Hub dynamo lighting is the ultimate upgrade accessory for anything ranging from a utility touring bike to a tourer, and they generally outlast battery-powered alternatives by years if not decades.
The Schmidt Hub Dynamo System made the thoroughly wet 2007 edition of this year's 1,200km Paris-Brest- Paris Randonneur event far more bearable. It certainly helped us to finish just five minutes inside the maximum allowable time of 90 hours.
For the front wheel build we chose a Rigida Andra 30 rim with an extra reinforcing layer which helps prevent spoke nipples pulling through. Connecting the Schmidt E6-B and E6-BZ lights to the hub dynamo is relatively straightforward using a co-axial cable, though it's worth consulting with St John Street Cycles with regard to mounting brackets for your individual application - ours needed to clear the handlebar-mounted bar bag.
In performance terms, these are the most powerful dynamo-generated lights we have used. At speeds below 10mph just one light works, but at this stage an internal capacitor raises the dynamo voltage, so there is enough light for climbing hills. At greater speeds the second light can be turned on to provide a useful further 3 watts of light output.