UK Company; Exposure Lights, have been around since 2005, specialising in high end LED rechargeable bike lights for mountain biking, road riding and commuting. All of their lights are designed, engineered and built in the UK (possibly one of the most demanding environments for night lights), and as a result they are built to meet very high standards of quality.
After having the opportunity to test out these lights for ourselves, we saw many benefits from their design, such as the beautifully CNC machined alloy casings that seem hardy and solid, the clever handlebar / helmet mounting systems, and the Cable Free Design (CFD) that keeps the light unit and the battery all together in the one housing.
After having the opportunity to test out these lights for ourselves, we saw many benefits from their design, such as the beautifully CNC machined alloy casings that seem hardy and solid, the clever handlebar / helmet mounting systems, and the Cable Free Design (CFD) that keeps the light unit and the battery all together in the one housing.
Each Exposure Light utilises an internal Lithium Ion Battery that keeps things lightweight, compact and efficient. One of the features we really liked was the USB cable that is supplied with each light that allows you to charge the battery via a computer - ideal for when you're at work and need to top up the light before the evening ride.
For 2011, many of the Exposure models have received a substantial boost in lighting power with brand new CREE XPG LED globes that have taken models such as the Exposure Diablo Light up to a staggering 900 Lumens! This puts them right up the top with the competition, though the beauty about Exposure is all of their power claims are verified, unlike a lot of the generic night lights on the market that never seem to live up to their claimed outputs.
For 2011, many of the Exposure models have received a substantial boost in lighting power with brand new CREE XPG LED globes that have taken models such as the Exposure Diablo Light up to a staggering 900 Lumens! This puts them right up the top with the competition, though the beauty about Exposure is all of their power claims are verified, unlike a lot of the generic night lights on the market that never seem to live up to their claimed outputs.
The Exposure Diablo is the companys flagship helmet light, with a huge 900 Lumens of power that will seriously light up the singletrack. We reckon this will be a very popular light for most weekend warriors, as you will find that on the Medium setting at 600 Lumens, you will have more than enough illumination on the trail and with a 3 hour burn time. As with all Exposure lights, you can bulk up the burn time by adding on the Piggyback battery if your training rides are on the longer side, or you need the extra juice for an Enduro event.
Check out the Exposure Diablo Light here.
The helmet bracket is incredibly simple, with a solid clip wrapping around the light body to hold it in place. You have full tilt adjustment and the bracket mounts to any regular ventilated helmet. Using a light on the helmet gives you additional visability through tight singletrack, as you can direct the spotlight with your helmet, and makes negotiating switchbacks and turns a lot easier.
As with all the Exposure lights, the Diablo comes with an AC charger that doubles as a USB charger. The Li-Ion batteries are just like a mobile phone battery, so you can charge the light whether it's completely depleted or 1/4 full. The Smart Charger is efficient and quick to charge, with a simple green LED that indicates once the battery is at full charge.
The Exposure Toro is the handlebar equivalent of the Diablo light, with 900 Lumens of intense light. The big benefit of the Toro is that it uses a larger Li-Ion battery, so even at full noise, you will get 3 hours of burn time. Just like the Diablo, you will likely find the Medium setting to be adequate for 90% of off road riding and in which case, you'll get a massive 10 hours of burn time with 600 Lumens.
The "coke can" style housing is the same tough CNC machined alloy that is used on all the UK made Exposure lights, and is sealed against the elements. Even the handlebar bracket is testament to the quality of the brand, with a machined alloy mount used for quickly engaging and releasing the light unit. These lights are built to last a very long time and certainly outlast the generic Chinese stuff.
A simple toggle switch on the back of the Toro allows you to flick between High (900), Medium (600) and Low (300 Lumens). You even get a clever flash mode for riding on the road, which will make you about as visible as you can possibly get. This is probably the main drawcard for the Toro and other Exposure lights, as it is just as useful as a commuter light as it is a mountain bike light. When you factor in all those disposable batteries you have to buy when using entry-level commuter lights, the rechargeable Toro actually starts to become a better value option, whilst being a butt-load brighter too.
The Exposure Maxx-D is the next size up from the Toro, with an extra CREE XPG LED used to boost power to a blinding 1200 Lumens. You might think that 1200 Lumens is a little over the top, and we would have to agree with you, though the beauty about the Maxx-D is although you do have ability to X-Ray people on the High setting, you can actually get way more burn time if you put it on the Medium setting with a (still incredibly bright) 900 Lumens. At the Medium setting, the Maxx-D pumps out light for 10 hours, which is more than enough to get you through a 24 Enduro event and with enough intensity to light up singletrack at speed.
The Maxx-D uses the same schmick alloy handlebar bracket as the Toro light, which is tilt adjustable and features a quick release button for removing the light for charging.
The Maxx-D uses the same schmick alloy handlebar bracket as the Toro light, which is tilt adjustable and features a quick release button for removing the light for charging.
You can read about the Exposure Maxx-D Light here.
If you've never tried off-road night riding before, or you have an Enduro event coming up where your old Halogen light is just not going to cut it, feel free to drop by the shop, email or call us to have a chat about what options are available to you. We can give you an instore demo, or keep an eye out for updates on our Facebook page about weekly night riding so you can hit the trails with us and see just how bright these lights are!
If you've never tried off-road night riding before, or you have an Enduro event coming up where your old Halogen light is just not going to cut it, feel free to drop by the shop, email or call us to have a chat about what options are available to you. We can give you an instore demo, or keep an eye out for updates on our Facebook page about weekly night riding so you can hit the trails with us and see just how bright these lights are!
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