TimothyH

I'm looking for remote control lights and came across the Exposure Strada 1200 and 800. They look like they will do what I want.
Anyone familiar or have experience with these two products in particular? Reliablity? Quality?

I'm not interested in suggestions to use a dynamo or anything that isn't ANT or Bluetooth remote control but looking for feedback on these products specifically.

Thanks.

-Tim-

TimothyH

I purchased a Strada 1200 and will report back once it is in use.

TimothyH

The Exposure Strada 1200 is disappointing.

The Exposure website claims "cable free design" but this is somewhat misleading as it refers to the fact that the battery is inside the light and doesn't have an external, wired battery pack. The "Remote control" switch however, is hard wired to the light. There is no ANT or Bluetooth wireless remote control.

The mount seems nice but no way to adapt to a GoPro mount. This is a major omission.

The bottom line is that the beam pattern is all wrong. It is super bright but the light is spread out to the sides too much, like a flood lamp. Exposure calls it a "road beam" and it lights up the side of the road and the top of my front tire almost to the hub. It doesn't throw enough light forward however, for confidence when riding fast, downhill, etc., and the design makes me wonder if anyone at Exposure actually rides at night in any place other than a well lit urban environment.

My Light & Motion Urban 800 has more usable light due to a superior beam pattern. I will be purchasing a Light & Motion Urban 1000 when they are released.

3 hour burn time on high and 24 hours on low is the only reason I may keep it.


-Tim-

regulation

Here is how they describe the light on the website:"Tailored for tarmac the Strada range sets the pace for any road ride." So it is definitely not for dowhhill or any mountainbiking. If you need something one piece design with flat beam and long range, maybe you could check the RAVEMEN PR1200.

TimothyH

I never said anything about mountain biking.

Siu Blue Wind

No you didn't but they were just comments just in case others who might use it off road might be searching... But thanks for clarifying.

noglider 

You spend $372 on a light and don't like it, and you're keeping it as a spare?

TimothyH

Tom, you are better than this post and like the other user, have taken issue with things I did not say.

I never said I don't like it but that it was disappointing, yet it still might be useful. I also never said that I am keeping it but that I might keep it. I never said anything about a spare and I never said I paid $372. I paid far less than that.

I'm actually looking to outfit my gravel bike with three (3) ANT or Bluetooth remote control lights similar to the Bontrager ION 800 RT. The beam pattern on the Bontrager lights is an unknown to me and I would like more than the advertised 1.5 burn time. The Exposure light might be worth keeping for use on my gravel bike for the burn time alone.


-Tim-

noglider 

I apologize for my hastiness and resultant sloppiness.

Seattle Forrest

Is there a gravel-specific reason you want connected lights, or would you want this if you were building a skinny tire bike, too?

TimothyH

The gravel bike has fork mounts which can be used for lights much like the example below. I already have the mounts and am looking for a suitable remote controlled light. Those are the Bontrager ION 800 ANT+ lights pictured.

Seattle Forrest

Makes sense. Thanks!

TimothyH

I didn't mean to be so brusque Tom. Please forgive.

noglider 

@TimothyH:

TimothyH

I've been riding with this light a bit if only for the extra burn time and am growing to like it.

The mount was replaced with a GoPro mount from a Light & Motion Urban series light. The L&M mount is a perfect bolt-on replacement and allows the light to be mounted on the underside of a GPS mount.

It is very bright and I would still prefer a tighter, longer beam pattern for the road but one thing I noticed with a more diffuse, softer pattern is less tunnel vision and I think it is easier on the eyes. Throwing a wide pattern certainly alerts motorists that I'm on the road as it lights up everything - driveways, trees, front lawns - in addition to the road.

The wide beam pattern was appreciated when I rode my gravel bike on some cross-country running trails in the woods, lighting up the turns on the twisty course very nicely.

Motorists flash their bright lights when the Strada 1200 is on high and the handlebar button is not always reliable. It requires a very firm, intentional push.

Burn time is very good. I did a two hour ride alternating between high and low settings and the battery had over 90% charge remaining.

So I think I'll keep it.

noglider 

That's a nice setup.

On the low setting, does a lot of light go upwards at the trees? That could be a problem, blinding people, but you could mitigate that, I'm sure.

TimothyH

All settings use the same beam pattern. There is no difference in the beam shape, only intensity of the light. It checks for bird's nests in the trees and I can see rabbits on the side of the road.

There are several programmable modes. Program1 runs full power with 3 hour burn time on high, 10 hours burn on medium and 24 on low. Burn time is inversely proportional to the intensity of the light and so the low/24 hour setting isn't very bright at all. There is another program mode which does 4/12/36 hours respectively and the 36 hour setting is dim.

I am using Program3 which skips the low setting and does 3 hour full brightness and 10 hours at medium. Motorists don't flash their high beams at the medium setting. I change to the medium setting most of the time when cars approach from the opposite direction.

The GoPro mount allows the light to be tilted up or down but at full brightness it is splitting hairs. It is really intense. This light would be totally illegal in Germany where they require a specific beam pattern cut off at the top.


-Tim-

noglider 

Well I guess if motorcycles can have the light on high beam all the time, bicycles should be allowed that, too, in certain conditions. My commuting route has a nine mile stretch where part of it is a bicycle path and part of it is a multi use path. A few people cycle with high beams, and since the approaching angle is very small, I find it very inconsiderate. I have encountered one person who shuts off his bright light as he approaches me, so I'm grateful for that. I suppose you could also devise a visor to create a top-of-the-beam cutoff if you rode on bike paths, but if you rode only on roads, it shouldn't be necessary.

1Coopgt

A motorcycle running high beams doesn't have a 1000 lumens being projected forward. Also Motorcycles have a required beam pattern so that they don't bling oncoming traffic. Not a good comparison. The Halogen lights on my GSXR are worthless on high even at night.

noglider 

Thanks, @1Coopgt.