Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to REVIEWS
review
Hubs
Shimano DH-3N80 hub dynamoShimano DH-3N80 dynohub

Shimano DH-3N80 hub dynamo

8
by dave atkinson
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Mar 26, 2011

7
£109.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Well made lightweight dynamo hub for your audax bike or posh commuter
Weight: 
523g
Contact: 
www.madison.co.uk
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

Dynamo power deserves to be more popular, and Shimano's catchily named DH-3N80 dynohub sits at the top of their range and offers performance to match. Okay, it's not quite as smooth as a top-end Schmidt hub but it's not as spendy either.

The DH-3N80 hub is light, well sealed and built to last, using tried-and-tested technology: it shares the labyrinth contact sealing and Borazon treated cup-and-cone bearing races with Dura Ace and XTR components. The 6v/3W dynamo outputs to a push-in wiring port that makes plugging in pretty simple and secure; the hub is earthed through the axle too if you're running an old-school setup like me, meaning you only need one wire for lighting, returning the current via the frame. Remember not to fit ceramic bearings in your headset... The wiring plug is easy to remove and the hub itself uses a quick-release skewer, so it's simple to take the wheel off.

I built my 32-hole hub into a Mavic Open Sport rim and the resulting wheel is sturdy and rolls very well. It'd take a more finely tuned athlete than me to notice the drag from the hub out on the road, although of course there will be a tiny amount. Spin the wheel in the frame with no load to the dynamo and it'll happily freewheel for 20 seconds or so, half that when it's running lights. Mainly I've used the hub for lighting and it's been flawless. I've also tested it with a USB charger - no problems there either.

At 523g it's heavier than Shimano claim (490g) but it's the lightest unit they do. If you're not worried about a small weight penalty then the DH-3N72 is a bit heavier and about £25 cheaper for a similar build spec.

 

 

 

 

Verdict

Well made lightweight dynamo hub for your audax bike or posh commuter

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Shimano DH-3N80 hub dynamo

Size tested: 32H

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

* Highly efficient, super light weight, premium grade 6 volt 3 watt dynamo front hub with easy to use quick release

* Provides bright illumination for safer night riding without the need and expense of replacing batteries

* Important weight savings are made by using an efficient and light weight aluminium coil structure

* For use with rim brakes

* Labyrinth and contact sealing as used on the premium Dura-Ace and XTR groupsets - low-friction seals and internal grease sleeve effectively shut out water, mud, and dirt without affecting rotational smoothness increasing service life

* Borozon treated cup and cone bearing races - super mirror finish bearing races reduce friction providing smooth and precise bearing rotation

* Push-in wiring harnesses make installation fast and easy

* Double anodized, premium finish forged aluminium hub shell

* Comes with an easy to use quick release skewer

* Average weight 490 grams

The weight's a bit out, but no other arguments...

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Very nicely put together

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Worked perfectly during testing

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Again no problems; haveing had other hubs that use the same sealing I'd be prepared to bet it'll last well

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10

Not as light as they say it is

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Not too pricy. The DH-3N72 is probably a better bet for many applications

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Consistent and low-drag power

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 38  Height: 190cm  Weight: 98kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Genesis Equilibrium with SRAM Apex

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Shimano DH-3N80 hub dynamo
Shimano
hub dynamo
Dave Atkinson

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

Add new comment

7 comments

Avatar
rootes | 11 years ago
0 likes

Rose seem to be offering this hub built into a wheel for £56!

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/atb-front-wheel-28--mavic-a-319--shim...

Avatar
John_the_Monkey | 12 years ago
0 likes

Cheers Dave - I reckon I'm going to go 3x, stick with what I know, and all that 1 Now I just have to choose lights...

Avatar
dave atkinson | 12 years ago
0 likes

i built it 3X with no great problems, 2X would also be fine i reckon

Avatar
John_the_Monkey | 12 years ago
0 likes

Bringing this one back from the dead a bit - did you go for 3x or 2x for your build? I've seen a few folk recommend 2x to avoid a sharp angle at the rim for the 32 hole version of this hub - any truth in that?

Avatar
vorsprung | 12 years ago
0 likes

All the Shimano generator hubs have the same electrical internals, so the lights work the same with all the models

I have a DH-3N71 on the commute bike and it's driving a B&M IQ Fly. Any of the B&M generator lights are good.

Avatar
STATO | 12 years ago
0 likes

Got one of these on my commuter, works great paired with a good light like a Cyo or Edelux.

I posted a review on my Blog, link below.

Avatar
bobinski | 12 years ago
0 likes

I will have one of these hubs built into a bike by Planet x soon. I want to run dynamo lights but know nothing about them , currently using the Exposure flare and flash which are quite superb given sise etc.
Any recommendations for dynamo lights, perhaps of a similar sise and at least as good/bright/small as the Exposures?
many thanks

Latest Comments