What is a traffic-safe bicycle? Do you remember? You actually learned it in elementary school – when you got your bicycle certificate. But a traffic-safe bicycle is not just for children! Actually, every bicycle that is on public roads should have a “traffic-safe equipment”. But what exactly does your bike need for that?
Here you will find out what equipment your bicycle must have according to StVZO (Road Traffic Licensing Regulations), and we also have a few suggestions that are not necessarily mandatory but still improve safety.
What does a traffic-safe bicycle bring you?
Sports equipment, fun machine, means of transport – every bicycle lover sees something different in a bicycle. For the police and public order office, bicycles and e-bikes are primarily one thing: road users. And they must comply with a whole series of regulations, otherwise trouble looms. If a bicycle meets these regulations, it is a “traffic-safe bicycle” – and you are on the safe side, in two ways!
- You get no trouble. If you are caught in public road traffic without StVZO-compliant equipment, you pay a fine.
- If you are involved in an accident, the question of the necessary safety equipment is often quickly raised. And it doesn’t matter whether you caused the accident and/or are the injured party or not!
- “Prescribed equipment” always sounds very much like coercion, but in fact, it’s about your personal safety! A traffic-safe bicycle simply has a few attachments that ensure your safety.
It makes your life as a cyclist safer if you make your bicycle traffic-safe, that is, equip it with the prescribed safety equipment!
Does every bicycle have to be traffic-safe?
The obligation to have a bell and the like does not only apply to bicycles in the city, such as city bikes or trekking bikes! It doesn’t matter if you are racing over field paths on a mountain bike, embarking on a bikepacking adventure with a gravel bike, or doing road bike training on the highway. Whenever you ride on public roads, you need a traffic-safe bicycle – and in Germany, that’s almost all roads and paths! Even children’s bicycles must be equipped traffic-safe from a certain size, and this also applies to e-bikes the same rules apply!
The StVZO applies to all bicycles that are ridden on public roads and paths.
But don't worry, there are not many components required, and they really serve solely for safety in road traffic.
What does a bicycle need to be roadworthy?
You don't have to spend a fortune to make your bicycle roadworthy according to StVO! Actually, it's only 3 parts (apart from the braking system) and they are quite easy to retrofit if your bicycle doesn't have them yet.
The Bicycle Bell
Every roadworthy bicycle needs a bicycle bell or bicycle bell. It should be easily audible, “clearly sounding,” says the law. Horns, sirens, or other “sound signaling devices” might be amusing, but they are not permitted. Whether you have a large, colorful, noticeable bell or a slim, barely visible bell on your handlebar is up to you; type and form are irrelevant for a roadworthy bicycle.
Step 1 to a roadworthy bicycle: Install a bicycle bell!
By the way, something completely different is a Trail-Bell! Here, a small bell is attached to the mountain bike or e-mountain bike, which rings with every movement, intended to warn hikers and wildlife of approaching bikers. Bells that ring constantly are prohibited in road traffic.
Two brakes are vital for a roadworthy bicycle!
The good news is – on most bicycles, you don't initially need to worry about this aspect of road safety. Every bicycle needs two brakes that “function independently of each other” and most bikes come with them from the factory. Typically, these are a front brake and a rear brake. Whether you have two hand brakes or one hand brake and a coaster brake, it doesn't matter. You can choose the system you feel safer with. It is also up to you whether you ride with disc brakes or rim brakes. But beware! Bicycle brakes are wear parts and require regular maintenance. If they are worn out, they no longer brake safely!
There is also a special case: With a fixie, there are no brakes, but a fixed hub that must be pedaled backward to brake. According to StVZO, this is not allowed. A fixie is therefore not roadworthy!
Disc or rim brake, hand brake or coaster brake – the roadworthy bicycle needs two brakes!
Non-slip, tightly screwed pedals
For your bicycle to be StVZO-compliant and roadworthy, the pedals must meet several requirements. They should be tightly screwed and non-slip, providing enough grip for your feet even in wet or frosty conditions. The pedals must have yellow reflectors mounted on the sides, shining forwards and backwards.
Bicycle lights
A roadworthy bicycle needs good bicycle lights and various reflectors.
- You need a white headlight at the front.
- Additionally, a red tail light is required.
- A roadworthy bicycle must have a white reflector at the front and a red rear reflector, which can be combined with the lights.
- Until a few years ago, the lights had to be permanently mounted; today battery plug-in lights are also allowed, they just need to be firmly mounted on the bicycle during operation.
- Reflectors or cat's eyes must be mounted in the spokes. You can also stick reflective strips on the rims. Reflective spoke sleeves are also allowed.
If you don't have lighting on your bicycle and want to retrofit it, you should make sure when buying the lights that they are approved according to StVZO.
Good bicycle lighting not only makes you visible at night, it also ensures that you don't miss anything in the dark – absolutely essential on a roadworthy bicycle!
Safe bicycle vs. roadworthy bicycle
There are also some attachments that are not required by the StVZO, but are still recommended as additional safety equipment by bicycle associations and magazines, namely:
- a chain cover: Many children's bicycles have them, and they are also occasionally found on city bikes - protective covers that conceal the chain and drive. If one of your shoelaces has ever wrapped around the crank or gotten caught in the chain, you know why. A chain guard ensures that clothing does not get tangled in the bike's drivetrain. This is especially important for children's bikes, and those who like to wear skirts or dresses will always ride well with it.
- Mudguards: Mudguards are also not directly required but are always mentioned as sensible equipment. They are really important for all-weather bikers because splashing water in the face is not exactly conducive to good visibility.
- More and more bicycles and e-bikes are equipped with rearview mirrors. While mirrors on a bike might be questionable in terms of aesthetics, they definitely contribute to traffic safety!
- An annual safety check: A service is usually not mandatory (unless your bike is leased and the lease agreement requires regular maintenance). But a bicycle that is used in road traffic should be checked by a professional at least once a year - just like a car is by the TÜV. Especially wheels and brakes are often neglected but must work reliably at all times. Tubes and tires become brittle or porous over time and must be replaced in time. And a bike without functioning brakes is simply dangerous in road traffic! During a bicycle service (also called an annual check or spring check), all important components of a bicycle are checked and maintained.
- A high-quality bike lock should also always be on board; it doesn't serve your safety but that of your bike, but it can prevent a lot of trouble!
- And then, of course, there's the bike helmet!
Mudguards and chain guards (here on the Urban Bike) are not necessarily mandatory, but definitely important for safety!
Do the same traffic rules apply to an e-bike?
If your e-bike is within the scope of the StVZO, it should be just as traffic-safe equipped as any other bicycle. If you have a fast S-Pedelec when you ride, completely different rules apply, because it is not considered a bicycle, but a small motorbike. Before your first ride, you should find out exactly what regulations apply to an S-Pedelec.
The roadworthy bicycle in elementary school
Do children also need a roadworthy bicycle? It depends on the age of the children! On small children's bicycles, roadworthy equipment is often omitted. Children do not yet have much physical strength; every gram that can be saved on the bicycle makes handling easier for them. As long as children are only on sidewalks, it is sufficient, but if your child is in the area of the StVZO, that is, on the street, the bicycle must meet the same requirements that apply to an adult bicycle. It must then have a bell, bicycle lights, reflectors, and so on. Many bicycles for children from elementary school age and youth bicycles have the necessary equipment already installed at purchase.
Many elementary schools offer children the opportunity to get the bicycle license. You will see that your child will then immediately examine their own bicycle (and all other bicycles in the neighborhood) and check the roadworthiness! Your offspring might even force you to retrofit one or another part!
Apart from the traffic safety according to StVZO, the safety of a child is especially important! Small children's bicycles are particularly often overlooked, so it is advisable to improve the visibility of a small cyclist with some simple measures.
- A flag on a long pole ensures that children are better seen between cars, trash cans, and other objects.
- Clothing in bright colors and a colorful bicycle helmet are better perceived.
- If reflectors are incorporated into the helmet and clothing, visibility is additionally increased.
- There should be no strings hanging down from clothing and the children's backpack that can get caught in the bicycle.
- Also, daytime running lights or battery-powered bicycle lights that are turned on during the day make children's bicycles more visible.
- Nevertheless, you should always keep a close eye on a small child when cars are nearby!
The most important safety feature of a children's bicycle is a good fit. Only a suitable, child-appropriately equipped bicycle can be safely ridden and handled by a child.
Where does the StVZO apply?
In the area of the StVZO (the German Road Traffic Licensing Regulations), all bicycles must meet the above-mentioned rules. It applies to all public traffic areas, streets, paths, and squares . The StVZO can also apply on private property if the private property (such as a parking lot or a private road) is publicly accessible, and the same applies to Wald paths and field paths. There are actually very few paths where the StVZO does not apply! No matter where you are traveling, with a traffic-safe equipped bicycle, you are always on the safe side! When you buy a bicycle in Germany, the major manufacturers usually ensure that they meet the German traffic safety regulations. If you order a bike from a small manufacturer at the end of the world, you may have to retrofit it yourself!
Another tip: The StVZO naturally only applies in Germany. When you go traveling with your bicycle, the local regulations of the holiday country apply! You should therefore inform yourself in advance whether a different safety equipment may be required there.
With a traffic-safe bicycle, you avoid a lot of trouble!
Do mountain bikes and racing bikes also have to be traffic-safe equipped?
When you buy a new city bike or trekking bike, you usually don't have to worry, as these bicycles are already equipped by the manufacturer for the German market to be traffic-safe and thus meet the requirements of the road traffic regulations. Many gravel bikes also come with traffic-safe equipment. However, with performance-oriented sports bicycles like racing bikes and mountain bikes, traffic suitability is often lacking – is that allowed? After all, they are more like sports equipment, right?
If you are traveling with your racing bike or mountain bike in the StVZO area (see above), the bicycle should be traffic-safe equipped, so you are on the safe side! Otherwise, fines may be imposed.
An MTB or racing bike naturally has brakes. Even adhesive reflectors are still tolerable in the sports sector. You may plug in the lights and attach them at dusk, but be careful – as soon as you enter a tunnel, they actually need to be in place! The bicycle bell and pedals with reflectors remain … we leave this point to your conscience. If some of these attachments are missing from your sporty bicycle, you can easily retrofit them.
When is a bicycle traffic-safe – the checklist
This equipment must a traffic-safe bicycle have:
- bright-sounding bell
- tail light (battery or dynamo) with separate or integrated self-illuminator
- front reflector (battery or dynamo) with integrated or separate self-illuminator
- firmly mounted, non-slip pedals with orange self-illuminators
- Reflectors in the spokes, spoke sleeves, or adhesive reflectors
- two independent brakes
What a roadworthy bicycle needs:
Bell | Lighting | Brakes | Pedals
This equipment is also recommended:
- Chain guard
- Grippy tires
- Mudguards
- Bike lock
- Bicycle helmet
Find more information about current accessories in our Bicycle Accessory Guide 2026.
The bicycle parts additionally enhance your safety:
Tires | Mudguards | Bicycle Helmet | Mirror | Bike Lock
Please note that we can only provide information without guarantee regarding the current legal situation!
