This Shutter Precision SP8
dynohub has just arrived on Seven Day Cyclist’s test bench https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/blank-tyhn0
I’m very eager to see how it compares to my benchmark, Shimano Ultegra unit,
which offers nominal drag and consistency of output.
The PD8 nudges 400g and is surprisingly compact. 6v 3 watt output is pretty much what I’d
expect from this price point, as are sealed bearings and low drag.
Paired to an exposure lamp, my
Ultegra unit is good enough for light trail and dirt road duties too. Big S’s
lowlier Nexus was my first, hands-on experience of hub dynamos. Inexpensive and
adequate for commuting and general riding, provided you were preoccupied with
being seen, rather than navigating with.
There’s no doubt it repaid the
modest investment many times over. I paid a friend £80 in total for hub and
wheel build back in 2001. Probably the biggest shock (amplified ten fold when
compared to the Ultegra) was the hub’s resistance. Maintaining 17/18mph is
relatively taxing but again, useful for winter training and moderate commutes.
During this period, high end MTB
commanded £200 or so and LEDs, though increasingly better were still emitting a
bluish tint and guzzling AA/A cells at a fairly rapid rate. I also liked the
enclosure and sleek simplicity of the dynohubs, especially with modern, sealed
bearings.
Some riders took that to its most
literal, running their Nexus groups into the ground and seemed stunned, when
these enslaved units inevitably gave up the ghost. Prior to that, my dynamo
experience was a tyre driven Union model. This was light, cheap and very much of
the yellow glimmer variety. Something similarly crude, equally dependable but
more powerful was attached to a friend’s workhorse tandem.
Economical and, generally
reliable so long as you’d routed the wiring carefully-these were cable tied and
stuck to the mudguard’s underside using electrical tape. No problems with blown
bulbs either, which was quite impressive given the speeds achieved on some
descents. There’s also something deeply satisfying about generating your own
lighting.
Aside from output and quality,
dynamos have become increasingly sophisticated, capable of charging phones and
other tech, which we are becoming increasingly reliant upon. Addicted is a
loaded term and like any sweeping statement, inaccurate by definition. As a
journalist, I’m fascinated by technology, shiny stuff and developments-even if
it’s not necessarily “my” thing.
There’s a tendency, quirk of the
human condition to reduce things to right and wrong. I believe there is the
right tool for the job. Staying with bikes for a moment, anyone who has worked
in a bike shop will know; one of the most common questions asked is “What’s the
best bike”.
My response has always been along
the lines of “The best bike is the one that does exactly what you want it to
do”. My Univega is a go-anywhere, mile munching load lugging workhorse built
for bad weather, rough roads, lighting on tap.
A rider of comparable strength
riding a road biased machine will blow me into the weeds. Similarly and at the
other extreme, my Holdsworth is built for sunny days’ speed and I’ve caught a
fair few riders by surprise-especially on the climbs. I am also someone who can
go ten miles on (very) controlled rage alone.
Money has always been a very
finite resource, so I’ve become very resourceful, dare I say creative in how I
manage these projects, often employing a system of barter and/or swapping
unused and unwanted kit for something more appropriate.
Cameras and cars follow in a
similar tradition. I was once queried about my attachment to Sony’s A mount (I
also run the NEX E mount systems. These have some limitations but are very
handy for street photography and candid wedding portraiture).
Sony digital bodies, (sometimes
referred to as Minolta) were an obvious transition after my Minolta film
cameras and several lenses were destroyed in an “accident”. I was waiting at a
red light when someone skillfully drove their car into the back of my borrowed
red Kawasaki, killing it, cameras and leaving me trapped, in an undignified,
leather clad heap. Talking of which, though from a totally different context;
Crankalicious have sent me their pump spray leather lacquer and crisp frame
hybrid frame wax.
The former isn’t a hide food in
the traditional sense, so treat saddles, shoes, handlebar wrap requiring
nourishment should get that first. However, leather lacquer will provide a
water repelling, grippy barrier, protecting the hide, while improving purchase
in the wet. Initial impressions are favourable. I generally give saddles and
other leather kit a light proofing, every six weeks.
The crisp frame hybrid frame wax
is, as its name suggests, a blend of synthetic and naturally occurring waxes.
It’s a solid type, which minimises wastage, though is surprisingly nice to
administer. It’ll assume a haze once cured and gives glossy results when buffed
lightly. How durable these are, compared with similar
potions, will become more apparent as the days become shorter and roads wetter.
John Moss is very intrigued by the SP hub. So much so, he's offered to build into a wheel. Help I have gladly accepted. Have my eye on a Halo hoop and suitable 14g stainless spokes; so watch this space...
