Evening Folks,

Just went out this evening to try out my new helmet mounted Joystick mk14.

This was paired with an ebay special on the bars which I’ve had for years.

Unfortunately the battery in the eBay special died very early in the ride so was just left with the Joystick for the whole evening.

Fantastic clarity on the brightest setting, it is very focussed though so can definitely see the benefit in pairing with a bar light.

Now that the bar light battery has died, in two minds whether or not to get another cheap bar light (or just a new battery) or possibly change the Joystick for something brighter but still helmet mounted and run that as the only light.

Serious money to go now and buy an additional Exposure bar light!!

Any thoughts, suggestions welcomed.

Thanks.

buy an additional Exposure bar light!!

JFDI!!

After years running great lights but shoddy wired MagicShines I finally bit the bullet and bought an Exposure Six Pack last week.

Ludicrously expensive and utterly superb in equal measure.

The Maxx D is great too, one of my riding mates runs one of those.

As above, ‘jfd’ – they really are excellent bits of kit.

You get what you pay for in lighting. Just buy another. I run a joystick 12 on the road and have a Joystick 6 in the back pocket for longer rides. I also have an old Strada, which is weak but very broad and great off road.

Agree – MK14 Joystick is awesome.

I had my first night ride during the week with joystick on my helmet (on middle setting for most of the ride) and a Hope R2i on the bars on the low setting.

I have rode with a bar light and no helmet light before, that was a disaster. I havnt tried helmet light and no bar light but I think I like the comfort knowing I have 2 lights incase 1 dies. It also gives you longer battery life as you don’t need to run them on max power.

You get what you pay for, I’ve no regrets investing in my 2 lights.

Thanks for the responses folks.

I guess my real question is: have I bought the wrong light in the joystick? Should I have bought a much better bar light or is the helmet light essential even when paired with a great bar light?

Cheers.

Not sure the quality of Exposure is that much better, but you’re paying for the warranty…

Got a joystick 7 which is brilliant for the 56 quid it cost.

Joystick 9 is also ok

Axis is pants. Needed a fixed switch and stupid tap to change setting makes it unusable on the bars.

Got a Equinox which is reasonable. Very bright but not worth the 210 quid I paid with discount. Been back for repair once and needs to go back again for a new switch like the Axis.

Son’s double ended Exposure is also ok so far.

As long as they keep repairing them for free then I’m content. But then for close to a grand RRP for the five lights then they bloody well should be.

The Joystick 7 was a total bargain though. Bloody excellent headtorch

Joystick is what I’ve been running as a helmet light for years, they’re great and about perfect for that.

I have run it solo,ie without a bar light but only rarely when the older crappy wiring failed.

It’s OK, but running both is much, much nicer. You get a sense of depth for things with 2 lights that just the one can’t do.

To confirm though, there’s not a bad thing about the joystick, you’ve bought a great bit of kit there!

Another vote for just biting the bullet and buying a new bar-mounted light. Exposure are fantastic – great lights, easy to use/charge, superb customer service.

I’ve just got a new Toro which, on maximum power is insanely bright but drop it down a bit and it’ll last 36hrs too!

Always used Diablo before for both bar and helmet but now the Diablo are on helmet duties. To be honest your new Joystick is probably just as bright as my older Diablo!

No you’ve done the right thing. I pair a cheap bar light with exposure joystick or diablo.

That way you get wire free lighting on your head and a fairly focused beam to see where you’re going.

I wouldn’t want to run a heartorch without a bar light, but the other way is worse.

Thanks for the reassurance. Seems like it’s best to keep what I’ve got and get a new bar light sorted out.

For anyone interested. Here’s a quick clip from tonight’s ride with the joystick helmet mounted only.

A helmet light is essential in my opinion. When it’s pitch black and you have a bar mount, it only points where your bars point, not your head.

It’s handy to have a light where you are looking. Keep the joystick on your helmet (it’s 91g so perfect) and get a new bar light.

Just put the joystick on the bars and don’t bother with a helmet light.

Just put the joystick on the bars and don’t bother with a helmet light.

😂😂😂

I’d keep the joystick for the helmet and get another cheapish bar light. You want the bar light to be floody and the helmet light to be focused.

Anything 1500 lumens and up should do the job on the bars. Bikehut 1600 lumen light is only about £50 still I think. Also an all in one light and from a U.K. retailer rather than an eBay special (although the bar mounts they come with aren’t amazing so I bought an alloy gopro handlebar mounts for mine). See the bikehut light thread for more detail.

I’ll never ride with only one light again.

Just one experience of having a light fail on tricky terrain is enough.

Delighted acquired a new meaning for me… 🙂

Retired my mk1 joystick a few years ago and upgraded to an Axis. Couldn’t believe the difference in power. Still use an old lumicycle flood lamp on the bars with the tight beam axis on the helmet to pick out the distance.
All my friends how’ve went down the Chinese eBay route have suffered failures at some point. The just buy another one. Proper set up more expensive to start with but I’m sure mines worked out cheaper in the long run.

Equinox on the helmet and a Hope R8 and Liberator on the bars (it helps dry out the trail in front of me…….😁)

New to the night riding milarkey but I have an old Joystick (early 2000’s I think, just had a new battery & switch fitted by Exposure for £45) on my lid and a brand new MTB Batteries, Luminator 18 on the bars. Lots of light!

I use a joystick on the helmet and the bikehut 1600 as a bar light and it works great. I ride with people with exposure lights on the bars and they are definitely better, but for me too many extra ££s

I don’t think anyone’s said this, but other than the directional thing and light redundancy, my experience of riding with a single helmet light or a bar light is that it messes with depth perception so it can be hard to tell whether something is a shadow on the ground or a three-foot step. Not so much an issue on easy ground, but definitely ‘interesting’ on more technical stuff.

I’d stick with the Joystick as a helmet light – best option out there ime, light, bright, spotty and reliable with a great mount – and get a half-decent bar light, but not necessarily a super expensive Exposure / Lumicycle one unless you can afford it. I’d second the MTB Batteries Luminator mentioned above as an affordable but effective upgrade from the cheapo stuff that won’t break the bank. I have one as a back-up ‘guest light’ and it’s decent ime.

I have a mix of Exposure and Lumicycle lights for best. Expensive to buy, but work brilliantly and have funcitoned reliably for years, which kind of off-sets the initial investment.

perhaps I’m old a fuddy duddy but they just do too many models for my addled brain.

anyone else have this issue – specifically with Exposure lights that is

Still running MK3 maxx d and mk4 joystick. 10 years old and still chugging away.

Cost about 40 quid a year to date for the pair including the 3 cell back up unit which gets the joystick through the night at the puffer on full power.

This is great for off road, but always have 2 options in case of failure.

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-lights/bike-lights/bikehut-1600-lumen-front-bike-light

I don’t think anyone’s said this, but other than the directional thing and light redundancy, my experience of riding with a single helmet light or a bar light is that it messes with depth perception so it can be hard to tell whether something is a shadow on the ground or a three-foot step. Not so much an issue on easy ground, but definitely ‘interesting’ on more technical stuff.

I’ve read lots of folk saying this, so it must be true, mibbe it’s just something some of us get and some don’t?.

I always ride just with the Diablo, and honestly can’t say it’s a factor for me. All of my mates only ride with a helmet light too.

Wouldn’t dream of saying you’re wrong though!. 😊

Re the single light depth perception – I find this to be true – with only a bar light due to its low position the shadow behind a rock / branch / dip might be a shadow but equally could be a bottomless pit etc.

With only a headlight it is better – but the lack of any shadows at all (as the light is coming from pretty much where your eyes are) messes with the ability to perceive depth.

With both together at a sensible combination of power between them these problems are resolved.

YMMV of course and this is just my experience

When its foggy, misty or heavy drizzle, just a helmet light is not a great idea.

It lights up all of the water particles in the air and makes it very difficult to see anything at all.

I use a Diablo on my bead and a Troutie Dominator (big floody type light) on the bars with a MTB batteries err battery.

totally agree with markwsf

Currently riding on just a bar light (Maxx-D), after a tree/helmet light interface. The Maxx-D is terrific although it seems to have one little foible of every once in a while if you turn it on (e.g. to check the charge) and then off again straight away it won’t come on again until it’s been plugged in to a charger for about 5 seconds. Only done it a couple of times in all the years I’ve had it.

Now looking for a helmet light and second cheaper bar light so this thread is quite handy! 🙂

I got the Toro as a bar light.

Cheaper and lighter than the Maxx-D and can easily manage my 2-3hr night rides with a bit of mode-toggling. More than bright enough in high setting too.

That and the Diablo on my head should last me for many years, hopefully.

I’ve got the Toro too. Does a good job of lighting up the trail, and you can pick whatever mode you want for how long you’re going for.

Joystick on the bonce.

having both is best, obvs, but:

Not much wrong with only having a bar light if you’re taking it easy and/or your trails aren’t twisty.

Not much wrong with only having a helmet light either. You lose the shadows cast by the bar light, but these shadows aren’t there during the day either and no-one complains about it then!

If my rides only have a bit of dusk in them, I’ll quite often go out with a joystick on the bars, shift it to the helmet for twisty bits when it gets dark, then have it back on the bars for the spin down the road home.

Had to use just the bar light last week when my Diablo ran out on evening ride at Woburn (forgot to charge it).

Fine most of the time but a bit hairy on steep descents with jumps/drops and especially on the twisty singletrack where I had to remember the position of trees while the bars were swinging left and right.

Added another dimension of challenge to the already very enjoyable trails, as well as reinforcing importance of a helmet light.