** Please note that we are currently experiencing shipping delays of up to one week at our California warehouse. Thank you for your patience during this transition period **

** Check out our blog for tips on how to wire hub dynamo lighting systems **

** Please note that the front wheel is disc and rim brake compatible BUT the rear wheel is rim brake compatible only **

*** QR skewer is included for front wheels but NOT rear wheels ***

*** Please note that these wheels are not tubeless ready but that a multitude of reliable and inexpensive conversion kits are available which my customers have installed with good results. Just Google "tubeless conversions" ***

Approachable, strong and reliable

IDC Stout II hub dynamo (dynohub) front wheel

The Stout II front wheel is the upgraded, updated and more versatile version of the venerable Stout Dynamo front wheel. Its components have been upgraded to DT Swiss spokes and nipples. The front wheel has also been updated in response to the increasing popularity of modern 9mm QR disc brake equipped bikes with OLD 100mm front – while maintaining full compatibility with rim brake setups. The Stout II comes with the factory original Shimano rubber boot designed to protect the Centerlock disc brake splines when used with rim brake bikes. The boot can of course be removed for use with Centerlock disc brakes. We also have beautiful IDC/Ashima Centerlock to 6-hole disc adaptors available upon request.

When I decided to begin commuting to work by bicycle some years ago, I did what every grown man would do to psyche himself up. I went shopping for bling new kit to bolt on an old racing frame from my halcyon college bike team days. At the time, the most attractive upgrade for my re-purposed race bike was a hub dynamo lighting system. This, I expected, would free me from the mindless drudgery of installing, removing, recharging, losing and replacing battery lights on a regular basis - and that is exactly what I did.

To install the dynamo light, however, I needed a front wheel fitted with a hub dynamo. Since I had grown quite a bit heavier since my college days and would be riding on city streets with a fair share of rim crunching hazards, I wanted a sturdily built front wheel and an equally stout rear. That is when I found that the cost of entry for hub dynamo convenience could be pretty hefty and, moreover, technically challenging. Getting a hub dynamo, selecting appropriate spokes, nipples and rims as well as locating a proficient wheel builder … and paying nearly as much again to have them delivered from the UK to France (where I was living at the time), was quite a bit of work. As an enthusiast with a descent income, I enjoyed the challenge (it took my mind off work), but I imagined that such an effort was probably beyond the “comfort zone” of many individuals that could most benefit from this useful technology, i.e. harried sedentary office workers relatively new to cycling seeking to shed a few lbs. and improve their health.

And that is how the IDC "Stout" hub dynamo wheelset was born. The idea was to produce an affordable high quality replica of the French rim, Swiss spoke and German hub specification “dream” wheelset I arrived at when creating my first hub dynamo commuter wheelset. After over a decade of use by myself, our testers and customers around the world, the Stout dynamo wheelset (once ingloriously named “Sanyo dynohub (hub dynamo)/Vuelta rim 700c front bicycle wheel”) has to date proven no less reliable and elicited considerable positive customer feedback. In essence, the Stout wheelset is what I would have liked to have had the first time around - a high quality field-tested battle ready dynamo commuter wheelset built with care and eager to take on the rigours of commuting and even loaded touring applications … at a reasonable price.

This wheelset is suitable for pretty much anything you might put it up against. Strong, reliable and uncomplaining, the IDC Stout Dynamo II Wheelset is our latest iteration of dependable companionship for the light commuter and the fully-loaded adventure cyclo-tourist alike.

Specifications

Weight: F: 1500g R: 1245g Pair: 2745g (w/o QR)

Build - Front Wheel: These wheels have been meticulously engineered by highly experienced wheel builders at Pro-Lite (who also produce wheels for some of the most exclusive brands). Legend has it that an offer to provide OEM wheels for a certain well known Italian component manufacturer was even refused by the "Boss" on grounds of moral principle ... which is rare these days. By “engineered” we mean that the precise spoke tensions to which each wheel is built takes into account the specific characteristics of the rims, spokes, nipples and hubs employed. Getting a wheel true on the stand is a relatively simple thing to do ... talk to any LBS. Developing a wheel that "stays" true under rigorous laboratory testing is rather different. Just ask wheel companies about “lateral stress testing” and reality testing under "competitive riding conditions". Notably, the specification spoke tensions for the front wheel as well as the drive and non-drive side of rear wheels each differ and have been calibrated to optimise stiffness, resilience and thus durability. Indeed, each wheel must pass through a rigorous Pro-Lite QC process requiring:

·       Complete hand lacing and tensioning

·       Stressing (by specialized equipment) and re-truing by hand a minimum of three times to “seat” the build

·       Each front wheel comes complete with a serial number and bar code that can be used to identify the build date and builder for each wheel

Beyond the minimum three rounds of stressing and re-truing, each wheel is also subject to inspection for evenness in spoke tensions. This is the CRUCIAL, often overlooked and essentially “invisible” element determining the long-term durability of a bicycle wheel. (An evenly tensioned wheel is better able to disperse shocks from road imperfections “throughout” the wheel rather than stressing a number of highly tensioned spokes which are then more likely to loosen or break.) Pro-Lite takes this step further requiring the inspection of each and every spoke with a DT-Swiss spoke tension meter which each and every one of its wheelsmiths are required to re-calibrate each and every morning for accuracy

Build - Rear Wheel: These are NOT wheels built by machine or made up from materials that happen to be on hand. Each wheel has been engineered by highly proficient and experienced wheel builders (who also produce wheels for some of the most exclusive competition oriented brands). By “engineered” we mean that the precise spoke tensions to which each wheel is built takes into account the characteristics specific to the hand picked rims, spokes, nipples and hubs we use. Notably, the specification spoke tensions for the front wheel as well as the drive and non-drive side of rear wheels each differ and have been calibrated to achieve optimal stiffness, resilience and thus durability. Indeed, each wheel must pass through a rigorous process requiring:

• Complete hand lacing and tensioning.
• Stressing (by specialized equipment) and re-truing by hand a minimum of three times to “seat” the build and reduce the possibility of spokes being left twisted after final truing. (Twisted spokes are the bugbear of wheel building as they eventually untwist when subject to load [i.e. riding] thus reducing spoke tension and leaving wheels untrue despite their having been true when they left production facilities. This labor intensive [i.e. expensive] process greatly minimizes − and occasionally obviates entirely − the need for re-truing following the initial month of riding often recommended by most bike shops.)
• Beyond the minimum three rounds of stressing and re-truing, each wheel is also subject to inspection for evenness in the spoke tension. This is the CRUCIAL but essentially “invisible” element determining the long-term durability of a bicycle wheel. (An evenly tensioned wheel is better able to disperse shocks from road imperfections “throughout” the wheel rather than stressing a number of highly tensioned spokes which are then more likely to loosen or break.)

Rim: IDC Stout box style double walled, anodized with break wear indicator (please see the note on the slight difference between the Stout II front and Stout rear rims in the photographs section)

Front hub: Shimano DH-3D37 hub dynamo (650g w/o QR), known for its highly reliable sealed bearing design and is compatible with rim (complete with a high quality rubber boot to cover the Centerlock spline when used with brake bikes), Centerlock and 6 hole disc brake bikes (Our IDC/Ashima adaptors for Centerlock to 6 hole disc brake are available on request)

Rear hub: Rim brake only 130mm axle Joytech 192SB (Shimano/SRAM 8/9/10 speed compatible)

Spokes: Front wheel: DT Swiss Champion 14 gauge stainless steel for strength and corrosion resistance - Rear wheel: the high quality Giant/GLM equivalent version

Nipples: Front Wheel: DT Swiss chrome plated brass to protect against galvanic seizing with the spoke while also protecting the exterior of the nipple against corrosion - Rear wheel: the high quality Giant/GLM equivalent version

Lacing: Tried and true 36 hole 3 cross pattern for strength, reliability and durability

Dependable and effortless power

The Shimano DH-3D37hub dynamo is a proven design and among the most durable on the market

Engineered for long service life

A lightweight no-nonsense rear hub with a classic design, the Joytech 192SB was engineered with attention to low maintenance and long service life. Beyond its specification industrial sealed bearings, the hub body features auxiliary seals for supplementary protection against moisture ingress

* Although this seller is based in Taiwan, the wheels are warehoused in California and will be shipped from there

** Free shipping is available only to the contiguous 48 United States. For other states, I will be glad to provide a quote on additional cost for approval prior to shipment

Dealer inquiries invited

Limited Warranty 

All goods purchased through IDC come with a ONE (1) YEAR Limited Warranty from date of purchase by the original customer unless otherwise stated. IDC will at its discretion replace products with material or workmanship defects during the warranty period. This Limited Warranty does not cover normal wear and/or material requiring renewal during normal use. IDC cannot be held liable for damages to personal property due to misuse, implied use or improper maintenance of the product.