wrong in this assumption?

No, that's right. 28" is 700c.

Details are lower down:-

"
Rim: 28 "Exal ZX19 hollow rim 622x19 DIN 700 c (geößt)
"

did have a look further down, but must have missed that.

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but the only thing I'm not loving about my dynamo setup is the cable running along the top tube. My frame is Reynolds 725, drilling it should be OK, especially near the ends of the tube, right?

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but the only thing I'm not loving about my dynamo setup is the cable running along the top tube.

Other than drilling, I've seen some people run the cable down the down tube and then either up the seat tube (for a seat post mounted light) or NDS chainstay and up a rack (for a rack mounted light).

Thanks @Greenbank but it's more that I love how integrated and fit for purpose this permanent lighting system is, and I would like to run the cable internally to make the whole thing more tidy. If this bike didnt have carbon forks I would be tempted to drill them too.

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Not sure if this is the right place for this, but the only thing I'm not loving about my dynamo setup is the cable running along the top tube. My frame is Reynolds 725, drilling it should be OK, especially near the ends of the tube, right?

Righto, first post*. May as well jump right in eh.

I would say no to this plan. A way you could do it that I've seen done a fair bit is to add a bottle cage boss to the down tube near the head tube and routing the cable down to the BB. If you have a decent enough hole between the DT and the BB, this should be pretty easy. From here you can either drill a hole out of the BB, maybe between the stays, or maybe route along a chainstay. I'd recommend reinforcing the exit point on the stay somehow if you were to do that, but the first option would probably be easier. You could then run the cable up under the fender to a fender mounted light.

Wire pass-through between fender and downtube by somervillebikes, on Flickr

Taillight hot wire entering fender from bottom bracket. by somervillebikes, on Flickr

• - I'm here sniffing out a freight forwarder
  

@cornelius_blackfoot Seems @Greenbank has answered your question.

@StevePeel I feel your desire for cable routing. If there's one thing I now wish I'd sorted on the custom frame I had built in 2010, it would be good soultions for lighting routes. Like the wire-free contact-dropouts method, or just very neat routing.

If I were you, I'd invest in some red Sugru for the frame, black for your forks/rack, and use cableties to hold the wires where you want them (hairdrier to get them soft to straighten out kinks, maybe?), and promise yourself you'll let the Sugru set properly.

Also: why not route down the downtube instead of toptube? Much less unsightly.

Of course, drill your frame or whatever you want, but maybe try the best fix you can before compromising your nice frame.

@WestcoastPete Welcome! Thanks for a good first post.

Thanks @WestcoastPete that's a nice installation. I'll get the BB out and take a look at the access, sounds like a doable option exiting through the BB shell and clipping the cable to the nds chainstay. I would probably use a rivnut to reinforce the hole in the down tube.

@skully now I'm looking at custom framebuilders to replace a frame I love. I knew this would snowball...

I wish that I had included Dynamo wiring points on the Time Machine, I have ended up using a metre and a half of heat shrink to bind the Dynamo cable to the rear hydraulic hose.

I guess there's no option but to just do it internally if that's what you want, but it might also be pretty subtle to put heat shrink tubing or something like that on the gear cable on the downtube and route the taillight cable in it to the rear mech. And then drill the racks leg for the cable.

I just got a dynamo taillight too, and put the cable under the rear brake cable clips I have on the top tube, as there's no braze ons. And am looking for alternatives.

Took the advice here and reinstalled my lights. Nice little project - made a bracket to get the lamp out the way of cables which used to cast shadows. Invested in a soldering iron and redid the cabling, running the rear light cable in heatshrink down the front mech cable, along the chainstay and up the rack.

The heatshrink doesnt look as neat as I'd hoped but still much better than before. I'm happier having soldered connections rather than crimps too.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s197p3049

Good yeah?

Yes. You save a bit here.

http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/busch-mueller-lumotec-iq2-luxos-u-led-headlight-63073

88 quid plus postage? vs. 95 quid.
I think I'll buy local for that price difference.

Supernova E3 triple 2.
Will it be ok for off road?
Should I add some spade connectors to my cart to attach it to the hub (son28) and can you connect one of them tiny supernova rears to it?
Any other tips for additional connectors etc as it makes sense to put them in the same order as the lights from SJS rather than scratching around at a later date looking for spades and heat shrink.
Are the £10 supernova connectors worth it over 40p spades?

It will be fit and forget, no need to switch between bikes as I already have Edelux II on the fixie, the above is for an old cross bike, part commuter/trainer/fun bike.

Should I add some spade connectors to my cart to attach it to the hub (son28) and can you connect one of them tiny supernova rears to it?

I've just had this done on my bike, if you mean the E3 tail light.

Both my supernova lights are wired up (with the SON plate connectors on the forks) to a SON 28.

I really like the gold banana plugs, but don't buy the supernova ones. Can get cheaper and more compact versions on the 'Bay. They're useful for me as I swap my dynamo between bikes quite regularly.

Search for 2mm gold bullet connector.

Supernova E3 triple 2.

This light is technically illegal to use on the road in Germany.

As are most high powered Led lights.