SunUp Eco has an easier way to let you generate power on your bike without having to replace your front hub. Their new Spin Up add-on dynamo attaches to almost any standard front hub, offering drag-free power that’ll work on any bike.
We saw SunUp’s original design in 2012, which was intended to fit on the rear wheel. The installation was similarly easy, but compatibility was more dependent on frame design. And it wouldn’t work with disc brake hubs, despite that being the time that many bikes were starting to make the transition away from rim brakes.
The new Spin Up universal dynamo moves to the front wheel, and sits on the non-drive side, so it doesn’t matter what type of brakes you’re running.
Small clips capture your spokes and bolt into the back of the unit, attaching it to the wheel and using its motion to drive the dynamo. It’s thin enough to fit inside most forks, and will fit on any hub with normal height flanges.
The system uses a separate power storage unit, too, so it’ll keep powering your lights or charging your devices. And it regulates the output to provide a steady current that doesn’t fluctuate with your speed. Other specs in the image above.
Retail price is TBD, they’re relaunching the brand and their website as Spin Up rather than SunUp Eco, so look for more details soon.
This… is…. amazing. What a great product. Hope it tests well in future reviews.
If it sits on the non drive side of a front hub, it very much matters what type of brake you’re running, no?
I thought the same thing when I read that, but the last photo shows it mounted to a disc front hub on the opposite side. Must be a typo, as the old rear version also mounted on the non-drive side.
I’m interested to learn what the drag is compared to a decent front hub dynamo. Seems like its all-up weight will be a little heavier.
Still no clarification of that typo by April 2020. “Drive side” is the right, on the front wheel too, right?. Many have disc brakes (on the left), and the copy earlier in the story said: “And it wouldn’t work with disc brake hubs”.
Bike Rumor didn’t clarify the stereotypically poorly written English language communication of their Taiwanese website, instructions or cryptic avoidance of clarifying photographic portrayal of this thing’s application.
If they think their engineering and solution of the power generation problem is as good as they think their english language translation skills are, this thing should be avoided.
Truly “drag-free power” would be a world-changing engineering breakthrough.
Perhaps “low-drag power” would be more accurate?
I mean, solar power is drag free.
Not if it involves a gigantic solar panel catching the wind.
I’ve built and raced solar cars and can tell you that the solar array is far, far, far from drag free. easily 70% of our drag came from it.
I really hope this fulfills its promise. Dynamo lighting is fantastic, and it always amazes me more people don’t take advantage of it.
Because simply adding a battery light is much easier and cheaper.
Spend the time and money on dyno lights and you’ll never have to think about charging or runtime again.
Buy once, cry once.
It looks like it’s zip tied to the fork. Removing the wheel may be a bit complicated then.
12 watt power according to the spec sheet, though only 5 watt electrical output. I guess the rest goes to the battery buffer. Still, much more power than a generator hub which is usually 3 watts.
Review please! Very curious how durable this will prove to be – and how the spokes hold up over time.
It clearly is pictured on the drive side with a disc brake in the background.
And “drag free power”????? If it generates 12W then there is at least 12W of drag.
Would love to see the drag when there is no draw on the dynamo.
I don’t want to lace a new wheel for the plus bike(s) we have, or when they go fat in the winter, or the S&S coupler frames, or the cross bikes, or the other damned bikes piling up around here.
If these promises are accurate (but really- what promises are?) TAKE MY MONEY!!!
-JCB
It kills me on these items manufactured abroad (assuming) that they get a translation done and then can’t get a native speaker to review it: “fits 99.9% bicycle”, “works in all kind of weather condition”
It’s small stuff, but when I look at an engineered product like this I hope that they are avoiding shortcuts everywhere, and I have a hard time buying into something where I see shortcuts right on the box/spec sheet!
The last generation of these things could occasionally be seen in Germany in the 90s (German Wikipedia is the only one that has an article: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speichendynamo). I owned two of these over the years and can confirm the problems cited in Wikipedia: conversion efficiency is worse than for ant other type of dynamo, and durability isn’t great either. I’m sure the gear drive has improved over the years but I’m still skeptical of the whole idea. In the age before hub dynamos this was pretty much the only way to make a dynamo work in any weather, but today the only target group I can imagine wouldn’t be better served by a hub dynamo is the ones who want to occasionally refit their MTB for a nighttime adventure that wouldn’t work with battery lights.
Good review of previous model here: http://nat.pedscapades.com/blog/2016/04/11/gear-review-sunup-eco-maxidyn-8w-dynamo/
Thank you for sharing.
SUNUP has published a new brand called SPINUP.
And had a new dynamo product “F12W-PRO”
Welcome visit our website here:
http://www.spinup.life