Exposure Strada Mk6

I thought I had an issue with switch as well, but when firmly mounted on the handlebars it was fine. Exposure admitted they had some issues with sensitivity of capacitive switch, they can fix it if you send it back.

Dropped mine on concrete floor as well, it's worked perfectly ever since.

My Mk2 Exposure Toro was once incorrectly clipped in (I had it too close to my Garmin) and it came off on a downhill, bouncing down the road like a demented lighthouse.  Lots of chips to the casing but otherwise completely unharmed.  The new ones sound more fragile.

As for dipping/beam patterns, my Mk4 Toro (1200 lumens) is a dazzling nightmare for drivers but I have an easy solution - swivel it down on its bracket when a car approaches, giving a very bright beam close to the bike but away from drivers' eyes.  The Exposure bracket allows this as (a) It is positioned more or less on the balance point of the light and (b) the rubber gasket on the clamp allows swivelling but at the same time more than enough grip to keep it in position even on bumpy roads.  I've done this for years with no problems, although I ride almost entirely on very sparsely-trafficked back roads so I "dip" it maybe four times on a 20 mile night ride.

Perhaps if you didn't keep dropping it, it wouldn't keep failing?  Just a thought.

Really not impressed....

The Strada LEDs and back display may now appear better than the mk2 and mk5, however the design is fatally flawed:

* My mk5 had to be warranty repaired because of crap battery retention from being dropped, then died after being dropped outside warranty.

* The mk6 model has an unreliable capacitive switch and the high front distance seems worse than the MK1.  My mk6s brittle back panel has now partially shattered and some SMD resistors fell off the PCB, because the still crap battery retention failed from being dropped, so I'm pissed off by this crap design!

* The external switch is still pointless junk, without a dedicated switch socket for it (my lights socket powers a rear light) and a proper bar mount.

* My mk2 still works fine despite being dropped several times, so I doubt I'll buy any more Exposure front lights until it fails.

Lights will be dropped, so they need to be designed to survive (especially at these prices!), by shock tolerant and secure housing mounting of PCBs and batteries, not stupid use of friction fiting, floating plastic separators or crappy glues!

For over $600USD it better be amazing. That's the price of a cheap bike! 

How well does the capacitive button work when wearing gloves?

Echo comments above that the Strada's beam is slightly shaped, but still nothing like as advanced as anything coming out of Germany. I struggle to get my Mk2 set up in a position where it throws light far enough down the road to be useful, but still doesn't blind people driving towards me.

No such problems with the  B&M Luxos.

I've been running one of these the last three months.

Paid £214 off of amazon.

Amazing brightness - I use the flashing mode all the time in traffic - I've had cars pull over, its a lot like a police car approaching them from behind.

Some things I didnt like.

1) The remote switch has failed.

2) The button is hard to press, as its some kind of capacitive button and doesnt respond that well.

3) the display started flickering.

4) You cant see the display that well, as your head is above it. Its hard to tell the difference between "H" for High, and "M" for Medium when you are cycling at speed.

I might send it back once I've given it a good caning on the battery charge cycles and get a replacement, as I heard exposures warranty is very good.

The hyper constant mode on the Cateye Volt 1200 is pretty good. 

I have used a Philips Saferide 80 and a MKIV Strada. Strada has a higher lumen output, but the saferide beam pattern means that it is a more effective light. It is pretty much the most ugly light I've ever seen though and the battery life is pretty awful, which is why it now sits in a drawer and the Strada gets used every day.

Maybe the Exposure R&D department should get hold of a philips saferide, evaluate it, then come up with a reflector and lense that match it's perfomance. Then we'll end up with a light with propper "low" and "high" beams.

I use a Philips Saferide 80, but in response to the point above about main beam, I believe the Specialized Flux Expert has a main beam function.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftb/lights/lights-ftb/flux-expert-headl...

I've used one down unlit country lanes all winter and it's great. What's not shown in the picture above is that the light also covers your front wheel, so you can easily see potholes coming up and see exactly where they are as you pass by. I've only had a couple drivers flash me, my guess is that they're complaining is too bright. Also helped me to see rabbits and Roe deer in the verges - just before they dashed out in front me.

Only downside is you cannot see display on the back of the light easily, and it also illuminates the Garmin which is mounted on K-Egde. I can live with that though.

I have the Mk4 it's great but the beam pattern does dazzle on-comming traffic.  I have been told so.  They have changed th e placement of the LEDs in this version, over-and-under rather than side-by-side.  That's a good idea because a side-by-side placement can look like a car in the distance but the beam pattern is now more vertical and will dazzle people further.  Another problem I have with it is that when mounted on the bars it is impossible to see the display on the back of the light.  This version looks like it will have the same problem.

Does it have a flashing mode at all?