Not every road cyclist loses their desire to train as daylight fades in autumn and winter. As long as the roads are free of snow and largely dry, there is actually nothing to stop you extending your training time - if it weren't for the problem with the light. It's all about seeing and being seen. Hard-core winter cyclists usually equip their winter racers with a powerful lighting system, consisting of a hub dynamo in the front wheel and a matching, permanently mounted headlight. For those who only occasionally ride in the dark or want to be safe when travelling in poor light and at dusk, a flexible solution in the form of a battery-powered headlight is ideal. This can be mounted on the handlebars as required using a click holder and, thanks to new legislation, can now be used on any bike.
Legal light
This will particularly please all those who have several bicycles in use and can now use one battery-powered light for the entire fleet - since 1 August 2013, permanently mounted, dynamo-powered lighting systems are no longer mandatory in road traffic. Of course, the battery-powered light must be StVZO-compliant: it requires a printed test mark with a wave, the letter "K" and a number. Floodlights, such as those used by cyclists and mountain bikers on their night-time excursions through fields and forests, are taboo and may not even be sold on the market as bicycle lights. The main reason for this is the risk of dazzling oncoming traffic. However, when you come face to face with the xenon light cannons of an SUV, you wonder whether this ban is really proportionate.
We invited six manufacturers to take part in the test, with models costing between 60 and 200 euros.
The test results of these battery-powered headlights can be found below as a PDF download:
- Busch & Müller Ixon Core
- Cateye Econom Force RC
- Philips SafeRide LED battery
- Sigma Speedster
- Supernova Airstream 2 STVZO
- Trelock LS 950 Icon
Downloads:
download
