Morning all,
Before I spend nearly £400 on a light is there any alternatives that are as bright?
Was considering some of the Chinese 7 Cree headlights and an mtb batteries battery? Obviously a fraction of the cost but very different tech.
Purely rating on brightness is there much that can rival them?
My bro has the Exposure 6 pack. I have a new Hope R4. I don't think the slight increase in power is wroth an extra 200 notes. I also prefer not to have the whole thing on my bars, though I appreciate for some that is a genuine reason to buy the Exposure
Your problem with looking at chinese head 7+ LED head units is that until you buy them you don't actually know how the electronics is set up.
They may have 7xXML LED's giving a theoretical 7000lm, but if they are only set to pull 500mA they are only going to give half that at best.
Edit: As a budget alternative, you could look at getting two of the many derivatives of the 2xXML lights and using a Y cable to run them both off the same battery.
Just looking at the Hope r8 at the minute... how would that stack up in brightness?
Not that it helps you any but they were only £280 at Evans the other week! You need to spend more time on here to get all the PSAs!Before I spend nearly £400 on a light is there any alternatives that are as bright?
I'm aware of the Evans sale... nearly bought one and dithered about it too much reading about them. Then decided I really want one, then they were back up to only 10% off...I can get one for £340 but it's still a big cost 🙁
Where are you based?
[url= https://www.evanscycles.com/hope-r8-led-vision-std-EV290960 ]Hope R8+ [/url] saw one of these the other week. v. v. bright.
R8+ is quite poor value compared to Six Pack due to having much smaller (and external) battery
8000 lumens? 😉
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Finely Tuned Ride have some ex demo Exposure lights going cheap, all with warranty etc.
I bought one of those cheap China monsters as I have a few decent battery packs compatible with one & they are less than £20.
If you don't mind cables, they are mentally bright. Clearly not the millions of lumens they claim, but it makes a 1400lm Exposure Diablo look like my iPhone torch in comparison.
It destroys the Solarstorm by comparison as well.
A decent battery from TBB/etc & the head unit for less than £20, for £60 all in with a charger, it's a complete bargain. If it breaks, i'll throw it in the bin & buy another.
Finely Tuned Ride have some ex demo Exposure lights going cheap, all with warranty etc.
these are the older models MTB Rob... I'm sure they are fine but just FYI.
I don't know if some cheaper chinese lights can match a six pack for brightness, but I know the six pack is stupidly bright, as well as having the potential to run for 36hrs on a lower power setting.
Yes, it's expensive, but its made in Britain, has a good warranty, and is an excellent piece of kit.
I wouldn't have bought it for myself, but thankfully my wife made the decision for me.
She also spent a similar amount on shoes that day.
Four4th, cheaper and probably better. £275 sticker price on the OMG at 5200 lumens (and that's not Chinese lumens).
Robust design, motion/temp controlled driver board, quality connectors and adjustable mounts.
OMG ideal for helmet
Holy Moses for bar
Based in Aldershot.
Cheers for the reponses so far everyone.
Zippykona I'm based in Nottingham.
Anyone got a link to that Chinese monster? Would it run off an older hope vision 4 battery pack?
Gemini Titan. It's a monster and sub £250 with an 8 cell battery.
To be honest £250 for a Gemini which looks like a cheapy Chinese light with rubber band mounts isn't an option. If it was £100 it would be a contender but at £250 I'd rather buy something that has a more complete finish to it.
If you are in Nottingham
I got a hope R8 couple of weeks back from Voltz in blidworth
amazing light and a good deal
Ask for dave, tell him Corin send you
I have no way of knowing if this is brighter than a 6pack but it makes my car's dip lights seem dim. Can't imagine ever needing more light but more is always better!
It cost me £13 plus £50 for torchy batteries and a charger. It lasts for 3 hours on medium beam which is as bright as a joystick on full.
The lens steams up a bit in heavy rain but it's always clear the next day. Someone showed me their Diablo which was a couple of years old and its light was pathetic. I'd hate to spend a lot of money and for them to be out of date so quickly. My big light is too bright for everyday use as if anyone is coming the other way( which they frequently do through the park) I have to turn it off. Now running 2 joysticks ,one on helmet and one on bars as I can easily tilt one out of the way and look to one side with the other one.
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I'll bear that in mind Cozz. Thanks for the heads up.
Zippykona.. thanks for that. It's so ugly it hurts though 😉
The one I bought the shop don't have any at the moment, it's no doubt essentially the same as this:
The one above looks like more of a torch? I use a GoPro mount on the bottom of the light which attaches to a bar mounted GoPro mount.
I do the same on the helmet too, but use the low profile mount so it doesn't stick up in the air (use a Torchy modified Solarstorm on my head.
Zippykona.. thanks for that. It's so ugly it hurts though
I believe i called it an abomination in another thread 😆
I have an L&M Seca 1500 (less than £200 if you buy battery & headlamp seperately - [url= https://www.athleteshop.co.uk/light_motion?p=1 ]here[/url] ). I'm sure its not as dazzlingly bright as a 6pack, but I really can't imagine needing more light from the same unit. Small one on the helmet in addition and it's all you need.
And it's attached to a fat bike.
chilled76 - Member
To be honest £250 for a Gemini which looks like a cheapy Chinese light with rubber band mounts isn't an option. If it was £100 it would be a contender but at £250 I'd rather buy something that has a more complete finish to it.
I've had cheap chinese lights in the past and currently have an Exposure Axis on my helmet. The Gemini doesn't look or feel like the cheap chinese stuff and it's MUCH brighter than my mate's Hope R8. The head unit is so light that the rubber band mounts make perfect sense.
Each to their own though - am sure the Six pack is mega!
My Four4th Holy Moses. Technically about as bright as Exposure 6 pack on max setting, but neither would you use for long on max as run time will be very short. Exposure's normal setting is perhaps higher than this one on medium (which is typically the normal setting I'd use, especially on group rides).
Not integrated battery, and Exposure's battery is a much higher capacity, surprising in such a small enclosure, but then it's a lot more expensive.
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There's a nice combined bar & battery mount too for these now.
@Zippykona I bought one of those torches from a recommendation in the other all in one light thread.
Its incredibly bright and very impressive. Im using torchy batteries but they are well too tight in the torch they are impossible to remove which is a shame ? i might try modding for a bit more clearance 😕
Do you use flat or button top cells?
Ta
Lumicycle Explorer.
Mine is superb and boosts to 3500 lumen.
Add another light unit to the system at a later date for double Sun power... 😀
big fan of Exposure - build, practicality, reliability, mounts, (but not the switching oddness). I have a Strada for commuting, and Diablo and Joystick for various other duties.
But I still love my Lumicycle for MTBing 🙂
Funnily enough I rode with someone this evening who had a mk7 6 pack. He let me have a play with it whilst he was fixing a puncture. Totally smitten with these now, the spread and use ability of the beam blows those Chinese lights out of the water.
Definitely getting one of these now, just need to wait until evans have another sale!
Tick
J273 I'm using conventional looking batteries and they are a snug fit but nothing too crazy. My previous light which looks similar used to have the batteries rattle like a mad thing.
Funnily enough I rode with someone this evening who had a mk7 6 pack. He let me have a play with it whilst he was fixing a puncture. Totally smitten with these now, the spread and use ability of the beam blows those Chinese lights out of the water
Aye, but ye canny put a 6pack on yer lid, which is the only place I use a light whilst mtbing.
Love my diablo up top, only see the big exposure lights being any good for road, cx or long straight off roads. If it can't point where I'm looking, it's no good to me.
Four4th for me, but appreciate the all in one solution. I have the enduro mount for my holy Moses on bar (battery and light on one bracket). Got an exodus on lid and that's on 3rd or 4th winter, riding every week. My mate has an early exodus from 4 or 5 years ago and his is still going strong (same battery).
Very well made lights and great customer service from a local enthusiastic company
I have a sixpack..thanks to Evans. It replaces my Mk 3 MaxxD
Its incredible but one word of warning. You have to use it on the lowest setting on the road if there is any traffic. I often get flashed if I forget to switch it down. Even Flash mode is too bright..
As an off road it cant be beaten imo. I tend to use my Maxx D for commuting now, in conjunction with a lezyne Micro on my lid.
@nobeer, totally agree that if you are only using 1 light it should be helmet mounted - almost mandatory for twisty singletrack imo.
Disagree about the big exposure lights only being for straight stuff though, they do flood an incredible area which makes them much more practical than logic would dictate.
I've got a mk11 joystick on the lid gents but thanks anyway.
I got an exposure toro. It's on my bars and great, really useable light. I can see that in super twisty stuff it would be nice to have a head mounted light as well but it's not essential. It's not always about lumens, design of the beam plays a massive part. The exposure stuff is expensive but just works so well and is so self contained I don't think you can beat it.
Strangely I don't really think of the 6 pack as a stupidly bright light. Well it is but that's not the point imo. It's a quite bright light that can be quite bright for a very long time. A 24hr event or long distance rider's light.
There are other better lights (even in the exposure range) that burn plenty bright enough for plenty long enough on their higher settings for the usual evening ride where I think the 6 pack is not only overkill but just physically bigger/heavier than needed.
I got an exposure toro. It's on my bars and great, really useable light. I can see that in super twisty stuff it would be nice to have a head mounted light as well but it's not essential. It's not always about lumens, design of the beam plays a massive part.
Disagree, bar light is a nice to have, helmet light is where it's at. Why would you not want a light that points in the direction you're looking?, unless you're looking down at the ground in front of you, a common mistake.
The only time I ever use a bar light as opposed to a helmet is if it's proper foggy.
I make no qualms abut being an exposure fanboi..!!
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I've tried cheapo lights, and ridden with people with cheapo lights.
Yes, for the most part they work. However, by definition, if they stop working then you're 'left in the dark'..
I find that though they are pricey, the beam pattern, reliability, and 'all in one package' of Exposure lights makes them, well, ruddy brilliant!
DrP
Anyone have any ideas what the battery capacities are in the big Exposure bar lights?
Website says
Six Pack Mk7 has a 15,500mAh battery
MaxxD Mk9 has a 11,600mAh battery
For starters, and on the basis they are using 18650 cells, and if they're running at 8.4V, the battery capacities should actually be half what they say. They've just added the total sum of each battery's capacity
So 6 pack is 7,750mAh 8.4V battery and MaxxD is 5,900mAh 8.4V battery
MaxxD cells are therefore 2,900mAh cells
How many in the 6 pack?
I was trying to gauge runtime on my bar light. Different light (Nitefighter BT40s), but I'm running 3,100mAh panasonic cells, so I have 6,200mAh 8.4V battery, which put it above the MaxxD in terms of capacity. My battery seems to last AGES with the light on low
OP - I think we have discussed before, I have new Joystick on lid and current Maxx D on bars. I have run a MaxxD/Joystick combo through their various iterations over the past 7 years of weekly use.
IMO the only benefit of the 6Pack over MaxxD in current guises is battery life. The MaxxD on high in reflex setting has enough burn time for most people's evening rides of a couple of hours. It fully lights the area in front of you, with the Joystick lighting where you are looking.
Ben, without going on a serious dig I'm not sure but it's possible you're attempting to compare apples with apples when one is actually an orange...
'18650' refers to the package size of the cell (18x65) and not really what is inside. It's possible the cells Exposure are using (!) could be Cobalt Li-ion (LiCoO2) and your cells Manganese Li-ion (LiNiMnCoO2) for example, in which case the Cobalt Li-ion cells would have nearly half as much charge capacity again at the same output voltage for given size of package. The cobalt version is much more expensive. At a much lower level you see this with domestic batteries such as MN1500/LR6's - not all alkaline LR6's will power a known device for the same period.
It would be interesting to know, but I'd be a little surprised if it turned out Exposure were deliberately doubling their battery capacity figures and hoping no-one ever called them out on it - their brand is based on quality lights after all...
Iainc cheers matey, it's the brightness I need. I ride in a group Tuesday night and the lumen wars are meaning my pupils are dilated, then when I'm suddenly away from the group I can't see. Figure the only way to get on is to out bright everyone!
@vincienup - thanks. I was using the simple 18650 analogy as their head torches run with normal 18650s (as do their piggy back cells I think)
But it might not be that simple. I thought I'd worked it out OK with the MaxxD with 2,900 cells but the 6 pack then confused me
