Dynamos - obsolete?

The Rev Gaston wrote:

So why do people swear by them? Of course they avoid using batteries, so
are more eco-friendly, and they're more difficult to steal, but apart
from that?

On a recent 200 audax I was lucky enough to get to ride side-by-side to
a twin light SON setup, which provided excellent comparison with my twin
cateye effort. I use two of the HL-EL500 lamps which are sold as 1000cdl
and 30hr runtime off 4xAA.

I don't think the SON setup was especially better, however I will
eventually go SON and twin B&M LED lamps because:

a) I don't like having the weight of two lights and eight AA's on my
handlebar

b) Despite my best efforts I ran out of batteries on my last audax

c) the SON setup is WAY COOL which is enough reason to go that route alone

d) I am suffering from what was recently explained to me as "hub envy".

So, all I have to do now is get together the requisite £350 and get
SON'd up....

BTW do B&M do under-BB blue neons????

bfn,

Tony B

Tony B wrote:
The Rev Gaston wrote:

So why do people swear by them? Of course they avoid using batteries, so
are more eco-friendly, and they're more difficult to steal, but apart
from that?

On a recent 200 audax I was lucky enough to get to ride side-by-side to
a twin light SON setup, which provided excellent comparison with my twin
cateye effort. I use two of the HL-EL500 lamps which are sold as 1000cdl
and 30hr runtime off 4xAA.

I don't think the SON setup was especially better, however I will
eventually go SON and twin B&M LED lamps because:

a) I don't like having the weight of two lights and eight AA's on my
handlebar

b) Despite my best efforts I ran out of batteries on my last audax

c) the SON setup is WAY COOL which is enough reason to go that route alone

d) I am suffering from what was recently explained to me as "hub envy".

So, all I have to do now is get together the requisite £350 and get
SON'd up....

BTW do B&M do under-BB blue neons????

bfn,

Tony B

£350 ? Shouldn'y cost that much. Hub is £110 from Kinetics, rim
£20-30, build+spokes £25, lamp, B&M Lumotect+ mit standlicht £40
from Kinetics. Standlicht isn't essential nor is the switched version
if you want to cut costs. I have a B&M D-Toplight mit standlicht on the
rear too.

If you want to go for two Lumotecs check out Marten Gerritsens (of
this parish) site, seacrh for m-gineering. Schmidt E6s are more
expensive and apparantly better but on Sunday my Lumotec plus my
Ellipsoid plus Leos Lumotec Oval was perfectly good enough.

Dynamos are better than battery lights because they don't need
batteries. Finding a garage selling batteries in the Scottish Borders
at 03:00 might be difficult.

On my fixed I use the afor mentioned Sigma Ellipsoid and a Axa Basta
rear lamp which is similar to the D-Toplight, not quite as good IMO but
half the price