In addition to the beautiful gravel bike the lights were hung from, Harvey Cycle Works also makes some trick components like this impressive dynamo set up. While a dynamo set up might not sound like the most exciting thing at first, once you see the genius at work behind the connector-less design, it’s hard not to appreciate.
The beauty of a dynamo hub and light is that there is always power – power that you create. However, dynamos mean somehow transmitting that power from the generator hub to the light itself. This usually means wires, and at least one connector. Kevin Harvey not only figured out how to hide the wires, but also how to allow for installation and removal of the lights, completely trouble free.
Plug in after the break.
Kevin’s connector-less system starts off with dropouts for the Schmidt dynamo hub that he makes himself. The dropouts have a contact plate for the hub and an isolator that sits between the contact and the fork dropout. This allows for removal and installation of the wheel without having to plug in the hub. This combination of contacts and isolators repeats through the fork and is what results in a connector-less system.
After the wire that attaches to the dropout tucks into the fork blade, it works its way up to the fork crown where it meets the mounting holes for the light bracket. Using a series of contact washers and isolator rings, Kevin has created a mounting system that transfers power from the mounting hole to the light bracket without making its way into the fork. That means all you have to do to install the lights is bolt them to the fork crown, once they are installed the contact plates touch, providing power. Removal is just as easy, simply unscrew the lights and you’re left with a clean fork without exposed wires which should mean a more durable system as well.
The Schmidt EDelux lights have their own custom mounts that allow for precise positioning. Kevin said he likes to position one so it lights just in front of the tire, with the other focused down the road. Kevin also gave them a special gravel grinder touch with functional wire mesh grilles. With the lights fairly low on the fork, it is possible for gravel to be kicked up from the tires of the bikes ahead which could damage your lights. We’re not sure what the likelihood of this actually happening is, but they look pretty trick. The grilles are stamped from a sheet of mesh and then attached to a collar that locks onto the light’s bezel.
The bike itself was a beautiful 650b steel gravel blaster with an integrated seat mast and tire clearance for meaty tires. We dig the bar ends.
