General

  1. Dynamo Lighting + Perennial Cycle

    Perennial Cycle sells more dynamo hubs, lights, chargers, wiring kits, wheels, connectors, mounts and all other things related to dynamo lighting than any other bike shop in the US!

    Busch & Müller Luxos U

    The reason is very simple: we absolutely love and believe in dynamo lighting as a true game changer when it comes to seeing and being seen on the roads. No wondering if you have them in your bag or if the batteries are charged or if you remembered to remove them from your bike the last time you used them. You can be confident that your lights are working.
    If you are unfamiliar with what dynamo lighting is, check out our blogpost about it HERE.

    This is my DaMN setup. DaMN is an event that starts at midnight (and it's dark at midnight)

    Most of our dynamo customers are commuters, touring cyclists, bike campers, randonneurs and the big mileage gravel racers.
    Commuters are all about the lights, cycling tourists are most interested in getting setup to charge their phone and less concerned about the lights and the big mileage rando and gravel riders are in need of both the charging and the lighting.

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    The dynamo wheels on our website have options (options show up after choosing your color) for both front and rear lights (and in some cases special wire kits) that make it possible for you to see exactly what the cost would be to setup a complete dynamo kit with a front and rear light. This can be a great tool if you are new to dynamo and need the full kit or if you're simply trying to work out budget.
    We used to start off with a wheel and front light, but the reality is, dynamo rear lights are inexpensive and the wiring is not problematic, so it's best to just go for it!

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    Brompton folding bikes are ideal candidates for dynamo lighting. These bikes are very utilitarian and thus end up being ridden at night with regularity. Brompton understand this and offers a dynamo kit that is a great price, though lacking in brightness. Lots of people get custom kits or have us upgrade their current lights. We have tons of experience setting up all bikes with dynamo lighting kits. Also we work hard to keep a great selection of dynamo parts and accessories in stock.

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    Why so German?
    Our dynamo hubs and lights are almost exclusively from German companies because Germany has a lot of cyclists and very strict laws regarding riding a bike at night (as in you can't ride at night if you don't have self generated lights).
    Because of these rules, there is a much stronger market in Germany, so naturally their dynamo companies rule the world market. We consider ourselves lucky in regards to this German dynamo monopoly. Busch & Müller and SON Nabendynamo are developing absolutely phenomenal product.

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    Dynamo hubs can be used to charge devices. In this picture you can see that I use a SON Deluxe front hub and The Plug III to change my phone that is tucked inside the Banjo Brothers Frame Bag.
    We have a blogpost dedicated to using dynamo hub power to charge devices as it can be a challenging to get a good understanding. Check out that Blogpost HERE.

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    This is our dynamo demo bike built by a past employee that built amazing bikes in the basement (thanks Matt!). The hub is a SON Deluxe that Matt fit a singlespeed freewheel onto (using disc brake rotor mounts).
    Sometimes we use it to troubleshoot issues, but mostly it's used to show how little resistance there is when you are using dynamo hubs. Our dynamo demonstrator allows you to spin the wheel with the lights off, and then with lights on, making it very easy to compare. Each front light has a different rear light connected to it.
    Currently the front lights on the demo bike are the Schmidt Edelux, Busch & Müller IQ-X, Lumotec IQ Cyo T Senso Plus Premium and IQ Lumotec Avy N Plus.
    The rear lights are the Busch & Müller Toplight Line Small, Secula Plus (fender and chainstay mount), Toplight Line Plus.

  2. Introducing The Flat S Senso Light

     
    Here at Perennial Cycle we love the German Busch & Müller dynamo and battery-operated lights! Germany has strict cycle lighting laws and B&M abide by them and we benefit from that. We have recently brought their battery powered Flat S Senso light into our shop and have found it to be a wonderful upgrade to a Brompton.
     
    The Flat S Senso has both a light and a reflector, so it is legal to use this to replace a reflector on a bike. The Flat S Senso sports B&M’s LineTec technology which has a single LED as well as multiple mirrors that extend across the light in a  line, making you very visible on the road. In its Senso mode (S), the light turns on and off using light and  motion! This means that it will turn on whenever the bike is in motion and it is dark out  and it will remain on for a couple of minutes at a stop to keep you visible. If no further motion is detected the light will turn off on its own!


    The light works on both rack (R) and non-rack models (L/E) of the Brompton. When installing it on a L/E (non-rack or non-fender) all you need to do is replace the reflector with the Flat S Senso. The reflector/light mounts on the the bike have a slotted hole that allows the light or reflector to slide up or down a bit. When tightening the Flat S light on, be sure and have the light as low in the slots as possible. This allows clearance with the ground when folding the bike.This light also fits very nicely on our Tubus and Racktime racks (also German engineering at is finest).

     
     
  3. Cateye Rapid Mini - 😻 Light up the Night

    cateye rapid mini

    We have many lights to choose from at Perennial Cycle as we like the idea of being seen on the road. When it comes to keeping it light and simple, the Cateye Rapid Mini has you covered. We have brighter and/or longer running lights available, but this current shop favorite is simple and minimalistic. At just 2 inches in length and 3/4 inches wide it is easy to throw in a pocket when locking your bike up.

       

    The Standard Rapid Mini comes with a tool-free seatpost mount and a USB charging chord.
    The Brompton specific Rapid Mini comes with a Brompton saddle mounting bracket.
    Late in 2016 Brompton Bikes started coming with a slight modification to their saddles. On the underside of the saddle they made a mount that is there specifically to fit a little bracket for the Cateye Rapid Mini light.

    Brompton Specific Rapid Mini                 Standard Cateye Rapid Mini

     

    Cateye also makes a separate saddle rail mount that is compatible with the Rapid Mini, so you can easily switch your light from bike to bike.

    Cool Video below 

     

  4. Tiny Bikeshop Concert Rocked

    There were a lot of smiles shared, a lot of food was eaten and several gallons of Pink Lemonade (with a hint of raspberry) was drank and Brianna Lane rocked the shop.

    Many Thanks to all who came.

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