TEST: The Knog Blinder 120 StVZO comes in an elegant aluminum housing and therefore stands out visually from the competition. You can find out what the bike light delivers in terms of function here.
Test of the Knog Blinder 120 StVZO – all information and data about the bicycle light at a glance
When you hold the Knog Blinder 120 StVZO in your hands, you immediately notice its high-quality workmanship and materials: The lamp body consists of a sturdy aluminum housing with cooling fins, the handlebar mount is slim but very robust. In this respect, the price of around €100 is not surprising - that bike light is therefore in the upper midfield of our range Leaderboard. At 120 lux, the light output is even in second place on the list. By the way, Knog also offers the lamp in a set with a rear light for around €150. The handlebar mount is also interesting. The lamp clicks into place here on the side and can therefore be attached in different positions. Thanks to protection class IP67, you can leave the bike light standing even in constant rain.
Data sheet
| luminosity | 120 lux |
| light modes | 3 (120lux, 70lux, 40lux) |
| Lighting time | 2,5 hours, 4 hours, 8,5 hours |
| Charging time | Approx. 4,5 hours |
| charging connector | USB-C |
| Mounting options & adapters | Handlebar |
| performance battery | 5000 mAh |
| battery | Battery not changeable |
| Remote Control | No |
| weight with bracket | 205 g |
| StVZO approval | Ja |
| Color temperature | Unspecified |
| Price | €99,99 |
Delivery
The Knog Blinder 120 StVZO comes in a cardboard box with the following scope of delivery:
- Knog Blinder 120 StVZO bicycle light
- Handlebar clamp 31,8 – 35 mm
- Rubber spacer for handlebar clamp
- Allen key for assembly
Accessories & Extension
Knog offers a replacement handlebar mount for €9,99. There is also an alternative handlebar mount with elastic band and a GoPro mount for the same price. A helmet mount is available for €19,99. The bicycle light can therefore be used quite universally. There is no replacement battery because it cannot be replaced.
Test: The Knog Blinder 120 StVZO in use
assembly and fastening
The handlebar mount is equipped with a joint and can therefore be easily attached to the handlebars. It is fixed with a screw. The mount itself can be adjusted to 31,8 or 35 mm handlebars using rubber spacers. This limits the mounting options somewhat because it cannot be attached to the narrow 22,2 mm handlebar area. The handlebar mount can be attached both forwards and backwards and even overhead. The lamp then snaps into place on its top. Your mounting options are therefore very individual. Snapping works well in any position. Solving is the only thing that is a bit unusual at first, but is quickly learned. You can get along very well here even with gloves.
The handlebar mount sits securely on the handlebars and the bike light itself sits securely in the mount - absolutely nothing wobbles here. Thanks to the special holder, the lamp can be snapped into place at a length of 5 cm.
Service
Operating the Knog Blinder 120 StVZO is simple and uncomplicated: If the button is pressed for around a second, the lamp switches on or off. With a short press you can switch between the three brightness levels. The button is housed in a luminous battery level indicator - so it is always perfectly visible, even in complete darkness. The operation works very well. Only with very thick gloves can it happen that you don't hit it correctly, because the button is slightly recessed between the cooling fins. Thick gloves are a must here.
battery & runtime
The bicycle light is powered by a permanently installed LiPo battery with 5000 mAh. For a product in this price range, a replaceable battery or at least an exchange service would be at least desirable. Depending on the power source, the battery charging time is around 4,5 hours - it is charged via a modern USB-C port. During charging, the battery level indicator flashes yellow; If the battery is full, it goes out.
At full power, the Knog Blinder 120 StVZO lives up to its name and delivers 120 lux. That's quite bright. The running time is 2,5 hours, but it should be shorter in the cold, dark season, as with every manufacturer. The medium light level brings 4 lux to the road with a burn time of 70 hours. The weakest level is 40 lux for 8,5 hours. The backlit button provides information about the battery level: above 50% it lights up green, up to 25% yellow and up to 10% red. Below 10% it then flashes red.
The light field of the Knog Blinder 120 StVZO
In terms of light field, the Knog Blinder 120 StVZO is very special, but not bad. In principle, the reflector provides two beams of light: one for close range and one for distance. The transition is quite choppy and has a strong blue shimmer. In the test, we didn't find this to be really annoying, but individual opposite feelings would be understandable. Nevertheless, the light field is one of the widest in the test field. The close-up area is illuminated broadly and softly, so even tighter curves get some light. It will be a little shady directly in front of the front wheel, but the area still gets enough light to see any obstacles. A weak circle of light created by the outer edge of the reflector (outside the images) can be a bit irritating.
The highly directional beam of light for the distance range is quite bright - so the 120 lux illuminates the road and the side strips quite well. The bicycle light is therefore also suitable for cross-country journeys in complete darkness. Even here you can get by with the medium light level of 70 lux if things aren't going downhill quickly. The third light level of 40 lux is easily enough for uphills and at a more leisurely pace.
The light levels in direct comparison
The following animation automatically shows the four different brightness levels of the Knog Blinder 120 StVZO.
