September 3rd, 2015 Cycle Monkey, US Distributor of Rohloff and Schlumpf internal gear systems, and retailer of high-end, custom adventure bicycles worked in close cooperation with Shutter Precision Dynamo System to develop a 150mm wide dynamo hub designed specifically for fat bike use. Seeing how popular the 100mm wide SP dynamo hubs were amongst existing customers as well as the huge demand for fat bikes for adventure riding, there was a clear demand for reliable lighting and electronics charging solutions for fat bike riders. Cycle Monkey product manager Tim Krueger said, “Bikes that use 4” and wider tires are a huge growth market and are influencing how people look at off-the-grid bike adventures. Dynamo hubs are the solution to having lights and charging mobile phones or GPS units without having to worry about where your next charge will come from.” Shutter Precision has been producing a broad range of affordable, high quality dynamo hubs for bicycle-powered electricity generation since 2009. SP hubs provide the industry standard 6 volt output from 3.0 or 2.4 watts, depending on model, which allows them to be used with the majority of dynamo-powered lights on the market from companies such as Supernova, Schmidt, Busch and Muller, Exposure, Planet Bike, Shimano and others. The new SP-8X in 150mm width provides a dynamo option for the Rock Shox Bluto and Lauf Carbonara fat bike suspension forks as well as rigid forks from Surly, Salsa, and many others. One challenge in building the fat bike version of the SP-8X was due to the slower riding speeds and larger wheels compared to more standard bikes. This results in a lower rotational speed of the hub, which can make it difficult to get full power output from a standard dynamo and cause the hub to have more resistance.
“Vic at SP was great to work with throughout this project. He listened to our feedback to understand the unique needs of fat bike users, then built more than just a wider version of an existing hub,” said Neil Flock, owner of Cycle Monkey. “The new SP hub is designed entirely for fat bike use, with custom magnets, windings, and hub shell. This was possible because of SP’s desire to make an industry-leading hub and Cycle Monkey’s deep understanding of how bikes are used in this market.”
Cycle Monkey will be the exclusive US distributor of this hub and is also announcing distribution of SP’s lineup of other dynamo hubs that are intended for aftermarket use such as the PV-8, PD-8, PL-8, SV-8, SD-8, PD-8X, and SV-9 series in 32 and 36 hole drillings. Cycle Monkey is well known for high-end wheel builds on unique, niche products, and adding SP to the assortment will be an excellent complement to their Rohloff rear wheel builds.
“A Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 rear wheel is the standard drivetrain for ultra-adventure bikes, and dynamo hubs are becoming standard for front wheels” said Flock. “By carrying the SP Dynamo line, we can build wheelsets or complete bikes that are ready to reach the most remote places on the planet and get people to and from work safely. We are excited to be partnered with SP Dynamo System, and we will continue to innovate with them on more new fitments and uses, which are in development now.”
The 150mm PD-8X and the rest of the SP Dynamo line available through Cycle Monkey can be seen at booth 24211 at Interbike. MSRP will be announced shortly, with availability for the 150mm hub scheduled for January and availability of the 100mm hubs scheduled for October. Cycle Monkey can be reached at info@cyclemonkey.com or (510)-868-1777.
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