Son Dynamo SON Delux Hub
The SON Delux is Schmidt's lightest and lowest-drag dynamo hub, made in Tuebingen, Germany for riders who go faster than touring pace: it reaches its full 6 volts and 3 watts from about 20 km/h, loses under 1% of your effort at 25 km/h, and weighs noticeably less than the SON 28. It is the dynamo for randonneurs, fast commuters, gravel racers and anyone on smaller wheels, where the higher wheel speed suits the Delux's tuning. This page covers the Son Dynamo SON Delux Hub, in disc or rim-brake versions in 100mm spacing.
The SON Delux comes from us only as a finished wheel: pick the rim, spokes and nipples, and we lace, tension and true it by hand in Georgia before it ships.
Design and construction
The Delux uses the same sealed construction as every SON, with air exchange through a pressure-compensation system rather than the bearings and a five-year warranty that covers them, in a smaller, lighter shell with a coil and magnet arrangement tuned for higher wheel speeds. Schmidt makes it in a standard version, a Wide Body version that spreads the flanges for a stiffer wheel, and an SL version whose axle carries the electrical contact so a matching fork needs no wires or connectors at the hub.
The Delux comes in rim-brake, 6-bolt and centerlock versions, 100mm spacing, 32 and 36 hole and some lower counts, polished silver or black.
Because the front Delux dynamo has no freehub, it is the hub that asks for the least: a spin of the axle to check the bearings once a season and nothing else. The flanges, bearings and seals are the same as the rear's, the axle converts between the front standards with end caps, and the rotor mounts the same way. Choose it to match a rear of the same model, or on its own for a fork that needs a new front wheel.
How it rides
A SON Delux wheel is as close to drag-free as a dynamo gets. On a randonneur or gravel bike at 25 km/h and above it powers a bright light and a charger with a loss you cannot feel, and it weighs little more than a good ordinary front hub. At walking pace on a steep climb the light dims a touch earlier than a SON 28, which is the only trade. For fast road, randonneuring, gravel and 650b or 26in wheels, the Delux is the SON we recommend.
Front wheels on disc bikes take a beating from braking: the rotor side sees the whole braking torque and the spokes on that side run at higher tension. That is why we build the front Delux dynamo with the rotor-side spokes crossed and tensioned to the rim's limit, and why the hub's flange spacing matters more than its weight. Ridden on a rim-brake bike the same hub makes one of the lightest, simplest front wheels there is.
Specifications
| Position | Front |
|---|---|
| Axle options | QR 5x100mm Front |
| Drillings | 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | rim-brake |
| Left flange diameter | 54 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 54 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 25 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 25 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.6 mm |
| Weight | 390g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | black, polished, red, silver |
About this listing
What sets this listing apart from the other Delux dynamo versions: rim-brake rotor mount, QR 5x100mm, 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h drilling, about 390g, in black, polished, red, silver. Pick the one that matches your frame and rotor and the rest of the hub is identical.
No rotor mount here: this is the rim-brake version of the Delux dynamo, which drops the disc flange and the weight that goes with it. It suits rim-brake road, touring and track frames and it is often the lightest hub in the family. Disc-brake frames need one of the disc versions listed separately.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Son Dynamo SON Delux Hub comes in the drillings listed on this page in 100mm spacing with the brake mount shown in the configurator. J-bend spokes in any gauge; we build most Delux wheels with Sapim Race, Laser or CX-Ray spokes or DT Competition and brass or alloy nipples.
It pairs naturally with the HED Belgium R and G, Velocity Quill, A23 and Aileron, Mavic Open Pro UST, DT Swiss RR and GR rims and the gravel carbon rims in the catalog. Pick road, gravel or randonneur as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Build it with us
We build this hub to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the SON Delux Hub already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for road rim brake, track and road single-speed and touring builds, and the configurator will not let you assemble a combination we would not build.
Testing, standards and warranty at Son Dynamo
SON (Wilfried Schmidt Maschinenbau) states that “Each hub dynamo and headlight is thoroughly tested during and after assembly” in Tübingen, Germany, where a team of about 30 designs, develops and produces on CNC machinery; roughly 15,000 hub dynamos are sold annually. All SON hub dynamos are rated 6 volts / 3 watts conforming to German road-traffic regulations (StVZO). Published SON 28 data: mark of conformity K 834 for 16-inch to 29-inch wheels; efficiency 65% at 15 km/h in a 28-inch wheel; no-load loss 0.5 W at 15 km/h; 26-pole neodymium rotor; hollow 10 mm stainless steel axle; 6082-T6 aluminum shell; SKF 629-2RSH bearings; 440 g (disc 6-bolt 460 g, center lock 430 g). The SONdelux is approved under K 687 for 16-inch to 28-inch wheels (400-716 mm) with the Edelux headlight; it and the straight-pull SON 29 S weigh 390 g.
SON states a 5-year guarantee on all hub dynamos covering manufacturer's faults during standard use; incorrect installation, improper use, natural wear, and accidents are excluded. SON repairs or replaces the product.
From Son Dynamo
Certifications
- StVZO mark of conformity K 834 (SON 28) — 6 V / 3 W per StVZO, approved for 16-inch to 29-inch wheels; efficiency 65% at 15 km/h in a 28-inch wheel (SON technical data as reproduced by retailer bike-components) (source)
- StVZO mark of conformity K 687 (SONdelux with Edelux) — Licensed for wheels 16-inch to 28-inch (400-716 mm) in combination with the Edelux headlight; SON instructions Sept 2016 (source)
- Made in Germany — “made in Tübingen”; “Bike Lighting made in Germany”; design, development, production and sales in Tübingen (source)
- 5-year guarantee — All hub dynamos, manufacturer's faults during standard use; excludes incorrect installation, improper use, natural wear, accidents (source)
Sources on Son Dynamo's site:
- Hub dynamos - SON Hub Dynamos
- For Standard Forks - SON Hub Dynamos
- For Thru Axles - SON Hub Dynamos
- FAQs - SON Hub Dynamos
- Repairs & Guarantee - SON Hub Dynamos
Son Dynamo publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the hub into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
SON makes the Delux dynamo; ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia and not the manufacturer. We measure the rim before we cut a spoke, bring the wheel up in three or four rounds with a gauge, stress-relieve it between rounds and true it last, then tape it and fit a valve if you want it tubeless.
Only compatible hubs and spokes appear in the configurator, impossible combinations are struck through rather than hidden, and the price is live.
Warranty
Son Dynamo's warranty. SON dynamo hubs carry a five-year warranty against defects in material and manufacture.
ProWheelBuilder. Wheels we build around this part are covered by our own one-year warranty alongside the maker's. Within the year: broken spokes replaced regardless of cause, and the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning or a complete rebuild - included. A manufacturer-covered rim or hub failure is a claim we make and manage for you; one they will not cover is answered with an eligible replacement at 25% off retail. Shipping each way is yours. Parts you supply yourself fall outside it.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
SON Delux Hub questions
Can I use this hub with disc brakes?
No - this is the rim-brake version and it has no rotor mount at all, which is exactly why it is lighter and simpler. It is the one for a rim-brake road, track or classic frame. A disc frame needs one of the disc versions of this hub, which are listed separately.
Delux or SON 28?
Delux for faster riding, randonneuring, gravel racing and smaller wheels, where it is lighter and drags less; SON 28 for touring and commuting, where full output at low speed matters.
What is the Delux Wide Body?
The same hub with the flanges spread further apart, which makes a stiffer front wheel; the SL version adds a connector-less axle contact for compatible forks.
Can I charge from a Delux?
Yes, at 20 km/h and above with a USB charger; below that, on a slow climb, the output is enough for the light but not much charging.
What is the SON warranty?
Five years, including the bearings.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
QR 5x100mm Front. Measure between the inside faces of your dropouts if you are unsure, or text us.
Does it need special spokes?
No. It takes standard J-bend spokes, which the configurator offers in every gauge and finish we stock.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
