Hub Dynamo Wiring - neatness?

[Mick F]

Trying to work out how to get the wires from the hub up the front RH fork neatly.
I noticed yesterday, that there are small holes top and bottom in both forks, so I'm thinking of attempting to get a pair of wires up inside the RH.

Method I'll be trying shortly is to fit a thin piece of wire up inside with a suitable kink on the end so it'll latch on the hole at the far end. With a bit of luck, I'll be able to get hold of it and drag it out, then as the wire withdrawers, I'll connect up some thin string, then after that, some thicker string, then eventually, the dynamo wires.

Any better ideas?

[Brucey]

if you have the possibility of a ground return type wiring arrangement (not all lamps work without an additional ground wire), you only need a single core wire to run the length of the fork. If this is the Moulton then you will or won't need a wire to bridge the suspension pivots, (because these are not reliably conductive) depending on where you have mounted the lamp. Similarly some hub generators have a ground connection and others do not, and need to have one added.

If going with twin core wire you can buy very thin coaxial cable which is easier to feed (than figure 8 ) but it may not have the current carrying capacity.

To feed the wires, get some fishing line (or similar) and push a transverse loop into one (eg the lower) hole. This loop should be up against the inside of the fork tube as far as possible. Poke another length through the other hole, so that it goes the length of the fork and thence through the loop, then pull the loop out of the hole. Hopefully you have snagged the second piece and you can now feed the wire OK.

cheers

[tatanab]

The holes are probably breather holes from brazing the forks. if so, they will not be large enough to take a pair of wires - you are going to use a pair aren't you! You would also have to look out for abrasion. It would also be an exercise in sheer frustration trying to feed anything in one hole and out the other. I use a few narrow sections of heatshrink sleeving which I think is neat enough.

[Brucey]

BTW neatness is all very well, but it can rapidly turn into a PITA to live with. Exposed wiring schemes are much, much easier to install and repair. Needless to say a repair by the side of the road in the dark can put you off fiddly wiring schemes for ever.

cheers

[Norman H]

To feed the wires, get some fishing line (or similar) and push a transverse loop into one (eg the lower) hole. This loop should be up against the inside of the fork tube as far as possible. Poke another length through the other hole, so that it goes the length of the fork and thence through the loop, then pull the loop out of the hole. Hopefully you have snagged the second piece and you can now feed the wire OK.

cheers

That's a neat trick Brucey.

Another method that I've used is to introduce a thin thread to one hole and place the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner over the other hole. The waxed thread sold for whipping the ends of ropes works very well.

[robc02]

I use thin cable ties - one just below the fork crown, one half way down and one at the forkend. The cable is run down the inside of the fork blade and also under the rubber bands that hold the computer sensor. I've heard of people using blobs of adhesive to help keep the cable in place, but I've never found the need.
As others have said, I'd be worried about abrasion if the wires passed through holes. It would need a grommet, which would need a bigger hole, which I wouldn't be happy to drill in my fork blade!

[Mick F]

Yes, it's Moulton.

Not been too well over the last week, so the idea of cycling has been out. My thoughts - other than blowing my nose - has turned to fettling. The idea of threading the wires through the fork has only just come to mind.

I've given up with trying anything even with the front wheel out, except for removing the forks completely. Just compressed the suspension, and taken out the forks.

The idea of a thin wire was useless, so a thin length of twine with a small bit of copper wire on the end as a weight, I was able to shake and dangle the twine right through. I can now see the end with the copper on it!

Getting hold of it alludes me even with thin tweezers, so I'm having a Beecham's Hot Lemon.

BTW, I had thought of the vacuum cleaner idea. I could use a thicker "fluffier" piece of string, but I'll carry on with the tweezers first.

If and when I can do this, I'll get the thickest pair of wires through there that I can.

[Mick F]

PS:
Yes, good idea Brucey.

I have some nylon fishing line.
That could be Plan C.

[Brucey]

note that if you take a small piece of steel (eg a piece of a paperclip ) and attach that to your leader, you can often fish it out by using a small magnet of some kind. Often the tips of small screwdrivers are magnetised; if not they soon can be, and you don't need much force to pull a small piece of steel through the hole.

Regarding holes in forks; the main problem is that the OEM holes have just been boshed through and have not been deburred. These burrs (typically on the inside) can start cracks off. As a rule I would sooner have a carefully deburred hole that was 1mm bigger than a smaller one with nasty burrs on it.

cheers

[9494arnold]

Mate of mine had a Pinarello with concealed cabling. Trying to renew rear gear cable and assuming there was an "inner pipe" to take it, however, he soon realised that wasn't the case. Up to the Pinarello dealer and yes, it was a vacuum cleaner that was the answer.
I agree that the majority of holes in bike tubing aren't that well finished inside so the chance of chafing is large,
I BELIEVE a drilled hole is much stronger than a punched one ( relative to the overall stability of the material carrying the hole) if I recall a technical article I once read.

[Mick F]

I've given up for now.

Ideas tried so far:
Copper wire stripped from TV aerial co-ax.
Copper wire (very thin) stripped from telephone cable.
String and vacuum cleaner. We have a thin tubing system for sucking out narrow stuff. Excellent for retrieving light bulbs dropped inside car lights.
Fine twine with a piece of copper wire as a weight. Tried the vacuum cleaner with it as well as gravity.
Fishing line I have is too thick.

With the vac, I could allow any length of string or twine in there. It just sucked it IN, but not out the other end!

Way forward:
Thinking cap on.
Out tomorrow in the car, so I'll try and find somewhere who sells fishing line locally. Issue we have here, is that the main road is closed into England so I'll have to try somewhere on this side of the boarder. Seems daft going all the way to Looe or Polperro.
https://sites.google.com/a/calstockpari ... nformation

[ANTONISH]

Getting hold of it alludes me even with thin tweezers, so I'm having a Beecham's Hot Lemon.


.

Sm glass red wine, lemon juice, teaspoon cinnamon, teaspoon honey - in a mug - top up with hot water.
Stay off the chemicals.

[Mick F]

Sm glass red wine, lemon juice, teaspoon cinnamon, teaspoon honey - in a mug - top up with hot water.
Stay off the chemicals.

On the gin and tonic now.
Is that ok?

Regarding holes in forks; the main problem is that the OEM holes have just been boshed through and have not been deburred. These burrs (typically on the inside) can start cracks off. As a rule I would sooner have a carefully deburred hole that was 1mm bigger than a smaller one with nasty burrs on it.

Tentatively asking ..................

The holes are 2mm or thereabouts.
What about drilling them out to 3mm with the advantage of having neater holes, but also allowing easier threading of the dynamo wiring?

[Brucey]

I suspect this will be OK. If you can get the tail of a swiss file into the hole so that it can be deburred on the inside, even better. Obviously it will void the frame warranty though.

cheers

[Mick F]

Obviously it will void the frame warranty though.

Frame warranty?
I've already ground off the stupid Lawer's Lip pegs on the front dropouts, and brought the rear triangle in from 132.5mm to 130mm.

I'll have a think about the 3mm and the Swiss file idea. May leave that till tomorrow as I can hopefully get some thin fishing line.

Just thinking.
I could inject some Waxoyl drilling to 3mm and after fitting the wiring.