Updated Joystick MaXx

USE launched its Exposure lighting range in 2005. The Petworth-based company was an early adopter of SLED technology, and while the implementation of SLEDs in bike lights was in its infancy then, the new models have clearly come of age. RCUK got a first ride with them recently.

Firstly, the three lights that make up the range, the Joystick, Race and Enduro, have all been MaXx’ed for 2008. New Seoul SLED emitters and revised lenses, plus a raft of other changes, have made the lights a lot easier, and nicer, to use. And for simplicity the range now runs the same burn time – you only need to decide how much brightness you need for your riding.

But perhaps of most interest to us is the Joystick. The diminutive light is both small and light, and packs enough illumination for most situations. If you’re frequently training in the darkness of the countryside you may want to look at the brighter, but slightly bigger, Race model. For most however, and for riding that includes commuting and the occasional foray into the countryside for a sneaky training ride, the Joystick will be ample.

One of the beauties with the Exposure design is the ease with which batteries can be changed, meaning simple installation and no cables to ziptie/tape to your bikes. This simplicity has been further improved by way of a novel new QR clamp. Gone is the aluminium clamp secured with an Allen bolt, and in comes one of the neatest QR clamps I’ve seen. It’s a dovetail design, more commonly found on camera tripods and telescopes, and makes fitting the light really easy and it’s rock solid when in place. It’ll fit 25.4 and 31.8mm handlebars.

The leap in brightness has to be tried to be believed, with a very strong spot and a usefully wide spread of light onto the edges of the road. The Joystick has three modes of illumination: MaXx (3hrs), Ride (10hrs) and Low (24rs), the MaXx mode dispatching 240 lumens into your path. The on/off swith has migrated from the top of the unit to the back, and now serves as a battery life indicator, with three colours – green, amber and green – indicating how much battery is remaining.

I really like the changes to the Exposure lights. I’m a fan of the integrated battery design for the lack of cables cluttering our bikes, and the light weight, and finally the potential of LED technology is beginning to shine through. The new QR mount is a revelation, the burn time indicator is a nice touch, but most importantly they’re a lot brighter than before, and the new lenses make the most of that extra available light for a package that is a real contender for your money.

Joystick £160 Race £230 Enduro £300.