Best list of bicycle lights/lamps StVZO with battery
Bike lights/lamps test: since the regulations were amended in the summer of 2013, StVZO-compliant battery lights have been a dime a dozen. Velomotion explains what is important.
When it comes to lighting, legislation has made things easier for cyclists in recent years. Impractical provisions such as the extensive ban on battery lights and the requirement for dynamos to be used on e-bikes have been dropped; If you equip your old bike with a set of battery lamps instead of having the lighting system repaired at great expense, you no longer have to be afraid of the police check - always provided that all the prescribed reflectors are on the bike.
The industry reacted quickly to the changes made to the StVZO on July 5, 2013 with regard to bicycle lights. While regulation-compliant battery lamps for sports bikes were previously in short supply, every lighting and accessory manufacturer now has something similar in their range. These lights can be recognized by the test mark with a wavy line and K number. And their most striking feature is that they don't blink. Otherwise, the manufacturers have a lot of freedom: They can give their lamps various lighting modes, whereby it is only necessary to ensure that the illuminance is at least 10 lux and that the headlight can be set to be glare-free. This enables a clearly defined light-dark boundary. A warning light that indicates a low battery level is also mandatory; it is up to the manufacturer to decide how this is made.
All lights tested by Velomotion.de exceed the minimum requirements of the StVZO by a factor of two to eight. In this way, they ensure that the cyclist is not only seen, but also has a good view himself - with the latter sometimes working better, sometimes less well, depending on the version. Unfortunately, neither the price nor an indication of the illuminance (in lux) or luminous flux (in lumen) is a reliable statement about how evenly, brightly and widely a bicycle light shines. The Velomotion light comparison, which objectively presents strengths and weaknesses, has proven its worth here.
As for the mount, the July 2013 changes caused some initial confusion by not defining what "permanently attached" meant. It was recently made clear that the lights must not be misaligned as a result of vibrations, impacts or the like. A holder screwed firmly to the handlebars is therefore not required; silicone straps are also permitted. The design of the bracket should also play a role in the purchase decision. If you want to take emergency lighting with you when cycling, you should choose lamps that can be mounted quickly; where a battery light is always with you, a permanently mounted holder is more suitable, onto which the lamp is then pushed.
Many battery-powered lights are offered as a set with a matching rear light, or the manufacturer has a model in their product range that matches the price and appearance. Here, too, there are differences in shape, mounting, and brightness; however, none of the lights we tested were too dim, although some were almost too bright.
In terms of battery performance, the manufacturer's information is only partially reliable, as our test showed - especially if you use the lights in the brightest mode. However, there are rechargeable batteries that only reach their full capacity after being charged and discharged several times; one or the other lamp should shine longer over time. Factors such as the outside temperature, on the other hand, can reduce the burn time.
The Velomotion bicycle lighting/ lamp test setup
The lamps are mounted at handlebar height, the camera position corresponds to the eye level of an average-sized driver. The distance to the fence with the Tour de France direction arrow is 15 m; 5 m in between are marked with a traffic cone. The side cones each mark 1,5 m from the center.
We have positioned the lamps so that the upper edge of the light field is exactly at the level of the top of the fence (1,75 m). From case to case, this does not correspond to the recommendation that the brightest area of the light field on the road should be 5 to 10 m away, but it shows the potential of the lights in terms of long-distance vision and is also much more practical in the dark. As you can see, good lights manage to combine proper central area illumination with good distance vision.
To determine the maximum burn time, we placed the fully charged lamps in front of a camera and noted the time when they went out or the luminosity decreased. It should be noted that some manufacturers do not specify the burn time at maximum brightness. Deviations from the specified lighting duration can also be related to the fact that some batteries only reach their full capacity after being discharged and recharged several times.
Since the regulations were amended in the summer of 2013, StVZO-compliant rechargeable battery lights for bicycles have been a dime a dozen. Velomotion explains what is important.
When it comes to lighting, legislation has made things easier for cyclists in recent years. Impractical provisions such as the extensive ban on battery lights and the requirement for dynamos to be used on e-bikes have been dropped; If you equip your old bike with a set of battery lamps instead of having the lighting system repaired at great expense, you no longer have to be afraid of the police check - always provided that all the prescribed reflectors are on the bike.
The industry reacted quickly to the changes made to the StVZO on July 5, 2013 with regard to bicycle lights. While regulation-compliant battery lamps for sports bikes were previously in short supply, every lighting and accessory manufacturer now has something similar in their range. These lights can be recognized by the test mark with a wavy line and K number. And their most striking feature is that they don't blink. Otherwise, the manufacturers have a lot of freedom: They can give their lamps various lighting modes, whereby it is only necessary to ensure that the illuminance is at least 10 lux and that the headlight can be set to be glare-free. This enables a clearly defined light-dark boundary. A warning light that indicates a low battery level is also mandatory; it is up to the manufacturer to decide how this is made.
All bicycle lights tested by Velomotion.de exceed the minimum requirements of the StVZO by a factor of two to eight. In this way, they ensure that the cyclist is not only seen, but also has a good view himself - with the latter sometimes working better, sometimes less well, depending on the version. Unfortunately, neither the price nor an indication of the illuminance (in lux) or luminous flux (in lumen) is a reliable statement about how evenly, brightly and widely a bicycle light shines. The Velomotion light comparison, which objectively presents strengths and weaknesses, has proven its worth here.
As for the mount, the July 2013 changes caused some initial confusion by not defining what "permanently attached" meant. It was recently made clear that the lights must not be misaligned as a result of vibrations, impacts or the like. A holder screwed firmly to the handlebars is therefore not required; silicone straps are also permitted. The design of the bracket should also play a role in the purchase decision. If you want to take emergency lighting with you when cycling, you should choose lamps that can be mounted quickly; where a battery light is always with you, a permanently mounted holder is more suitable, onto which the lamp is then pushed.
Many rechargeable battery lights are offered in a set with a matching rear light, or the manufacturer has a copy in his range that is suitable in terms of price and appearance. Here, too, the shape, mounting and brightness differ, although none of the lights we tested were too dark, but some were almost too bright.
In terms of battery performance, the manufacturer's information is only partially reliable, as our test showed - especially if you use the lights in the brightest mode. However, there are rechargeable batteries that only reach their full capacity after being charged and discharged several times; one or the other lamp should shine longer over time. Factors such as the outside temperature, on the other hand, can reduce the burn time.
The Velomotion bicycle lighting/ lamp test setup
The lamps are mounted at handlebar height, the camera position corresponds to the eye level of an average-sized driver. The distance to the fence with the Tour de France direction arrow is 15 m; 5 m in between are marked with a traffic cone. The side cones each mark 1,5 m from the center.
We have positioned the bicycle lights so that the upper edge of the light field is exactly at the level of the top of the fence (1,75 m). From case to case, this does not correspond to the recommendation that the brightest area of the light field on the road should be 5 to 10 m away, but it shows the potential of the lights in terms of long-distance vision and is also much more practical in the dark. As you can see, good lights manage to combine proper central area illumination with good distance vision.
To determine the maximum burn time, we placed the fully charged lamps in front of a camera and noted the time when they went out or the luminosity decreased. It should be noted that some manufacturers do not specify the burn time at maximum brightness. Deviations from the specified lighting duration can also be related to the fact that some batteries only reach their full capacity after being discharged and recharged several times.