Light up your life… and the trail
What mountain bike lights cut the mustard on technical trails
It’s a simple but very important question; which mountain bike lights are actually the best – balancing budget and performance – for lighting up the technical mountain bike trails on a night ride. Here in the Yorkshire Dales, it’s really important, and we’ve had a few episodes back in the day, to prove how important they are. I recall a ride in Wharfdale, some 20 years ago, when a day ride turned into an unplanned night finish. My riding partner, taking the lead, using the only small light that we had between us, shouted ‘Gate!’ Yes, slightly late for me with no light and only partially adjusted night vision. I went over the bars, and into said gate! Youthful exuberance wasn’t a match for the technical nature of a rugged Dales mountain bike route, and we definitely should have been equipped with a good set of high-powered mountain bike lights. Following this episode, I came across Exposure Lights, via my good friend Rory Hitchin; and the brand has been one that I’ve respected ever since.
The cable free nature of the Exposure design, the neatness of the engineering and ruggedness of the units have always appealed to me – and to many others. I’m not always a fan of cables everywhere, and separate battery units and lights. Yes, some of these units are superb mountain bike lighting systems, and yes, I do have one or two around the store at home. Gloworm are one such brand, with a well engineered range of lights, that definitely light up the trail. However, the Velcro strapping of the power unit is not something that I like. Add to this, the lamp units can often feel quite warm in use.
At the top of the budget and performance tree for many people is German brand, Lupine, respected for many years across the world, for producing superbly engineered lighting systems. The latest range of Lupine lights includes systems that are built into the frame of E-Bikes, sharing the power system and enabling you to ride much further. There’s no denying the quality of Lupine, and it’s a lighting brand that holds its own. However, away from the built in options, there’s the issue of cables yet again, albeit managed far better than Gloworm. The lights are also cooler in use, and the quality of the beam is simply stunning. Price-wise though, Lupine can be a dream purchase for many, meaning that for many riders, they’re simply not an option.
Cost versus performance isn’t a question worth asking
Too many riders have over the years, gone to cheap Chinese lights on Ebay or elsewhere; only for the lighting systems to either fail to light up the trails adequately, or to simply fail completely after very little use. Batteries have set fire, over-heated etc, and quite simply, too many products have simply been a waste of money and completely dangerous. Whilst riders say that they can’t always afford lights at the top of the spectrum, there has to be a balance between performance, quality and cost. That’s always going to be difficult with technology; quality counts, and to some degree we have to accept the necessity of cost, balancing this with quality and performance.
This of course brings me back to Exposure Lights, who have always played a part in lighting up some of my favourite mountain bike trails; and I’ve watched the brand with interest, as it’s grown into being one of the most respected and best performing mountain bike lights in the world. Yes, there are other options; but in truth, the range of options is limited when you look in depth at the necessary features, performance and build quality requirements. In essence, that’s why we’ve once again decided to focus our won attention on our own old favourite mountain biking light system – from USE and Exposure.
When you need a strong depth of lighting, light penetration, and a superior spread of beam, along with a constant beam to light the trail for all of the ride, there are actually very few brands worth considering. Add to this, that the best mountain bike lights also cost significantly more, then I can see why some people look elsewhere. However… and it’s quite an important ‘however’. Taking my own early trip over the handlebars aside, I’ve also worked alongside mountain rescue teams; and, I’ve used mountain bikes to search for people in the Yorkshire Dales. Thankfully, because colleagues and I were equipped with the very best products from Exposure Lights, we were able to ride the technical trails for hours, and to search considerable distances. Add to this, that on one very serious occasion, the person being searched for, highlighted that it was the brightness of our lights that drew their attention. Personally speaking, I’d happily pay a few more shillings for mountain bike lights that get such a positive review from such a worthy position.
What power is sufficient & what mix of lights
Taking price point aside then, albeit accepting the obvious considerations, the question arises, ‘what light do I need?’ If you’re like me, you don’t want an overly bulky unit on your handlebars, and you do want it to be secure. I’ve used too many mountain bike lights over the years, where the strapping for the handlebars simply came loose on rocky trails; or the cabling became disconnected from the battery, or the power suddenly went from fine to ‘head home home quickly’!
It’s critical to make the right choices, and even if you’re only planning a ride for about 2 hours or so – the ‘or so’ element needs to be taken seriously. Lumens and LED’s is important too. You want the right depth and penetration of light, not too bulky, but with the right technology to help you out along the way.
Maximum lighting with the Exposure Maxx D Mk15
A good setup is something like the reliable and somewhat legendary Exposure Maxx D Mk15. It’s a MTB light I recall from it’s earliest days, and as the guys at USE say themselves, a light that’s ‘built for ripping through the trails or single track, with a combination of 3 spot lenses to launch light far down the track, and with a spread beam that highlights the trail edge.’ It comes with their latest REFEX ++ automatically tech, which provides the perfect output for any change in speed or terrain. The Maxx D is an awesome, rugged and super stable MTB light unit, backed up with 4600 measured lumens, ensuring that you can be at one with any terrain and any trail.
Now, whilst I’m generally against cables, you can extend your fun and add that element of safety for a late finish, using one of the Exposure ‘Support Cell’ units. These come in a variety of options, and with a small frame bag by the stem, you literally won’t notice the short cabling – if you need it all. It will however give you that insurance, all in a high-performance and well-engineered package.
You can of course go bigger and brighter than the Maxx D, choosing instead to fire up the night sky with the Exposure Six Pack and 5460 Lumens of trail lighting, and weighing in at 368g. It gives a usage time span of 2-36 hours and 8 hours charging time. However, you’re then moving steadily up towards Lupine territory, and Exposure are renowned for producing well engineered mountain bike lights, to the highest standards of engineering, at a price that is acceptable for the lighting units lifespan and usage.
Diablo Sync Mk5 – excellent helmet mounting option
With 3 LED’s and 2100 lumens, all wrapped up in a well-engineered package, the Diablo is a great option for any trail set-up. It’ll allow you to turn your head at ease and see the world around you and any obstacles issues, Bears or Wolves that stray in your direction. Paired with the Maxx D, you’ll be well equipped to tackle any trail and any of the rugged and rocky technicalities thrown at you.
There are of course other options for you, such as the Exposure Joystick. And, if you do look at other brands, we can’t deny the performance of those options, or indeed, in some cases, the costs being quite attractive too. However, from a personal perspective, I’ve always found that when you’re using a super bright MTB light up front, then you also need something useful on the helmet too. And, once again, the lack of cables on the Exposure lighting range, is for me a great bonus.
As we approach autumn and perfect night-riding opportunities, we’ll be testing out the Exposure lights range of some of the best mountain bike lights in the world, here on the tracks and trails of the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District. We can’t wait to test the latest range of lights from Exposure – on the roads and the trails. Yes, we’ll be giving you the low-down about their latest road bike lighting systems too, and trying to unpick the myriad of options that are currently available. Keep checking in, as we have the initial fun on your behalf, and ride some epic night-time trails, with the world illuminated and night turned into day, as we ride into adventure on 2-wheels!
