Spa Cycles N20 dynamo wheel and light combo review

Spa Cycles’ cheapest dynamo hub wheel and light bundle is inexpensive enough to rival decent battery lamps or less efficient sidewall dynamo systems on price alone.

It’s not as efficient as a costly Schmidt hub, so all-night audax riders may wish to look elsewhere, but for commuting there’s negligible drag from the six-volt, three-watt Shimano N20 hub.

The wheel is handbuilt with 36 double-butted Sapim spokes laced into a choice of rims: Exal LX17, Rigida Chrina, Sputnik, Grizzly or Snyper. Our 700C Snyper version weighed 1,610g and was true and well tensioned, and worth more than £75 on parts alone.

You even get an over-voltage protector, but not dynamo cabling or spade connectors for the lamp – budget a few quid and get online or invest in a more effective front lamp, which will come with cabling.

This Hugo Gorner lamp works okay but it’s bulky and the light output is too loosely focused and shadow-slotted to ride dark lanes at pace.