For a good performance and long life, NiMH cells require a well regulated voltage from a charging source. A crank generator usually has a wider-ranging voltage which cannot be applied directly to such sensitive battery.
I would find a commercial charger, measure the typical voltage on charged battery. Then check the DC voltage from AC rectifier. Between the DC input and DC output to a charged battery, there usually is a voltage regulator. Such regulator may be a resistor with a Zener, or an integrated circuit.
If the DC input voltage to the above regulator is similar to what your crank generator generates, you can connect it to the charger.
Otherwise you should design another voltage regulator to battery specifications, or, possibly rewind your crank generator to obtain a matching voltage.