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I've been faffing with cheap chineese lights for years now for both helmet and bar use, but I'm sick of damp battery packs and wires.
The exposure lights are pretty darn good but blimmin expensive. Anyone got alternatives they would heartily recommend?
Some cheap Chinese torch, that runs on 18650 batteries, the batteries, and a charger. Something 1" diameter will fit the exposure helmet mount. But tbh, just buy the exposure.
Are you planning to use it as a helmet light or bar light. If helmet it’s got 1500 lumens which is a lot. If you are going to run a decent bar light you could get away with 750-1000 lumens on the handlebar. I run a 1600 lumen bar light which allows me to run a 900 lumen helmet light with stacks of light for off road.
You could therefore go with an exposure joystick which is still a bling brand / decent quality light and cheaper than a Diablo.
I went cheaper again and use a Moon Vortex Pro on my helmet - it was about £40.
Four4ths Do a decent helmet light.
If you want Exposure quality without the price, and currently have working lights, save your money for March/April and buy basically unused Exposure lights second hand at massive discounts...
My light cost £15 off eBay. Zip tied it to a cut down Q.R water bottle mount.(about £3)
It's brighter than my Diablo but not as floody. You'll need 4 18650 batteries.
That looks huge, that's not going on your helmet eh?.
Yes, it’s bit of a size. Have no idea how they make the Diablo have such a wide beam.
I wish the Diablo had a more focused beam tbh, tempted to sell mine and buy either a new joystick or axis.
Prefer a punchier, spotty pattern.
Moon are cheaper, decent quality and very good. My lx360 is bright enough for fast road night commute. The ones over 1000lm must be enough for mtb duties.
The moon lights above the vortex pro get a big big though from what I can make out - the ones with Storm in the name. Think they’d be too big for a helmet light. For a bright but cheap bar light the bikehut 1600 is hard to beat. Having run it properly for the first time off road last week I was impressed. Run time at full pelt is better than my other 1600 lumen all in one bar light and the battery level meter thing is pretty good.
It really depends what kind of use the light will see, long straights, predictable long bends etc a bar mounted light will be fine, but for any twisty or off-piste type descending, bar light is pish, helmet light required and that Bikehut light is too big for yer bonce.
Just put a Four4th light up in classifieds
I know people balk at the price of Exposure lights, but in my experience, not only do they work bloody well, but they also work for years. My old 2009-ish Joystick was still going strong when I gave it to a mate last year after buying a more recent one. I also have a Strada, which has been flawless for three years now and a third generation Diablo.
If I didn't have a set of Lumicycle bar lights, I'd have an Exposure alternative in a second. After heavy use the switches eventually die and, of course, in time, the batteries need replacing, but Exposure's customer service is excellent and you can generally get them fixed within a week.
I'm not saying alternatives are rubbish btw, but I think the durability of the Exposure stuff offsets the premium price to some extent. I'd just buy a Diablo and look at it as a longer term investment in your night riding.
I have a light like Zippykona’s that I’ve fitted with a Hope qr mount. It’s pretty good but would be murder as a helmet light. TBH that Bikehut light would be a better buy these days.
I also have a Moon Vortex Pro. Very good for the £40 I paid and comes with helmet and bar mounts. Just wish additional batteries were easier to come by.
Anyone using a Lezyne 1100 as a helmet light?