It doesn’t matter how much we will it not to, winter is coming and that means many things to many people in terms of how it will affect training and riding in general. One thing that it means for all of us though (provided you don’t go in to hibernation) is the need to strap some lights on to your bike and get out in the dark. With so many to choose from it’s hard to know where to start, so over the next few weeks we will be bringing you some reviews of various lights to hopefully make the decision process that little bit easier for you.

 

First up it’s a set (front & rear) from one of the biggest names in the business – Exposure, and their Flash/Flare combo. This is a beautiful set of lights with a CNC machined aluminium body so straight away they set their stall out for those of us who don’t mind paying a little extra for style as well as substance. In a world dominated by plasticy clip on/wrap around lights there is no doubt this set from Exposure oozes quality. Accompanying the light in the case is a dedicated mount for each, 2 rechargeable batteries and the charger itself. The mounts are both superb and operate by the ubiquitous rubber band style attachment and they offer a very firm hold that we haven’t managed to budge on a ride yet, even when hitting sizeable potholes. The charger on the other hand is disappointingly crap. The charging light on our unit doesn’t work (however it does charge fine) making it impossible to tell when the batteries are fully charged and it feels very cheap. Shame really as everything else looks and feels top end. Not to worry, it’s only a minor point and so much so we couldn’t be bothered getting a new one sent out.

 

 

Reviewing a set of lights like this is always tricky as essentially they are both aimed at different markets, or at least meant for different purposes. The Flash (front) is more aligned with low light commuting or as a back up emergency light, where as the Flare (rear) is really a high end rear road or MTB light. So lets take a look at them individually starting with the Flash.

 

 

As mentioned, this really has to be seen as either a ‘get me home’ emergency light or a dusk commuting light. I have tried this as a stand alone front light and whilst the 110 lumens (using the rechargeable batteries) do light up the road to a certain extent, you wouldn’t want it for evening rides where you need to see road detail. I have no problem with this though as it makes an excellent back up front light should more powerful options conk out. Operated by twisting the front element there are two settings, constant or flash and whilst battery life is absolutely fine for any ride on both settings, the flashing mode of course prolongs it somewhat. Some didn’t like the need to recharge regularly (every couple of rides) but for others that’s part of getting ready for a night ride so again it’s really not cause for concern. USB charging would be a much better method of charging though and if you opt for non rechargeable batteries things will start to get expensive very quickly. My only issue with this light is that in order to make it visible from the side, Exposure has a wrap around style lens and whilst it offers good side visibility, it can be distracting in flash mode or blinding when checking your computer.

 

Aside of that it’s a really neat looking unit that’s very well made and due to the small size it doesn’t take up too much room on your handlebars like some other lights. Highly recommended if you can justify the price for a backup light.

 

 

On to the Flare rear light. With the market for rear lights being far more competitive than reserve front lights, the Exposure Flare has a lot of competition and in many cases from much cheaper units. With the same excellent build quality and operation as the front unit we won’t go over that again however if anything the mounting clip is even better for the rear than the front and it really stays where it’s put. We also found an alternative mount which puts it just under the seat attaching to the rails and that makes it near invisible when not on which is of course a bonus.

 

With a power output of 80 lumens and a run time of 8 hours (in flashing mode) using the rechargeable batteries you get a seriously bright light that has on occasion had motorists and fellow riders claim it to be too bright!! There is no question the Flare is confidence inspiring and it’s hard to imagine anyone not seeing you. A neat feature is rather than flashing on and off (in flash mode of course) it instead pulses, which is claimed offers even greater visibility. I’m not sure it makes much difference the real world but this light is so bright anyway I really don’t think it matters. In fact the only thing we didn’t like about the light is that it can be hard to operate on the move as the swivel (same as the front light) front is a bit stiff.

 

Again price comes in to play and it seems that whilst many riders will spend a lot on a front light, they tend to opt for cheap rear lights. The rear in our eyes is the most important light so we have no such concerns although should you find cheaper lights with the same build quality and visibility then you may find that the only reason to spend this amount is for the name! It is worth noting that you can buy the lights separately for around £40 each should you not need the full set.

 

Throughout testing both lights performed flawlessly with no issues in wet or dry weather so if you’re after a great looking rear and emergency front light combo then you can’t get much better than this. We would definitely recommend the rechargeable batteries for the added brightness and reduced cost.

 

Verdict

 

Not perfect by any means but build quality and visibility are both top notch and hard to beat.

 

Flash (front light) – 7/10

Flare (rear light) – 8/10