Exposure Lights
Discussion
I've got an exposure spark on my road bike which takes two CR123A batteries, I bought it for around £100 a few years back and it's fine for using on lit roads but I did the London to Brighton road ride on Saturday night and it kept on dimming and then brightening again at random which wasn't much fun when going downhill at speed and suddenly not being able to see! Lots of the time I had to rely on the rear lights of others for illuminating potholes.
Some footage showing the intermittent light https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKZeEemCQT4 (time stamp is correct, date is wrong).
A few times I thought there was a car approaching from behind but it was just people with cheap £15 ebay chinese 1000 lumen uber powerful lights. These are great off road but a bit overkill on road as they have no cutoff and just flood everything including on coming traffic.
When I got to the top of ditchlings beacon I changed the exposure light for my backup cheap ebay Cree XML light that takes one CR123A battery and it was ace being able to see where I was going but the battery life on that was 20 minutes or so which was just enough time to get to Brighton.
I think exposure lights are well made but very overpriced per watt compared to the competition.
I ordered this light for my mtb which is far brighter than anything exposure produce yet a fraction of the price http://www.dx.com/p/ultrafire-lzz-u3-2-x-cree-xm-l... have done an unscientific test and its brighter than the factory xenon HIDS on full beam in my RX-8!
Some footage showing the intermittent light https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKZeEemCQT4 (time stamp is correct, date is wrong).
A few times I thought there was a car approaching from behind but it was just people with cheap £15 ebay chinese 1000 lumen uber powerful lights. These are great off road but a bit overkill on road as they have no cutoff and just flood everything including on coming traffic.
When I got to the top of ditchlings beacon I changed the exposure light for my backup cheap ebay Cree XML light that takes one CR123A battery and it was ace being able to see where I was going but the battery life on that was 20 minutes or so which was just enough time to get to Brighton.
I think exposure lights are well made but very overpriced per watt compared to the competition.
I ordered this light for my mtb which is far brighter than anything exposure produce yet a fraction of the price http://www.dx.com/p/ultrafire-lzz-u3-2-x-cree-xm-l... have done an unscientific test and its brighter than the factory xenon HIDS on full beam in my RX-8!
Oh dear. Not happy. As you can see from my email my light has failed yet again. Not impressed.
Following email sent:
I'm sorry to do this yet again, but I'm far from happy having had to ride the last few miles home in the dark tonight as yet again I've encountered issues with my light, the third you have sent me.
Please allow me to recap:
Strada mk4 purchased Oct 13, Red eye purchased around the same time
Returned late summer '14 as sometimes got stuck on and was unresponsive
Fixed and sent back to me but returned as same issue still a few days later
Strada mk5 set sent as replacement, along with new charger. Same issue with unit not turning off. Returned.
A third strada sent out. I also purchased a 2nd red eye as wondered if that was causing the problem. Have only used with new red eye and new charger.
On a couple of occasions the light has become unresponsive and stayed on. Tonight as I was leaving work it wouldn't turn on. It has become stuck "off", but still powered the red eye.
I want to really like your product, and the customer service I've received to date has been fantastic however my confidence in your product is shot to pieces. I need my light to work so I can ride home from work in the dark and I cannot trust it.
This is the 3rd light, 4th if you include my repaired original one. Either your products have an inherent fault or it's used error, however I can't see what I am doing wrong, it's only turning them on or off, always with the red eye plugged in. The only thing I've noticed is when plugging it in via usb I've seen an error showing power surge.
Please can you advise how I move this forward. I need a light I can trust. For info I use it for a 40 min commute morning and evening 5 days a week, with a longer evening ride each week.
Following email sent:
I'm sorry to do this yet again, but I'm far from happy having had to ride the last few miles home in the dark tonight as yet again I've encountered issues with my light, the third you have sent me.
Please allow me to recap:
Strada mk4 purchased Oct 13, Red eye purchased around the same time
Returned late summer '14 as sometimes got stuck on and was unresponsive
Fixed and sent back to me but returned as same issue still a few days later
Strada mk5 set sent as replacement, along with new charger. Same issue with unit not turning off. Returned.
A third strada sent out. I also purchased a 2nd red eye as wondered if that was causing the problem. Have only used with new red eye and new charger.
On a couple of occasions the light has become unresponsive and stayed on. Tonight as I was leaving work it wouldn't turn on. It has become stuck "off", but still powered the red eye.
I want to really like your product, and the customer service I've received to date has been fantastic however my confidence in your product is shot to pieces. I need my light to work so I can ride home from work in the dark and I cannot trust it.
This is the 3rd light, 4th if you include my repaired original one. Either your products have an inherent fault or it's used error, however I can't see what I am doing wrong, it's only turning them on or off, always with the red eye plugged in. The only thing I've noticed is when plugging it in via usb I've seen an error showing power surge.
Please can you advise how I move this forward. I need a light I can trust. For info I use it for a 40 min commute morning and evening 5 days a week, with a longer evening ride each week.
I don't think you should have conceded any user error. If there was any doubt about that, leave it to them to ask. If there is any *room* for user error in operating the lights, their products either need some acknowledgment in the instructions or a redesign (how can you get an on/off switch wrong?).
My sympathies. It's no fun when you can't rely on important equipment.
My sympathies. It's no fun when you can't rely on important equipment.
I've got one of the Chinese cheapies and my biggest gripes are:
While it does have a system for telling you that the light is running low, it comes on about 30 seconds before you're plunged into darkness. I do ride with a another (cateye) LED light though so I'll always be covered.
The usage time is also far shorter than promised. I commute daily and have (recently) had the light on going both ways. Normally by Wednesday I have to recharge.
Which brings me on to probably the most concerning of all the problems. The cheap charger. One of the 'legs' came out a while back and was stuck in the plug socket.
I had to turn off the leccie at the fusebox to retrieve it. Once reattached, I noticed that whenever I plug it in, there's a slight 'crackling' noise of what sounds like components shorting. This goes soon after though. It's enough to make me mistrust it enough to never leave it plugged in overnight. I recharge it at work next to my desk so I can keep an eye on it.
With all the press about Chinese copy phone chargers exploding, I may well bite the bullet and get something a bit 'safer'. But there must be some middle ground.
Safe, bright, reliable but it doesn't cost £200.
There must be some middle ground here
For under a tenner, try another Chinese CREE. I've got loads of them and apart from one battery having failed, I've not had a single problem with any of them.
Or what about one of these... or any other product from this place (where you can return them):
http://www.lightinthebox.com/dark-knight-k2c-4-mod...
Little bit more expensive but they sell cheap Chinese lights too - it's just that you have a contact if you need to return anything.
I haven't tried them mind... but I do like that double light, mostly because it comes with a nice alloy clamp - my main gripe about the Chinese T6 lights is the rubber-band clamp. Works most of the time but does move off-line when you crash down a kerb or pothole.
Or what about one of these... or any other product from this place (where you can return them):
http://www.lightinthebox.com/dark-knight-k2c-4-mod...
Little bit more expensive but they sell cheap Chinese lights too - it's just that you have a contact if you need to return anything.
I haven't tried them mind... but I do like that double light, mostly because it comes with a nice alloy clamp - my main gripe about the Chinese T6 lights is the rubber-band clamp. Works most of the time but does move off-line when you crash down a kerb or pothole.
I got fed up of trying to second guess battery life and worrying about being left in the dark, taking the light off the bike when I parked it, etc, etc.
I now use a dyno-hubbed wheel and LED front light, leave it on all winter and always have enough light to see where I'm going.
Rose cycles (in Germany) will build a dyno-hubbed front wheel for far less than it would cost to buy in this country....
I now use a dyno-hubbed wheel and LED front light, leave it on all winter and always have enough light to see where I'm going.
Rose cycles (in Germany) will build a dyno-hubbed front wheel for far less than it would cost to buy in this country....
I really like the idea of a hub dyno. I have some questions (if you don't mind):
1. Can you feel the resistance?
2. What is the output? Volts and amps?
3. Is it permanently connected to a specific light or does it present a socket (and what socket?)?
Thanks. I'm curious about whether I can use one with my choice of light(s) and whether I could charge my phone or other accessories at the same time.
I think the best solution would be a USB output as that is the perfect presentation for an accessory charger and you can now get those CREE lights with a USB plug moulded on already.
1. Can you feel the resistance?
2. What is the output? Volts and amps?
3. Is it permanently connected to a specific light or does it present a socket (and what socket?)?
Thanks. I'm curious about whether I can use one with my choice of light(s) and whether I could charge my phone or other accessories at the same time.
I think the best solution would be a USB output as that is the perfect presentation for an accessory charger and you can now get those CREE lights with a USB plug moulded on already.
Mmm... there's a lot to choose from.
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/products/bike-component...
I would need a 6-bolt disc mount for a 32 hole rim, which means only the very cheapest will do @ £26. It's not the lightest but it seems to have the same 6 Volt/3 Watt output that the most expensive one does at £183.
There's a USB cap too which is very expensive at £121 but would do the trick.
I love the idea however, 3 Watts is not enough for over a half Kg weight penalty and the best part of £150. I may as well throw an extra battery in my pack, save a ton of cash and weight.
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/products/bike-component...
I would need a 6-bolt disc mount for a 32 hole rim, which means only the very cheapest will do @ £26. It's not the lightest but it seems to have the same 6 Volt/3 Watt output that the most expensive one does at £183.
There's a USB cap too which is very expensive at £121 but would do the trick.
I love the idea however, 3 Watts is not enough for over a half Kg weight penalty and the best part of £150. I may as well throw an extra battery in my pack, save a ton of cash and weight.
As this is a thread on exposure here's their Dynamo offering: http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com/exposure-... £330 for the most expensive 32H disc specific with QR15 however a road hub 32H is £280
I've converted across from cheap eBay Chinese lights to a full compliment of Exposure lights. I used to be one of those that couldn't see the point of spending the money on a quality light but I started getting fed up with the random quality of the Chinese stuff, build quality, batteries, chargers, plus I really hate cables rattling against the bike frame.
Exposure leant me a Maxx-D one night to try and I was convinced straight away. Loved the cable free design, the spread of light, brightness, the time left display, easy mode switching etc etc. Found a good online price and lbs price matched so wasn't as bad. Since then I've also bought a Diablo and a TraceR and I use these on both the MTB and road bikes.
Great products, fantastic quality and excellent customer service.
Exposure leant me a Maxx-D one night to try and I was convinced straight away. Loved the cable free design, the spread of light, brightness, the time left display, easy mode switching etc etc. Found a good online price and lbs price matched so wasn't as bad. Since then I've also bought a Diablo and a TraceR and I use these on both the MTB and road bikes.
Great products, fantastic quality and excellent customer service.
I have been using the maxx d, six pack, flares and diablo for years. MTB through the winter and lots of road miles and I have only had issues with two of the lights. They simply are the best out there and the customer service is probably the best I have ever experienced!!
The fact they are wireless as well, I can't lights that you have strap battery pack th the frame and wires clipped to your stem!
The fact they are wireless as well, I can't lights that you have strap battery pack th the frame and wires clipped to your stem!
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