dynamos

[wychwood]

Does anyone here have experience with using a dynamo lamp on their bike? It looks like I'm going to have to replace my bike-lights again, and I was considering going for a dynamo as a better option ecologically and also over the longer term, but my mother claims that it makes the bike twice as hard to ride, and the lamp stops working if you're waiting to pull out or whatever so they're less safe. I suspect she's exaggerating, but I've never actually used one - I'm hoping some of you have!

Does it make riding noticeably harder? Is the extra expense (vs buying battery lights) worth it? Are there other considerations that I should bear in mind?

Comments

[sara]

I had one on my college-era Peugeot (it was the 90s, the bike was from the 70s), and liked it a lot, but they don't seem to be made that way any more -- the ones I've seen for sale more recently all seem to run about $250, which is a more than I have to spend on a lighting system, and to be much heavier. They do put some kind of dealie on them now so that your light doesn't go out when you're stopped, which people always thought was a downside to the old style.

But I'd be really interested if you do some research and post about it. My idea lighting system would be dynamo-powered and bolted onto my bikes with metal brackets so the lights couldn't just be yanked off while I'm parked outside on errand runs.

[wychwood]

My idea lighting system would be dynamo-powered and bolted onto my bikes with metal brackets

Yeah - it would be so nice not to have to worry about bike-light thefts *g*.

I haven't looked in that much detail yet, but the prices I've seen haven't been quite as bad as that; perhaps I will talk to my local shop and report back :)

[darkemeralds]

I know one guy who upgraded his commute bike with a new dynamo-hub front wheel and the light. He was very happy with his purchase, but admitted that it was an expensive retrofit.

Also, he's part of a completely car-free family, and parks his commuting bike (as I do) in a secure garage every day.

For me, a factory-installed dynamo hub and light system (with the whatsis--the transformer or accumulator or whatever it is that keeps at least the taillight going when you come to a stop) is an essential feature of whatever bike I next upgrade to.

Short of that, most people seem to opt for rechargeable batteries.

[wychwood]

It's definitely an investment, isn't it. Hmm. I think I need to go away and do some more research on this :)