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Comment by tpm | Hacker News Reader

In any case it's not true, batteries can be used too (I believe the dynamo regulation was true some time ago, but not currently).

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it was changed in 2014 - but still a lot of 2015 vintage ebikes have a dynamo for their lights (like mine)

I don't know about Germany, but here in Belgium front hub dynamos are very common. They're never discharged and always work, so I don't see a reason not to use that.

In Germany, hub dynamos are far from the norm, they're much more expensive than the usual wheel-side dynamos and as (as usual) the German market is much more price sensitive it's rare to see hub dynamos.

The problem with wheel-side dynamos is that they barely work when it's raining (which is often correlated with the moments you actually need light) and they add so much drag (and noise).

Hub dynamos are indeed more expensive (around 50€ as a starting price) but since bikes are the primary means of transportation for many people, I think they usually see this as an acceptable price for the convenience it brings (I know I do).

Also, quite a few bikes here are leased (for around 20€/month, including all maintenance) and those always have a hub dynamo I think.

There are many good LED light bulbs for vintage bikes on Amazon which can be directly used with a dynamo. I have been a happy user for years now. Replacing / recharging bike light batteries is a life overhead I don't need.

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