Friction-Driven Dynamos on Bicycles

• 

  retiredfeline on 14/11/2017 - 10:42

  I thought those drag inducing generators went out of vogue now that LED lights consume little power. But might give you a bit more exercise.

  • 

    peterpeterpumpkin on 14/11/2017 - 11:16

    Yeah I thought so too but riding at night a lot makes 15 hours feel like nothing. I've heard some lights claim over 80 hours (or more in flashing mode) and I read some good reviews of the Knog Pop. I think the move to multiple AAA batteries is not fit for its purpose. Of course different batteries have different effects but I find the light intensity does taper off very quickly.

• 

  Euphemistic on 14/11/2017 - 10:46

  They aren't going to be as bad as the Simpsons episode, but the more power you want out of them the more you need to put in.

  You get what you pay for, there is a reason the hub dynamos are more expensive.

  • 

    endotherm on 14/11/2017 - 12:55

    They aren't going to be as bad as the Simpsons episode

    That's exactly how I remember them from my childhood. Normally cartoons exaggerate, but I didn't find it funny because it was so true.

• 

  Diji1 on 14/11/2017 - 10:57

  +2

  I was put off the tyre-friction ones by an old Simpsons episode.

  Do you make other conscious decisions based on cartoons as well?

  • 

    altomic on 14/11/2017 - 12:03

    +2

    discarded pizza boxes are an inexpensive source of cheese

    • 

      Kangal on 14/11/2017 - 12:48

      +2

      You don't make friends with salad

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 14/11/2017 - 13:28

        Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts!

• 

  WatchNerd on 14/11/2017 - 11:15

  +2

  So are you saying that you have been a professional since 2012 & you don't own any Eneloops?

  • 

    Kangal on 14/11/2017 - 12:49

    +1

    Ah, good eye. He's gotta hand back his OzB card now.

• 

  cannedhams on 14/11/2017 - 11:45

  The dynahubs are expensive, but they're pretty good. I've used them in Japan and you barely notice that they're there. At least the newer ones, the older ones do tend to drag some.

  The ones that rub on the tyre wall are not so great. You lose some efficiency in the transition from tyre to the little spindle, also, the spindle itself is quite small and spins at quite a high rotation, and after a while, and a bit of exposure to sun and rain and whatnot, it starts to make a noise and become a bit of hard work. The dynahubs are enclosed and so resist the weather quite well.

• 

  altomic on 14/11/2017 - 12:02

  +2

  I was put off the tyre-friction ones by an old Simpsons episode.

  • 

    Kangal on 14/11/2017 - 12:50

    No sound?

• 

  tsunamisurfer on 14/11/2017 - 12:28

  I remember using these when I was young and don't recall the friction causing much loss in rolling.

  The key thing though is when you slow down the lights will dim or go off.

  Honestly, batteries are the best idea.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 14/11/2017 - 13:38

  The newer bottle dynamos are a lot better than the 70s/80s ones, but hubs really are the way to go for fit-and-forget commuting.
  You might be able to get something like an AXA HR (about 20 Euros or so) for your budget, but you'll still need suitable lights as well.

• 

  peterpeterpumpkin on 15/11/2017 - 10:39

  Thanks for the advice everyone.