Exposure Bar Light Choice

I have a Sirius and a Strada RS, the Sirius was JUST about bright enough on the back lanes on my commute this morning at 6:45 so will be replaced with the Strada this evening. The Strada has just a bit more oomph and a bigger battery for when the mornings are properly dark.

It entirely depends on what sort of offroad riding you're doing, and for how long. if weight and chonk isn't an issue, I'd get the biggest you can get your mitts on, as you can always use the menu options to cut the Lumen output and get more use out of a single charge if you're riding a lot of semi- or non technical stuff. 

For what it's worth I have a Joystick on my helmet and a Toro under my computer mount on my gravel bike. Definitely sufficient on full blast, but not sure I'd want much less. This is pretty easy going Hertfordshire lanes and bridleways, not maximum gnarr.

In addition to my previous, both the Sirius and Strada have beam patterns supposedly designed for use on the road (cut off beam pattern etc) so you may be better off with a more off-road focused light if that is where it will be used 

Joystick, Strada or Sirius

They're all very different lights...

Joystick is a designed as a helmet mounted supplement to a bar light.
Strada is a powerful road-specific bar light.
Sirius is a commuter light.

I've got a Sirius which I use any time I'm road riding (day or night) but it's not something I'd want to be using to actually see by. Joystick is too focussed a beam to be much use on road.

My main light is a Toro (the off-road equivalent to the Strada) although I use it on road too, just on a lower setting and pointed down.

Get the biggest and most powerful one you can - you can never have too much light and if you're just riding gentle trails, just put it on a lower setting. My Toro will do about 11hrs on low beam and while my rides are never that long, it does at least mean I only need to charge it once a week at most.

For trail riding I'd want none of those on my bars.  Two of them are commuter lights and the joystick is a helmet light.  <br /><br />

A Diablo with a support cell would be my bar(e) minimum.  Realistically, you want a Toro or Maxx-D

I had a Strada and a Toro.

Sold the Strada as it was a bit weedy (in comparison) and I stopped riding road at night anyway.

Toro is great for solo night riding off-road, but can feel a bit inadequate if everyone else turns up with bigger lights and rides behind you.

Offroad at night, for the bars, by Exposure - Maxx-D or SixPack

I've got a five (I think) year old Six Pack, and I've never regretted it.

Yes, it was ferociously expensive. But...

It's plenty bright enough on the third highest setting for most singletrack riding I do. That means, when everyone else's lights inevitably get brighter, I can turn it up so I'm not riding in my own shadow. On high at that setting it's got about 10 hours battery so, when it goes into the red I've still got a whole evening ride in the tank. It's also got spare for in case something goes wrong: I can light the situation for as long as it takes and not worry about running out of juice. Oh, and the beam pattern is really good.

It's also still going strong after five years, so it gets cheaper every year it still works.

You can't go wrong with the MaxD but, once you've gone that expensive, the leap to the mahoosive light isn't that great.

I really like my Joystick (mk12 I think, 1000 lumens, decent flood pointing downwards) under the Garmin, but normally run it on the low/med setting. For more light/longer run time, I'd go Diablo under the bars. A joystick is so small I keep a spare to swap in by back pocket. That gets a 3h road ride in the dark. For off-road, go big and bright seems to be the maxim. I've used my (very old) Strada and a Joystick on the helmet. Most of the utility is from the Joystick, with the Strada just providing a little fill-in.

I also now have a Boost for daytime running. this is basically a shorter Sirius. I can ride by it after dark in lit conditions, but in the dark it's not bright or focussed enough (the Joystick came out last night for the last third of my ride). Still a very useful tool though and nicely compact. I really bought it for 12h flashing on the front of a TT bike. It won't ever go off road. Not focussed enough and too low a run time on full. Like the Sirius, however, it does light up periphery better than the Joystick making the rider more visible.

Toro on the bars, Joystick on the lid here. To be honest, unless you're riding in a group with people who are packing the sun on their bars, its actually better having a bit less light. All having the immediate bit superbright does is make everything else blacker in contrast as your eyes adjust to the brightness, so any attempt at peripheral vision or seeing round a corner (even with the headtorch) goes out the window.

The Toro is a great bit of kit. Loads of modes and easy to change them. Low is plenty for just trundling around/climbing and medium is fine for gravel bike speed descending and/or twisty singletrack. I only really use it on full chat if its an open fast descent on an mtb. Used as such, battery life is excellent.

I'd agree with the folk above saying 'none of the above' for a bar light. I've occasionally used a Diablo as a lightweight 'what if?' bar light, but mostly off-road, on the bars, you want as much floody bright light as you can get. If you're not riding with other people and don't mind taking it easy it's less of an issue, but on group rides, being 'under lit' means you end up riding into your own shadow, which is disconcerting.
Exposure has an outlet store with some older Maxx-D models at a reasonable price. I'd maybe look at one of those and look at it as an investment in being able to ride mid-week in winter. You don't have to run it at full power - programmable levels etc - but it's sometimes nice to have the option ime.

My six-pack is the 1800 lumen one from 2011.

Its still brighter than most of my mates lights.

A second hand older exposure bar light can still be plenty.

I've a Toro and very good it is I must say.

3 decades of riding crap lights and this is the best yet, it makes you feel a lot safer being able to see into the immediate distance. Out of all the lights or parts I've ever bought, this is the one Im happiest I made the investment in.

Exposure outlet store often has factory 2nds, but if, not older lamps are a bit cheaper -

https://www.exposure-use.com/Brands/Exposure-Lights/Outlet-Store

I’d try and get a discounted maxx D - I messed about with other lights for years before getting one. Total game changed - I’ve got an Axis in the helmet but the Joystick should also accompany the maxx d well.

Battery on the maxx d lasts way longer even on the maximum reflex setting. I have to manage the Axis battery power in comparison. 

I use a Sirius off road with no head touch. But its usually just early morning or when I've got caught out in the evening. It's ok as a get me home light. But if i was going to regularly do proper night riding I'd get something with more oomph.

18% off at exposure if you're a singletrack member too (including the outlet). Quite a few Maxx Ds in there at the moment

Diablo on the bars and a helmet-mounted Joystick is a pretty good minimum combination for easier, less tech trails. However, battery life becomes a problem if you run them on high settings.

As above, get the biggest bugger you can afford for the bars.

Just realised my Maxx-D turned 10 years old in August! It’s probably averaged about one proper night ride a fortnight plus weekday commuting in the darker months. On/off button needs pressing at the top rather than anywhere (but once you know that’s no issue) but other than that it’s still fantastic, plenty of battery life even when I have to turn it right up because someone behind me has mounted a small star on their bars.

Cost quite a bit at the time but I think it’s been excellent value.

Thank you all for the input.  I ended up ordering a Diablo for the bars, the more expensive ones I really can't justify!  I will wait for Bitcoin to go up then maybe reconsider in the future.

The Diablo is fine as a helmet light that gets turned up or on for descents and down or off for flat/uphill bits but it really struggles for battery life if you don’t do that. I appreciate that’s not that you want to hear, sorry!

Just realised my Maxx-D turned 10 years old in August!

that’s where the smart money goes. Send it in to exposure to get that button fixed if you like, service prices might be a pleasant surprise, might get another ten years from
It.

OP take note. Diablo wouldn’t be enough for me on trails, run times too short and I’d be having to constantly manage brightness to make sure I can get home. I had similar budget to a new Diablo but bought a used maxx-d. These are quality, long-lived products.

Got plenty of time to return if it doesn’t work out well with yours on order but of course you might be happy with it.

Late edit: and just looking at reviews as I work out the exposure product range for myself: Diablo looks way too narrow a beam for the main bar light. I can’t recommend second hand exposure lights enough, what with the ability to have them serviced and repaired at reasonable cost.

Diablo battery run time isn’t great if you run it on full power. You’re much better off with one of the big proper bar light ones.

Looking on the outlet you can currently get a maxx d of 2 different flavours for £267. If you can get 18% off as a Singletrack member then that goes down to £218. Well worth the money that.

^joebristol has an excellent price their on the outlet. Although I got my second hand maxx-d at £150 which is a good pinch cheaper and very happy with it - albeit a risk as always.

We're all different.

I have a (3 year old) Joystick on my helet and a similar ageing Race on the handlebars.

I don’t need any brighter or longer burn times, I don't ride fast enough to outrun the beam.

We’re all different.

Agreed, but a race is both brighter and bigger batteried than a Diablo (fact check me, I could be wrong). I’m concerned OP hasn’t got the best light for their need, but a) no panic try it and see, return if not happy b) I’m way more nerdy about such things than is absolutely necessary 😂

I ended up ordering a Diablo for the bars, the more expensive ones I really can’t justify!

They're only expensive if you look at the actual cash price in isolation.
When you consider the reliability, second-to-none customer service / warranty, lifetime and overall quality, they're an absolute bargain.

My rear light is still going strong after about 6 years including daily commuting use for a while.
I've had several Diablo lights right from the very early days, the current one must be about 4 years old and although the battery life is a bit ropey these days, it's still a great light.

But I know that Exposure would fit a new battery or simply give me a discount on a newer model no questions asked.

I’ve had several Diablo lights right from the very early days, the current one must be about 4 years old and although the battery life is a bit ropey these days, it’s still a great light.

another reason to go big - my maxx-d is 6 years old, battery life is still excellent. only draws down to 50% on a typical ride, thus less strain on the batteries long term life.

ARRRRRRRRRGH

Was looking at a Maxx-d.  Can't get the discount code to work

ARRRRRRRRRGH

sorry mate, just Tryna help in the long term!

Was looking at a Maxx-d. Can’t get the discount code to work

It worked fine for me last week when I bought a Strada from the outlet.

Maxx-D from the outlet here, no regrets. It's cheaper than buying N other lights then eventually a Maxx-D, of course if you can afford it now that is. I'm not yet 40 and I figure a refurb or two will keep it going until I'm too old to be bothered with night riding.

Maxx-D all the way, had mine for 3 years now and it's a brilliant unit & don't want for more. Go for one fom the outlet as you don't need all the bells and whistles from the latest version. M8 has a 6 pack, which he now regrets, not due to the output but due to the size/weight, as they are a lump on the bars (he is a weight weenie).

If you simply don't want to spend that much, Halford Advance range all-in-one light are very good for the money (just bear in mind what bikesandboots just said.. ^^^)

I only upgraded for my +10 y/o Toro last year as it just wasn't up to the speeds that the gravel bike will do on the back lanes & estate tracks, got a Maxx-D - reckon it's got more 'throw' than my cars lights.

Helmet-wise, I run a Diablo but IMO it does have enough power as a slow-trail bar light - I'd back it up with one of their external batteries though.

I have to manage the Axis battery power in comparison.

^^^Same

I have a 6Pack on the bars and an Axis. Great combo, floody bar light and pointy helmet light - but I've got half an eye open for another Axis as a backup rather than having to conciously manage it

What's the best price on a Maxx-D at the minute? Doesn't have to be the latest version.

I'm not really up to date with the technology, do they have any silly gimmicks that are best avoided? Any useful features to look out for?

do they have any silly gimmicks that are best avoided? Any useful features to look out for?

Definition of a gimmick I suppose will vary from user to user. Most people don't know what they're missing until they actually use a feature and then it's like "wow, how did I ever cope without this?!"

Example is the TAP thing on helmet lights (where you just tap the body of the light to go through the H-M-L beams). It sounds like a gimmick but it's a lot quicker and easier than fumbling for a small button on the back of the helmet light while attempting to ride singletrack.

Example is the TAP thing on helmet lights (where you just tap the body of the light to go through the H-M-L beams). It sounds like a gimmick but it’s a lot quicker and easier than fumbling for a small button on the back of the helmet light while attempting to ride singletrack

To back up @Crazy-legs statement about different opinions, I turned the TAP feature off because it was too sensitive. Even on the least sensitive setting, hitting roots at speed would dim the light. The gravel bike on bad tarmac was like being in a disco.

The reflex feature (auto bright/dim) on the other hand is a nice, but subtle, feature. 

I turned the TAP feature off because it was too sensitive. Even on the least sensitive setting, hitting roots at speed would dim the light

That's the kind of thing I mean. Features and selling points which bump up the price and don't work properly or add annoyance.

Diablo battery run time isn’t great if you run it on full power. You’re much better off with one of the big proper bar light ones.

Second this.

Battery life is the Diablo's weak point.

Fine if you're just doing an hour or so at a time though, I suppose.

Reflex is a good feature in my opinion. My maxx d lasts ages anyway - but with it dimming it when you stop / go slower it eels out even more battery life.

Not sure if my Axis has tap, but I’ve heard other people say it’s too sensitive off road and changes the power settings itself on rough trails. The little button on the back of the axis is easy just to press to change power settings / switch on or off anyway. So I don’t think tap is a game changer.

I had to turn the TAP setting off after having it dim my Diablo when I landed a bigger (but really quite smooth) blind drop. Quite disconcerting!

Tap, reflex, sync are all pretty unnecessary imv, but I might change my mind about reflex as I just got a new 6 pack. My old one was the first year to have it so it might have improved a lot since then. Will find out. The app doesn't work on later versions of android at the moment. The Bluetooth implementation I would describe as less than seamless.

Other than that support is excellent as mentioned and they are wonderful things. There have been noticeable improvements in design in 7 or 8 years. My original lights have cost me about 50p a ride and have been 100% reliable used in all weathers all year round.