Dynamo Hub and Lighting - Unlimited Power For Ultracycling Adventures

[@tubetri1]

I miss the Cycling part. I really liked it on your previous videos.. 🙂 Because this is what is is all about......

[@theroadprovides]

I’m away from home at the moment so made these in advance, some people think I show too much cycling but will be doing that when I’m back :)

[@David-hl6mr]

Strange comment, to me and most others the video IS about cycling.

[@inigoo.7698]

I love riding at night and in my opinion, in Spain at night, the problem is not the traffic. In low light any car can see you and there is little traffic, so this is not a problem in general. The real danger are the wild animals, there are more and more wild boars, foxes and deer that you can find in the middle of the night on the road. In many parts of Spain the problem are the rabbits, which are also attracted to the light of the bike and they head towards it so it is very difficult to avoid them. As usual, great video Andy. I take this opportunity to tell you that you have one of my favorite KZbin channel. PD: Sorry for my poor english.

[@theroadprovides]

Hey it’s better than my Spanish mate thanks for watching, watch out for the pesky rabbits!

[@WPKSC]

I ran out of battery in the Garmin on an Audax recently, and have invested in a power bank now to get me out of that situation, can charge the front light also from it whilst the light is on as loosing power suddenly makes you realise how stuck you are when it happens. I’ve also been looking at Dynamo options for maybe longer term but as you say Andy for the good ones they aren’t cheap. Another very useful and enjoyable video, thanks for sharing 😊👍👍

[@theroadprovides]

Thanks for watching bud :)

[@moobaz8675]

Love my Son dynamo on Hunt wheels. I run K-Lites with power splitter from Australia. Bonkers bright and they stay on for about 15-20 mins after I’ve stopped riding. Knowing I have lights and power to charge my devices is brilliant. I barely feel it charging and running my lights so very happy. Mind you I’m just slow. 😂

[@theroadprovides]

They’re not cheap but well worth the money I think

[@PaulFreeman1]

When I was researching advice for PBP in 2023, one of the comments that stuck out for me was to invest in a dynamo hub system. The advise being that you then forget about your lights and there is one less thing to forget about at a control when you've had 4 hours sleep in 3 days! Just get on the bike and pedal. I've got a sinewave wired in to charge stuff, but actually charge a powerbank when needed instead of the devices directly - you may need to charge a device at nighttime. I've not noticed the drag, it's just always on and you get used to it. If it is really noticable, maybe the hub needs servicing ?

[@theroadprovides]

I don’t notice it myself when riding either but just when the wheel is off the ground, spin it, then can kinda notice it

[@TurnCycling]

Powerbank and battery technology has come on so much in the last 6 years that I don't think there are many ultra racers that really need a dynamo any more. I've never used a dynamo set up and my set up for races like TCR and Via race lasts 3 full days before needing a plug socket. My set up for Silk Road would get my 6 days before needing a plug socket. Front lights can be brighter and will last 3-6 nights of 5-6 hours of night riding. Rear lights running on AA batteries will last 7 days. There are no fragile cables down near the wheel. Powerbanks and chargers are ubiquitous pretty much everywhere (okay maybe not in Kyrgyzstan) so it's easy to handle if something goes wrong. None of my human power is going into it (can't escape physics). And modern powerbanks can now regard at 90-140 watts. I have a 10k powerbank that goes from 0-95% in 35 minutes and a 24k powerbank that goes from 0 to full in 58 minutes - ie. a mcd's stop 🙂 Not saying this to say Dynamos are a bad idea it's just that there's always this view that as an ultra racer you have to use an expensive, slow charging and power sapping set up. A powerbank set up can be more effective in my view.

[@theroadprovides]

Defo two schools of thought on it, it’s like rim vs brake for ultra riders 😂

[@TurnCycling]

@@theroadprovides Luckily most people have come to their senses on the disk vs rim brake question :-)

[@theroadprovides]

Brakes just slow you down

[@ReneSaarsoo]

Great video. One of the best so far from you. More content, less filler. Keep it up.👍

[@mischaks]

Great video! Can confirm the peace of mind when you have a dynamo with you! You loose about 4-5 watt when switched on. Feels like a half gear slower on the casette. That is for me 4-5% of my power. Ca 1km/h, you loose therefore 20-30 min/ per night. Not the best option if you want to win a race.. The heavier and/or stronger you are, the lower is the proportion of power you loose! I have a dynamo for my audax bike, soon I will use it on my winter bike. I use only the front light because I dont like the wires to the back light. Running a back light with 2 AAA batteries that last for 2 days..

[@theroadprovides]

I just ran the cable for the rear under the frame bags :)

[@irondistance4313]

I agree for you it’s a no brainer. For me I just don’t ride long enough this year was the first time I put a light on my bike I’ve done two rides just over 7 hours in the last 3 years even next year I hope to do a 300k brevet. I hope to only be riding 3 or 4 hours after dark even then. I pretty sure the longest I would ride in the near future is 600k but over 2 days so I would try to plan a night stop to sleep where I could recharge. Plus my new bike is gonna have a really nice white industry hubs already so it would be a shame to scrap the front one😂. Love the video some day I might go dynamo the peace of mind if you need it is amazing

[@theroadprovides]

Hey, I didn’t need it either until recently but yeah even power banks are a good option too, it’s just one less thing to worry about for me. For a couple days a power bank is a better option for sure 😁

[@chrisjoyce5539]

Great video, thank you for your wisdom 😂

[@haqitman]

For some this may be the way to go. I love the idea of a dynamo hub but it's not a big deal to keep batteries charged up, and the thought that there's something slowing me down - even just a bit - doesn't sit well.

[@ruiteixeira6299]

I bought a solar powerbank, i thinks has the best of both worlds havent tested it.

[@theroadprovides]

That’s an interesting idea I’m gonna look into this too

[@ivarbrouwer197]

Doubt that really works: the solar panel is small, so probably has little yield and probably needs to be positioned really well continuously.

[@ivarbrouwer197]

So far, I have been using batteries, which always gives a level of stress, charging al devices. So, a Dynamo wheel would be a solution, but I have a bit of a dilemma: my gravel bike is a bit Weird with Disk brakes and quick release, my racing bike has standard Through axles and disk brakes. I am looking for a wheel that can work in both… (Maybe an adapter can work, which I know to exist, if that would be a durable solution)

[@theroadprovides]

You can probably get adapters, my dt Swiss have end caps that just pop off then can switch between thru axle and QR

[@cupidstunt1975]

I thought it was an electromagnetic coil inside, not friction, that creates the power. Might be worth double checking.

[@daniellarson3068]

Yes - Friction generally produces heat. Dynamos typically work on Lenz's law.

[@fuerLutzi]

He isn't a technician, apparently.

[@theroadprovides]

Friction may be the wrong word then, I’m not an expert no 😬

[@christopherhood9241]

started to look at the kLite system for lights for myself - an area i need to invest in. question - your front wheel, was this a custom build or is an off the shelf pusrhase ?

[@theroadprovides]

Hey, it’s off the shelf but then had the dynamo hub built into it

[@Lee-uj2gc]

How long do the lights stay on for after you come to a stop when powered by the dynamo?

[@theroadprovides]

Hey, quite a long time, the rear several hours and the front quite a while but starts to dim after 10-15 mins I’d say

[@wilfwilliams]

I have a son dynamo and a sinewave, something wrong somewhere, last week I wanted to recharge the power bank, plugged it in and it flattened it ! Got a hotel and charged in the wall plug. Weird as it kept the wahoo charged all the time ? Ideas anyone ? Ps good vid Andy

[@theroadprovides]

Thanks mate, hopefully someone here can help with that issue 😬

[@RavinCarper]

Is that a microphone ya holding?

[@theroadprovides]

No mate it’s my action camera using it as a microphone 😂

[@Jaqaroo]

Whenever I cycle at night or very early morning, being seen by cars and trucks is my main worry. I mean, even in daylight some drivers don't seem to notice cyclists...!

[@theroadprovides]

Totally agree, I leave my light on all day now. It’s so bright people see me coming and might be in my head, I think move a little more for me around the city

[@cheryleachus7137]

My childhood bike had a dynamo and I could never understand why they don't come as standard

[@stevemullin1195]

Are you using a brooks c17 saddle?

[@kge420]

I pretty sure in a video regarding his set up he said he was using a C-17.

[@theroadprovides]

I am yeah :)