Hub page with a small sample of complete wheel prices is now up.

Schmidt has redesigned the SON28 to take advantage of the lighter hubshell and efficiency of the SONdelux hubs. The estimated drag reduction versus the SON28 Classic hub is 15%, and the weight is reduced by 140g. Unlike the SONdelux hub, the new SON28 hub is suitable for use with “ride and charge” devices used to charge batteries, cell phones, GPS’s, etc. while riding.

I still have 32H and 36H black SON28 classic hubs, so I’m only stocking silver 32 and 36H 2012 SON28 hubs for now. As stock of the other hubs runs out the hubs will be replaced with the 2012 SON28. Prices are the same as SONdelux hubs–$285 silver and $301 black.  Disc hubs cost a little more.

A few people have been waiting on SONdelux hubs to arrive from Germany. If you have a wheel on backorder with these hubs your wheel will be built soon.

I’ve added a new dynamo powered headlight to my stock, the Busch & Muller Lyt.  The Lyt represents a trickle down of the significant advances in LED emitters and optics found in higher priced dynamo lighting. At $47 the Lyt outperforms similarly priced dynamo lights by a wide margin. I am stocking the N Plus model, which features a standlight and an on/off switch.

Our hubs have quick release axles rather than the solid axle pictured here. Quick release skewer included.

I recieved a shipment of Sanyo dynoubs last week and had a chance to build a wheel with one yesterday. My highly scientific drag test consists of building a wheel with a hub and noticing how much the wheel rotates when I give a spin. The verdict–on par with the Novatec dynohub we sell. The Shimano and Schmidt hubs are in another league, but considering the huge price differences they should. Since the Sanyo is $10 less, prettier than the Novatec, and comes in a variety of drillings (28, 32, and 36 instead of  36 only) I don’t plan to order more Novatecs when my stock is depleted. Hubs a la carte are $40 and include a quick release.

My guess is that people will buy these hubs for bikes they would like to have dynamo lights on, but haven’t converted because of the cost. I can build the hubs up with any rim and spoke combination you’d like, but I’ve listed wheels with economic components below since I suspect they’ll be ordered most frequently. Paired with a Lumotec N2 Plus and Toplight Flat Plus a Sanyo wheel could be part of a battery-less lighting system that costs less than $170.

Sample Complete Wheels with Sanyo Dynohub (all components silver and handbuilt by me) Choose your wheel diameter in the drop down menu

Sun CR-18 32H and Wheelsmith SS14 stainless steel spokes

Weinmann ZAC 19 32H and Wheelsmith SS14 stainless steel spokes

Velocity Twin Hollow 35H and Wheelsmith SS14 stainless steel spokes

Someone called recently asking for suggestions about what to do with the Cyo tailight wiring connectors if you’re not using a tailight. Unlike other dynamo headlights the tailight connectors for the Cyo are not connected to the headlight body, but attached to a few inches of wire. If you’re not using a tailight the stray wires look a little ragged.

One fix is the take a piece of heat shrink tubing and sleeve the connectors with the main headlight wire. Apply a little heat and you’re finished. The wires are tidied up and you can cut the heat shrink off with a razor to connect a tailight in the future.

A couple of announcements about the excellent IQ Cyo lights. After being out of stock of the black Cyo’s for a little while, I now have a small shipment of the R version Cyos, which will be all I have until the end of January/beginning of February (fingers crossed). However Busch and Muller have released a silver Cyo, which I have in both the R and regular version.

The bad news is that the silver Cyo’s are only produced in the senso version of the light. The senso version have a third switch position (on, off, and senso) in which the light shuts itself on or of depending on the light conditions. Personally I find this setting useless and it makes the lights cost an extra $10. However, some people like it, and even more people (myself included) have a weak spot or shiny silver bicycle parts.