If bottom bracket mounted dynamos are still made ?

Post by **Hemipode** » 4 Oct 2008, 4:22pm

When I was cycling in the 1980's there was a dynamo which mounted on the stays just behind the bottom bracket. It had a drum that was driven from the tread of the rear tyre. It was silver in colour & had a small right angled lever to swith it on & off.
Can anyone remember what make they were & are they (or something similar) still made ?

glueman · Post by **glueman** » 4 Oct 2008, 4:50pm

Sanyo or Soubitez, both long gone. Attractive certainly but suspect bearings in the slush and out-gunned by the cheapest hubs. Still a few bottle generators about for us recidivists.

eileithyia · Post by **eileithyia** » 4 Oct 2008, 4:51pm

Good idea but did slip in damp condition, all mine eventually seized up.

Post by **Hemipode** » 4 Oct 2008, 5:00pm

Cheers!
Glueman - it was the Sanyo I used to have. I connected an I.K.U. halogen front lamp to it.
It was great - but as eileithyia says, it did eventualy sieze up.
It's a pity they were not developed a bit further.

Post by **Hemipode** » 4 Oct 2008, 5:05pm

If anyone out there still has one in good working order they wouldn't mind parting with, I would be interested in purchasing it - I must be a bit mad but I liked them !

Post by **Mick F** » 4 Oct 2008, 5:18pm

My Soubitez neither slipped in the wet, nor dragged the bike.
The bearing was free and NEVER clogged up. I stripped it down once to see how it worked and if it needed grease or maintenance, I needn't have worried, it was absolutely fine. It was used almost daily from late September to late March for 5 or 6 years or more. Faultless after I fitted a voltage regulator to stop blowing the front Xenon bulbs.

I'd tried all sorts of lighting systems in the 80s, and can honestly say, hand on heart, that if I'd had needed lights again, I wouldn't have sold my rig a few months ago on these very pages!!!!!

Bought in 1986(?) Sold in Nov 2007.

Wonderful bit of kit. Bright and steady light. Fantastic, and I won't hear a a word against mine. A perfect dynamo lighting system that could be completely removed in the lighter months.

SO THERE!
That put you all in your place!!!

Post by **Hemipode** » 4 Oct 2008, 5:24pm

You are spot on with the regulator Mick. The price of new bulbs would have made it expensive to run otherwise.
My first unit packed up after 2 years (12000 miles / year, all seasons riding)
Unfortunately my 2nd unit was stolen along with my beloved Claud Butler Super Dalesman (from the days when they were handbuilt & you got a little signed photo of the frames builder with your new bike).

andrew_s · Post by **andrew_s** » 4 Oct 2008, 6:42pm

The older Soubitez like Mick's were quite good. You could strip them down if required, and they had actual ball bearings. The later ones replaced the bearing by a nylon bush which used to melt if you went too fast for too long.

Probably the last to be made was the Union 8601, with a remote control cable up the back of the seat tube. They survived the take-over of Union by Marwi, or Basta or whoever it was, and you may still be able to get hold of one if you look

Here you are CHF99 to you (£49)

Post by **Hemipode** » 4 Oct 2008, 7:28pm

Thanks Andrew.
Just read this http://www.myra-simon.com/bike/dynotest.html & am not sure if i want to be so retro now!

pioneer · Post by **pioneer** » 6 Oct 2008, 9:43pm

Don't know if they are still there but, last week there were two on these very CTC for sale pages. Free to a good home too I think.

jonbott · Post by **jonbott** » 7 Oct 2008, 10:42am

I used to have a sanyo dynopower lovely used for years ,but died one day in a thunderstorm on the A30

used a bottle one after that