You’ve left work late, it’s raining, it’s dark you’re fumbling around finding your bike lights to find that you’ve forgotten to charge them, or even worse, they’ve been stolen. Not with dynamo lighting! We can’t guarantee you won’t still be leaving work late and in the dark, but you will no longer have to think about your lights.
Also they are a great consideration if you love exploring by bike. Especially when on multi-day to month long adventures. Keeping lights charged and ready can be a huge barrier and also a problem with safety when you need to ride at night and unfortunately the lights are out of battery. With dynamo lighting there is no such problems like this!
Dynamo lighting is any lighting powered by you, via your dynamo set up. No batteries included.
To understand the dynamo itself, see our article on the dynamo hub here. Dynamo lights come hand in hand with the dynamo hub, both have come a long way since they were introduced to bicycles in the 1930s. The advancements mean that we aren’t left with dim flickering lights powered by flimsy bottle dynamos that leave us in the dark at junctions. Dynamo lights now have integrated capacitors, called ‘standlights’, which stores energy as you ride so you can stay lit for minutes after you stop. Having an efficient hub means you can get more electricity for your efforts going straight into powering your lights. This transforms the money you spend on your setup to the light you see on the road.
But how do I know what to buy? Let us explore.
Lumens versus Lux
Simply put, Lumens are the light output of the bulb at the source, i.e. how bright the LED is. Lux is the actual light that it equates to at a certain distance from the bike in real life. Lux takes into account the reflector set up inside the light and beam shape.
For example, you may get an LED with 800 lumens but the quality of the beam means this is a low Lux light and you cannot actually see much in front of you. Whereas, you could get a 500 lumen LED and good internal reflection which gives you a stronger beam and more Lux.
The best light for you will be the one who’s beam sends the light where you need it. Unfortunately, this means that there is not one light to suit everyone.
Different types of dynamo lighting
Most dynamo lights are designed to be mounted at the height of your front wheel and stay there. However, not all dynamo lights are created equal. There are generally two types of light structures.
- LED sits centrally surrounded by reflectors, like a torch. This type of light is usually favoured by off-road riders. The beam is usually wide so you can see unexpected branches or terrain. Due to the LED sitting centrally, you can mount these lights any way you want.
- LED sits at the top and reflectors channel light out and down towards the road. This type of light is usually favoured by on-road riders. The beam is directed towards the ground in front of you not into the eyes of oncomers. This style can only be mounted a certain way due to the composition of the internal reflectors.
More advanced light setups allow you to change from different modes depending on the time of day or terrain of your journey. Some dynamo lights now also have ‘daylight’ sensors to reduce their output when it isn’t needed.
Touring and bikepacking with dynamo lights
Dynamos are becoming increasingly popular with bikepackers and touring cyclists, mainly for their convenience. The nature of dynamo lighting means you can extend your ride into the wilderness and into the hours of darkness without having to think about it. You can leave your lights on your bike wherever you go without worrying about them getting stolen. You can explore the muddy trails in the dark for those extra thrills and not worry about your charge running out on you. The best thing about them is you can never forget them!
Another feature of some dynamo lights that is increasingly popular with bikepackers and tourers is inbuilt USB ports. Although, some models have been reviewed as not being as efficient as having a separate port. Combining the two is often more cost effective.
If you’re on a long slow trip you can get dynamo lights with battery attachments to supplement your light at slower speeds, but most decent dynamo hubs will support your lights at low speeds these days.
Dynamo lights versus battery lights
| Light output | Convenience | Weight | Charge Time | Hours of Light | Cost | Eco friendly | |
| Dynamo | HighNo flash mode | High | +400g Integrated dynamo hub and +150g fixed front light | Nil | Unlimited | Initially high, but no ongoing costs | Yes |
| Battery | HighFlash mode | Low | +/-150gDetachable front light | 5 hours | 2 – 5 hours | Initially low, but likely to incur ongoing costs | Less so |
Dynamo rear lights
Most standard dynamo light setups will only include the front light, as you can usually get enough lifespan out of your rear light not to worry about it as it uses significantly less energy. The tail light can sit within your mudguard and looks like a reflector at rest, or you can attach them where you usually would. The market is equally as broad for tail lights and you can spend anything from $20 – $100.
If you want to be fully self-sufficient a front and rear light set up with your dynamo hub and wheel will probably set you back around $550 – $900 depending on specifications.
So what should I do?
If you are a serious commuter, bikepacker or touring cyclist then we think that battery powered lights are a thing of the past. It is standard practice in mainland Europe. Yes there is initially more cost involved but we feel the convenience makes this totally worth it. For us, this means you can focus more energy on the fun stuff and extend your adventures without having to think twice about it.
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