Dynamos: I don't like the SON28 because of the vibrations. Whatever mechanical superiority it has over other dynamos is just about moot. I suppose I haven't explained it well enough, but I thought it was obvious. This is because all dynamo hubs are pretty good in quality, Shimano's and Sanyo's top dynamos are almost as good as Schmidt's dynamos. The slightly smaller drag compared to the Sanyo or Shimano dynamo hubs is just about irrelevant (see the calculations) and the price difference makes it an uninteresting proposition to buy one for the longer warranty. What the SON28 has that they don't, is the pressure equalizing system, which btw. can fail in various circumstances. Do you need that pressure equalisation system? If not, then what remains to decide between dynamo hubs is how it looks and how nicely it works. And then we get to the subject of vibrations, which in the SON 28 are the worst of any dynamo hub I tested. This results in a hub that is technically (mechanically and electrically) the best (actually, electrically it's not the best any more since SP introduced the series 8...), but as a product it definitely isn't the best.
From the above web site. The guy didnt like the SON
I have a really cheap Shimano DH 3D30 - about £25 buit into a wheel by Spa. It weighs a bit more than a SON, and its bigger, but its great. I think the more expensive Shimano ones must have better, longer lasting bearings.
Al
