Spa cycles dynamo hub

[seph]

Just spotted this https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m20b0s133p4 ... m-brake%29
User serviceable sounds good..
Several versions available for different brakes/ axles.

I wondered if anyone had any more details..

[scottg]

More details at Soma Fab.

https://www.somafabshop.com/shop/catego ... -kasai-142

[seph]

Thanks for that Scott,
Looks good!

[Jdsk]

Are Kasai the same as FK** ?

Are they new on the market, or only new at Spa?

Thanks

Jonathan

[Sweep]

would be interested in learning more, having only experimented with decathlon's cheapo shimano special wheels so far.

Spa seem to say only 32 spokes, but maybe that doesn't matter so much on a front.

[rogerzilla]

72%?

[Cyckelgalen]

Kasai hubs are advertised as field serviceable (that's what FS stands for), but they are hardly serviceable anywhere by the side of the road with tools you are likely to have with you. You will always need a large wrench to undo the internal assembly from the hub shell and possibly spare cartridge bearings.

All Shimano dyno hubs are built the same way, you can remove and replace the internal assembly from one side, without having to rebuild the wheel, the difference being that Shimano uses cup and cone bearings and Kasai cartridge bearings. I normally favour cup and cone bearing because they can last forever provided they are well adjusted and maintained but, when it comes to dyno hubs I think the Kasai hub is possibly a better idea simply because cup and cone bearings in a dyno hub are almost impossible to adjust properly, they run "notchy" due to magnet drag and you can never feel precisely if they are smooth and well adjusted.
I have never seen one on the flesh, but at least in theory Kasai hubs are an excellent option if the cartridge bearings are decent quality and standard measure, readily bailable at any bearing supplier.

Currently I run a SP hub on my touring bike and I dread the day the bearings start to go bad. You have to rebuild the wheel to replace the bearings, which in itself is no easy DIY job. I haven't figured out an easy way to split open the two halves of the hub shell, at least in the case of the newer models. So for the regular user that has to pay to have the wheel rebuilt plus bearing replacement, the cost comes close to sourcing a new wheel.

[De Sisti]

Anyone else seeing this image instead of the dynamo?

[st599_uk]

72%?

The SP PD-8 seems to hit 72% at about 15km/h, this one slightly lower.

[Jdsk]

Anyone else seeing this image instead of the dynamo?

Yes. Safari on macOS.

Jonathan

[kylecycler]

Got a feeling it isn't a browser or OS glitch - Spa just haven't got around to taking a photo yet!

[Mick F]

£94?

What's wrong with the SP8 from Spa?

Twenty quid cheaper.
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m20b0s133p4 ... YNAMO-PV-8

[pwa]

£94?

What's wrong with the SP8 from Spa?

Twenty quid cheaper.
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m20b0s133p4 ... YNAMO-PV-8

Simply that you can't get the SP innards out by yourself for servicing, and servicing an SP means dismantling the wheel. If it works out like an SP but with easier servicing, it could be worth the extra cost.

[Mick F]

This discussion regarding the SP8 has been had before, I think.
I suppose in the long run, paying more for a hub makes sense if you can service it in situ, but how often do you need to do it?
I personally don't think it's worth it.

[rogerzilla]

The Shimano ones, in my experience, run for years in all-weather commuting. They don't tend to fail catastrophically (the SP ones can) and therefore you might as well run them until the front rim wears out, then decide if you need a new one. Shimano hubs are sort of serviceable in situ, anyway, either by very carefully accessing the RH bearing, or by buying a new internal unit.