Dynamo Lights

I’m going off the drilling idea. Getting dentistry is a nightmare in 2020 ;-)

I may instead use some ptfe tube, run it externally up the outside of the post, then somehow coil wire there for the occasions I run a rack (and want the light fitted there).

TL:DR I’m changing the brief.

hmmm. Are you set on saddle mounted or would you consider something like the SON seat post mount? Could be quite tidy if you ran cable into this TT internal routing (still struggling to picture it, I'm assuming it is something like an internal rear brake routing).

A seatpost mount would be fine if the light can still be quickly fitted to the on-off rack. I do want the light on the rack rather than saddle/post when the rack is in use because I often strap a drybag/tent/watermelon onto the top of the rack.

Pictured are the light and saddle mount I’m going to try. The front light is a B&M IQ-X.

A Son or Supernova seatpost light are neater, but (I think) can’t be moved between rack and saddle/seatpost.

I'm assuming it is something like an internal rear brake routing

Yes, basically. Quite like a traditional rear brake routing. In through the headtube and out just before the seatpost.

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No idea!
But it worked with the battery and now works with the nasty cheap shimano hub. I'm converted. I've always earthed through the frame but I'm hopeful that this set up will be trouble free.
Went for a ride just now and the road was on fire! Stand light works, which is worrying because now if I pop in to a shop I leave a beacon outside.
Only downside is that having no warranty I'll have to carry battery backups, but I would probably need to anyway.

Does anyone have any tips for a good tutorial for all this low volt stuff. Trying to find a simple tutorial for soldering parallel cables (ie my front and rear lights) on the interwebs and cam only find complex diy stuff...

If you want to run the same light to a rack and seat post/saddle, my guess is you'll need an extension of wire for the rack option.

If it were me I'd have a SON coaxial connector where it comes out of the frame. Into this plug the seat post mounted light when not using the rack, or plug in the rack mounted option when you have the rack on.

Some good videos here:

https://www.velolumino.com/support

Thanks! I'll have a look

I’ll try asking again.

Where would be the appropriate place to put a split for a charging device? Before or after the headlight? .

I’m thinking the charger will be either sinewave or igaro or the like. Nothing integrated. I’d rather put it in a bag.

I have a split between the head and the rear light on the downtube atm. Maybe put a coax connection there to plug in charger when in need?

Before headlight. After will be a smaller current I would think. Must charging devices will want their own, unregulated current.

Sinewave has it's own output though doesn't it?

Thanks. I thought maybe if i switched off the head light it would just pass through. HL is supernova E3 pro.

I mean sinewave revolution. Very similar to igaro.

Before 100%
Charge or light. Not both

Thanks!

Anyone running just a front light from their dynamo? Is it a daft setup?

I was about to buy a jtek hub to build a front wheel for my do it all bike but then realised that the idea behind cutting back to one fixed bike is that I can quickly go from guards and 32 slicks to no guards and 38 knobblies to hit up rougher stuff.

Chucking a dynamo and cabling to the back of the bike in the mix is only going to complicate that transition so I can't decide on what to do.

I did for a long time on my Day One and had convinced myself it was stronger because there wasn’t any rear power drain. Probably complete bollocks, but eventually chucked a cheap B&M secula on because I hadn’t bought any bike stuff in a while.

Don’t have to fit it to the guards as well - could stick it on the stays or seatpost

Could get an axa bottle dynamo.

Edit- sorry misunderstood what the issue was!

Aye, I wouldn't fit the rear light to the guard, I'd make a bracket to mount it at the seat stay wishbone probably, it's more just the faff of removing the cabling (which I'm not too sure how I'd do anyway) and the lights when I want to switch the 'usage mode' of the bike.

I've got the front guard set up nice and quick to remove with just the 2x m5 bolts for the stays and the nut from a v brake pad at the crown, the rear guard is 4x m5 bolts and 1x m6 nut and bolt.

Both my wheelsets are 15mm nuts on the rear, qr up front so swap over should be sub 5 minutes with the current set up.

I'm not sure front light only from the dynamo really makes sense.

I forgot I'd taken my lights up to the flat to charge them and had to run back up from the garage to get them the other day. Having a rear light that still needs charged seems like a half arsed job.

Could get an axa bottle dynamo.

That's just given me a thought actually, front dynamo hub & light with something like a reelight on the rear.

"...bottle dynamo..."

Do I just get a Velogical rim drive dynamo and keep the lights on the bike whichever wheelset I'm using?

Velogical are noisy and need a good amount of setup. Why not get an AA rear light and a front dynamo like you mentionned ? Whats wrong with it ? And if you find it boring to think about your rear light, you could always add a rear light somewhere with co-axial connectors.

Strangely I’d not considered a rear with actual batteries even though Mrs M_V just fitted such a thing to her rack.

I’d like something that can be fairly permanently attached to the bike. A mudguard mounted light probably fits the bill.

A hub powered rear light makes a nice backup light. I always have to keep a rear light charged anyway (because I need at least two lights and one of them should be either powerful or flashing - dynamo rear lights are neither).

I do always need a decent headlight where I live. So yeah, my fixed has a dynamo for front only.

A mudguard mounted light probably fits the bill.

Don’t buy a Spanninga Pixio! Mine is fucking bullshit.

FWIW I think mudguard lights are best if they weight very little (so that guards last longer). Dynamo rear lights have an advantage there.

The reelight is quite interesting. Don’t think I’d choose it over a dynamo hub as I dont really like the idea of things being strapped down on the frame near the wheels. But yeah suggested the bottle so you don’t have to worry about wheel swaps so much and the light system stays with the frame

I’d like something that can be fairly permanently attached to the bike. A mudguard mounted light probably fits the bill.

I use one of these as a back up to my dyno rear light. It has a clip on the back so I cut a strip of stainless ~15 x 60mm, a bit of a bend lower down and drilled it to mount off the SS bridge, pointing up. Light mounts on that. A short bit of inner tube over the strip means the clip grips solidly. Gaciron stuff is good quality and it looks fine on a classic style audax bike.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gaciron-W08-Bike-Tail-Rear-Rechargeable-Light/193614146766?hash=item2d144d6cce:g:P-YAAOSwUxxfK-Xh