Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

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The fat commuter
Posts: 292
Joined: 12 May 2014, 7:54pm
Location: The hilly side of Sheffield

Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by The fat commuter »

Hi all

I need a really good light to see with. I currently have a Philips Saferide 80 and it is OK up to about 15 mph.

However, two things. First, whilst it lights up the road to an extent - it doesn't light up the distance so I get a bit of a 'tunnel vision' effect when I'm riding. Even on a road that I ridden 50 or 60 times, it would be good to know that I have only 50 or 60 feet of uphill section before the road levels out a bit and I can ease off the pedalling a bit. Secondly, I am having to limit my speed. The way I ride into work has a decent 30 mph stretch for a good two or three miles - I can't take advantage of all of this though as I can't see far enough into the distance for things like sticks and new potholes and what not.

Anyhow, I've seen the Exposure Strada light - like this one:
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... ront_Light

It states that it has a remote to flick through the modes. I have a few questions though:

It states that the light has built in programs - does this mean that I could alternate between, say, high beam and dipped for riding along unlit roads. What If I wanted to alternate between dipped beam and flash - could that be done on the same journey - so part of the journey it high beam/dipped and part is between dipped and flash. Would that be possible? Is it possible to create your own programs? Also, is it any good - will it light my way?

Many thanks in advance.
pwa
Posts: 17370
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by pwa »

I don't have that light, but I have the small, neat Exposure Sirius. It is a less powerful light (up to 400 lumens) but is still pretty effective on unlit lanes. I always ride with 2 front and rear lights in case one fails, and the Sirius works very well in those circumstances. It has a resin lens, slightly matt to diffuse the light, and it gives a wide spill of light. Unlike the model you are looking at, it throw a little light sideways for safety in urban areas.

All Exposure front lights offer a list of about 7 programs you can choose from. It sounds complicated but it isn't. Each of the programs gives you 2 or 3 light settings for use on the road. If you are going riding in a forest you might decide to change from your normal preferred program to one with more powerful settings available. I must say that the bigger Exposure lights can sometimes give too much glare for oncoming vehicles, so you will not safely be able to light up the road very far ahead with this or any other light unless you use the toggle switch to "dip" the beam. That is a big plus point for this light.

I did find with my light that I had to do a couple of small bodges to get the bracket to stay at the angle I wanted it. Nothing major, though.
Last edited by pwa on 21 Feb 2015, 5:12pm, edited 1 time in total.
Elizabethsdad
Posts: 1158
Joined: 15 Jan 2011, 7:09pm

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by Elizabethsdad »

I do not have the Strada but I do have other Exposure lights and I very much like them. They have made riding in the dark so much better than any other light I have used previously and the mounts are so much more solid as well. The main light for use on the bike that I have is the Race Mk IV which is like the Strada but without the dip beam function, just three levels of brightness. Mounted on the handlebars I found that I could point it down so that it did not dazzle but still lit up the road for a good distance in front and with a good lateral spread. I have the Joystick on my helmet as a secondary light which also does a good job of lighting your way on it's own if required but the beam is a bit narrow.
freeflow
Posts: 1637
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 1:54pm

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by freeflow »

Have you conbsidered one of these.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13000-lumen-8 ... 1295192617

You might get all of 15 minutes run time from the battery :P

Personally I've had my guilt button pushed by the light messiah's on this forum so have just invested in one of these.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... b0s38p2946

Not yet had a chance to try it out in earnest but I could post comparison with by Cree '1000' lumen light and refurbished exposure endura.
Welsh Pirate
Posts: 18
Joined: 3 Jun 2009, 4:24pm

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by Welsh Pirate »

I bought one for this winter to replace a set of Ay Ups which my wife now uses.

I have to say that I'm seriously impressed with the light. There are eight (I think) modes that you can set. I have mine on high/low and I use it a bit like the dipped beam on car headlights i.e. Dip with oncoming traffic, full beam when clear.

There is a flashing mode, but I think it's classed as the 'SOS' mode and isn't part of the programmable settings.

Part of my commute covers a completely unlit cycle track. On full beam, i go at the same pace as I would during daylight and can see clearly. On dipped, on unknown roads I would back off a touch to give a bit more reaction time to pot holes etc.

The only down side is actually the light's strength: the amount of light it produces, even on 'dipped'. I've had several comments from cyclists travelling towards me that the light is too bright (or words to that effect).

To try and minimise this, I have angled my light slightly to the left (as per car headlamps), pay careful attention to how high the beam is and always use the 'dip' function when I see oncoming traffic. But even with this, expect to get comments (usually from poorly lit or ninja cyclists that the light is too bright) :roll: .

Would I buy one again? Yes, in a heartbeat.
The fat commuter
Posts: 292
Joined: 12 May 2014, 7:54pm
Location: The hilly side of Sheffield

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by The fat commuter »

Thanks for the replies. Much appreciated - think I've made my mind up.

Regarding the comment about having more than one light - I rely on two on the front and actually have three on the back. The front is lit by a Phillips Saferide 80 - road legal in Germany so keeps me the correct side of the law here if I were to get pulled over by a pedant of a police officer. I also have a Moon meteor. Use this on flash in the city and on steady on rural roads. Not much difference in light output to the Saferide - but a less friendly pattern to other road users. Not overly bright though.

On the back I again have a German road legal light. Not that bright though. I have a cateye that I therefore use for brightness and another light that flashes.

Again, thanks for the information.
freeflow
Posts: 1637
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 1:54pm

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by freeflow »

Comparison of Exposure Enduro (two led ~720 lumens), Dorus 400, and Chinese Cree 1000 lumen with fresnel lens. Not brilliant photos. The exposure could be angled down a bit more and the Dorus angled up a bit.

Exposure

exposure-enduro.jpg


Dosun 400 (STVZ plus according to Dosun site)

dosun.jpg


Chinese Cree (1000 lumen) with fresnel

chinese-cree.jpg


I think exposure lights have had their day now. Way too expensive compared to other products on the market. 4-5 years ago there was nothing to touch them and well worth the premium.
The fat commuter
Posts: 292
Joined: 12 May 2014, 7:54pm
Location: The hilly side of Sheffield

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by The fat commuter »

Thanks for the reviews above.

I have thought about a Chinese model off eBay for £15 but my worry is the talk of exploding batteries that seems to affect some people. Also, I would like a remote switch so that I can dip the light for oncoming traffic. I could do this with a Chinese LED by fitting a switch into the battery cable - but there is still the safety aspect.

The Dosun looks similar to my Saferide - maybe a little brighter.

Again though, many thanks for taking the time to post the above images. Much appreciated.
freeflow
Posts: 1637
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 1:54pm

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by freeflow »

For the Chinese Cree I now use an external battery pack that takes 18650 batteries and is designed to be waterproof. In addition to powering the light it also has a USB port for charging another device. This set up means you can use quality 18650 batteries and a reputable charger, and change batteries in about two minutes if you so need. I did a 200k during the week where 4x2900 mah Samsung batteries powered my phone for 12 hours and in parallel the chinese cree light for 1.5 hours. I changed batteries for the last 20k when the light switched intensity.

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=88374.0
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RickH
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Joined: 5 Mar 2012, 6:39pm
Location: Horwich, Lancs.

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by RickH »

I bought a Mk1 Toro (700 lumen) in 2010 & it has been completely reliable & is still going strong (despite me dropping it on the road at around 20mph one time as I hadn't fixed it to its bracket properly - which should be almost impossible to do :? - the only evidence is the slight damage to the black finish in a few places). I like that it is self contained (I swap it frequently between 3 different bikes) and in real world use gives me at least 10 hours use before the traffic light indicator goes amber indicating 50% battery used (battery is 7,350mAh, current version is 8,700mAh). I have the remote switch which means I can have control by my thumb. With the right leads the "Smart port" will let you charge/power the light from a USB power source or charge another device. On full power I can do 30+mph downhill on an unlit road with confidence. It may not be legal but I get virtually no problems with cars not dipping unless it is on low power (~200 lumens?).

I've had a 240 lumen Mk1 Joystick from 2008 that is also going strong (still used regularly, mainly as a head torch, or a "shouldn't need lights" back up in summer, these days) although the battery life is starting to fade somewhat. I was impressed enough by that to buy the Toro (admittedly in a sale - the Mk2 was in the pipeline).

The newer programmable models look like a good move where you can switch between 2 modes (so you don't have to cycle through low, which I don't find a useful mode, to get back to high).

I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Exposure light despite the availability of £15 Chinese lights, which I do wonder about the true cost (Are they produced by displaced farming workers in virtually slave conditions? They certainly can't be being well paid! If enough people buy cheap Chinese lights rather than UK made ones, how much extra are we paying in taxes to support the folk without jobs who would otherwise be employed?).

Rick.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
freeflow
Posts: 1637
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 1:54pm

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by freeflow »

Unfortunately I have very different experience of exposure lights.
The fat commuter
Posts: 292
Joined: 12 May 2014, 7:54pm
Location: The hilly side of Sheffield

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by The fat commuter »

My criteria are that the light should have a really good main beam but not dazzle oncoming vehicles. My Saferide has a shaped beam pattern but has its limits. Therefore, I need something that I can either toggle between high and low easily (using a remote switch), or something that I can turn off remotely. If it is the latter, when it comes back on I don't want to have to toggle through loads of settings to get back to high.

I also want the light to be safe to use and charge. I have read many reports about exploding battery packs. I realise that I can buy a different battery pack but how do I know that that one isn't the same as one that would come with the light originally anyhow?

I'd also like to pay not too much. £200 I was flinching at. I would be buying this through the Cycle2Work scheme though. That gives an immediate 'discount' of 35%. That knocks the price down to about £133 (from £204). On top of that, because of child allowance cuts - buying this through gross pay also knocks a further 17% off the price - which makes it about £99.
pwa
Posts: 17370
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by pwa »

It sounds like a lot of light for that price. If you take the advice given about dipping for oncoming traffic and not pointing the light too far up the road I expect you will enjoy a great product.
SA_SA_SA
Posts: 2360
Joined: 31 Oct 2009, 1:46pm

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by SA_SA_SA »

The fat commuter wrote:My criteria are that the light should have a really good main beam but not dazzle oncoming vehicles. My Saferide has a shaped beam pattern but has its limits. Therefore, I need something that I can either toggle between high and low easily (using a remote switch), or something that I can turn off remotely. If.....


Would keeping a properapproved dipped lamp and adding a separate "mainbeam" lamp not be better:
eg
just fit another symetrical lamp beside the approved philips and turn that on and off as a main beam: just like a car (leaving the philips on unless you can work out how to toggle between them).

Surely the limited range of a dipped cycle (or car) headlamp is a simple consequence of it being dipped: to see further/higher you will need a main beam, which must then be extinguished for oncoming traffic/persons just like a car. Surely, the requirement for properly nondazzling(but lights road enough) and more main-beam-like range are irreconcilable: after all cars still need dipped and main beams.
------------You may not use this post in Cycle or other magazine ------ 8)
The fat commuter
Posts: 292
Joined: 12 May 2014, 7:54pm
Location: The hilly side of Sheffield

Re: Exposure Strada - anyone got one?

Post by The fat commuter »

^^

But I'd need a way of turning off the main beam light. Using the scenario of having my Saferide as the dipped light and a second light as a main beam. I'm riding along a dark road and a car rounds a bend - I need to turn my main beam off. They all have switches somewhere but they are generally not that easy/quick to use - especially when wearing gloves. I then need to turn the light back on. If the switch is the same as on my Moon Meteor or my Saferide - they take about three seconds each to turn the lights off (plus, I have to move my hands from the bars).

As mentioned, there are the cheap Chinese lights with external batteries. I could fit a remote switch between light and battery to turn the light off but I'd have to find a remote switch as well as a battery pack that I could trust. Also, when putting the light back on, I don't want to then have to toggle between flash;low and medium to get up to high.

I have looked all over to get a light that will do what I need - which could even be a toggle between main beam and off - but without removing my hands from the grips. So far the Exposure lights are the ones that fit the bill.
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