Dynamo mount for carbon fork?

[POH]

Has anyone come across a dynamo mount for carbon forks? I'm interested in running something like a DYMOTEC 6 and don't want to mess up my nice forks.

 

[StevelKnievel]

Just run a dynamo hub! The new Shimano hub is pretty light and waaaay more efficient than a sidewall generator.

...or you could mount a sidewall generator to run on the rear wheel

 

[Steve K]

Has anyone come across a dynamo mount for carbon forks? I'm interested in running something like a DYMOTEC 6 and don't want to mess up my nice forks.

about the best solution I can offer is to use a cyclocross fork, and use the appropriate bracket ("dynamo halter"?) to mount the dynamo to the brake stud. Not a great option, though.

I do sympathize. My preferred mounting location for the dynamo headlight is on the left fork blade, and the fork is aluminum (this is a Bacchetta Giro 26 recumbent). I wrap the blade with a layer of inner tube, and clamp the light mount to the blade with a hose clamp. Not pretty, but I'm very careful to not clamp any harder than needed.

If you could machine a block of nylon to perfectly fit the fork blade's shape, it might be okay to clamp to the fork, but that's a big risk. A hub dynamo would be a lot safer, as well as being cheaper than cracking a fork blade.

regards,
Steve K.

 

[nathanschmoekel]

If you do end up mounting to the fork don't forget to add a ground wire. Most frame mount gennies use the mount as the ground.

As a bicycle mechanic with 12 years under my belt, I would reccomend against the fork mount. I would even go so far as to say that if the bike came with a carbon fork, it is high end enough that you should not be clamping anything anywhere where there is not a specifically reinforced spot for it. Bikes designed to be light and fast use the bare minimum amount of material that will get the job done, and clamping heavy extras on to the frame was NOT in the job description.

I feel your best option would be to fit the bike with a standard rear rack. The genni could then be mounted to that. That soultion will keep your frame and it's warrantee intact.
If your bike does not have the bosses for fitment of a rear rack, then my prior paragraph warning about the light weight frame should be even more strongly considered.

 

[unterhausen]

Velo orange is selling a dynohub that only costs $50 U.S. I used to run sidewall dynos, a hub is so much better, quieter, more powerful, and doesn't break your fork.

 

[POH]

unterhausen, thanks for the velo orange info. Not a bad low cost option.

 

[Steve K]

Velo orange is selling a dynohub that only costs $50 U.S. I used to run sidewall dynos, a hub is so much better, quieter, more powerful, and doesn't break your fork.

V-O has done a good job on providing parts for a niche market. Who is making the hub dynamo for them? I can't imagine that it's a rebadged Shimano dynamo. Who else makes them? Sanyo?

thanks,
Steve K.

 

[syc]

These are commuter grade dynamos that I've seen for sale on UK sites in the past. SJS Cycles in the UK was selling them, but seem to be out of stock right now:

Here's a thread mentioning them from 2006.

I was under the impression that Sanyo is the OEM for lots of the dynohubs out there.

V-O has done a good job on providing parts for a niche market. Who is making the hub dynamo for them? I can't imagine that it's a rebadged Shimano dynamo. Who else makes them? Sanyo?

thanks,
Steve K.