Test: The well-known German manufacturer Busch und Müller has a 50-lux spotlight in its range, which makes racing cyclists sit up and take notice because of its handy format and, above all, because of its compliance with the German Road Traffic Licensing Regulations. We tried out what headlights Ixon and the matching rear light Ixxi can do against the darkness.
The lighting specialists from Busch & Müller can not only boast of their own production facility in the Sauerland east of the Rhine, but also of an innovative strength that can hardly be surpassed. Developments such as the LED parking light for everyday bikes or the super-bright "Big Bang" gas-discharge headlamp have caused a sensation. And if the company didn't feel bound by the StVZO with its entire product range, the brightest bicycle light in the world would probably also come from Busch and Müller.
The feat of the past few years has been the development of the IQ headlight. This means "indirect source" and thus the following: Instead of the light-emitting diode sitting in the middle of the reflector and shining out of it, it is placed above and shines into the reflector. This minimizes stray light losses and allows the light field to be calculated much more precisely.
At first, the new technology was unfamiliar, because if you look at the reflector (please only with the lamp switched off!), you will no longer see the light source, but only the reflecting surface of the reflector. In any case, the effect is overwhelming: IQ-Tec headlights are characterized by a precisely defined light-dark boundary in the upper area (important to prevent dazzling) and bring a lot of light onto the road, depending on the design of the reflector useful close-range illumination. In addition, the technology can also be used to create relatively compact lights, and racing cyclists should also be able to hear that.
Accepted by the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations
As far as the type of bicycle lighting is concerned, the StVZO has become more liberal - a dynamo is no longer necessary, battery lighting is now also permitted on everyday bikes - but strictly speaking, cyclists must always have headlights and rear lights with them - of course those with a wavy line and K- Number, i.e. approval by the legislature. And for this very purpose, Busch & Müller offers the set consisting of the Ixon Core IQ front light and the Ixxi LED rear light.
You already know what the light set can do before you start using it, because the packaging offers a lot of information. The weight specification is already interesting: The Ixon is said to weigh 112 grams, the Ixxi 35 grams, each plus bracket - on the precision scales it's exactly 106 or 30 grams. For comparison: An iPhone 4 weighs 141 grams. If you look at the compact shape ( the Ixon measures almost 11 cm in length), one thing is already certain: this battery-powered spotlight is fully compatible with jersey pockets. If you value a tidy look, all you have to do is attach the handlebar holder, which can be mounted without tools, and then pull the lamp out of your pocket and attach it at any time. The first generation of the Ixon was delivered with another, smaller holder that was attached with rubber rings and, in our experience, works very well. The Ixxi is still attached to the seat post with a rubber band.
136 grams, to charge via USB!
Before we throw ourselves into the night with the light set, we charge it up. In the case of the rear light, a USB port on the computer is sufficient. A small green illuminated dot in the Ixxi's reflector indicates the charging process; if it goes out, the battery is full. It's the other way around in lighting mode: as soon as the green light goes out, the battery has to be connected to the mains. There is no risk of overloading either the rear light or the headlight. It comes with an AC adapter that charges the Ixon's lithium battery in three to four hours. On the USB port, this can take much longer than a normal working day.
When you are finally out and about in the dark, the headlights and rear lights show their best performance. The very bright rear light also shines to the sides and at an angle to the front, so it can be seen almost all around. The spotlight is already quite bright in the twilight with the reduced level (12 lux); at full 50 lux it cuts a long corridor of light into the night. In the lightless city forest you have a wide view at 30 km/h if you align the Ixon accordingly; only directly in front of the front wheel is it then too dim to see every pothole. In tighter curves, the light field reaches its limits, especially when a slight incline replaces stronger turning - this is where the lack of near-field illumination becomes noticeable. A photo from the nightly visit to the archery range illustrates the performance of the Ixon: the front two targets are 20 meters apart, the distance to the next is five meters each.
Clever is the Ixon's charge level indicator, which is an indispensable accessory for driving at night. When switching on, changing the lighting mode and then every two minutes, the indicator light (blue for bright, red for economy mode) flashes several times - five times for a fully charged battery and then less and less. When you run out of energy, the Ixon will automatically switch to low-power mode, at which point the light will flash red and blue, indicating it's high time to come home. Now the light is no longer enough to see, but still to be seen for about an hour - so you are still safe on illuminated streets.
The manufacturer promises "more three hours" of light duration in 50 lux mode, around 15 hours at ten lux. That's easily enough for evening training rides into the twilight and for medium-fast laps in the dark, so it meets the requirements of most cyclists.
The recommended price for the set is EUR 77,90, the individual components cost EUR 19,90 and EUR 59,90 respectively, with everything being available much cheaper online, as usual. In any case, the bright, compact duo of lights is a good investment.
Conclusion
Anyone who completes long night drives at high speeds, for example on the descents, certainly needs more light; everyone else can warmly recommend the set of Ixon and Ixxi.
Pro
- Very compact, bright headlight
- Bright, all-round visible rear light
- Headlight with accurate, predictable charge level indicator
- When the battery is almost empty, it can be used as a "position light" for a good hour
Contrary to
- The lack of close-range illumination is noticeable in tight corners
prices and web
- 77,90 euros (individually 59,90 and 19,90 euros)
- www.bumm.de