Conclusion

If this is your first time venturing into the dark side, you can either run a single all-powerful handlebar light like the Magicshine Monteer 8000 or Exposure Toro, or you can fit two lights – one on the handlebar and one on the helmet. We’ve spent the last month riding trails in the dark and most riders we see use a dual configuration.

It’s more versatile and can actually get you up and running for less outlay, because you can put together two cheaper lights. For example, you can fit a medium brightness light on the bar, such as the Nightrider Lumina Dual 1800, and then a Sigma Buster 700 on your helmet. The Lumina lets you see everything, the Buster 700 lets you pick out the details. And you can also use the latter as a work light if you have a mechanical or you need to fix a flat.

If you don’t want to muck about wrapping cables around your frame tubes or unplug the battery for recharging, a self-contained light is a good idea. And the best on test is the Exposure Toro. It’s smaller, cheaper and lighter than either the company’s Maxx D and Six Pack we’ve tested previously, but it puts out more light than the Blackpool illuminations. It’s also fully programmable and has some smart features including Reflex technology and easy-to-read display, and it’s also super-white, super-crisp, and just oozes quality.

Separates are a good idea because you can mount all the weight lower down, and there’s not something the size of a can of soup sitting on your handlebar to get in the way. It was a close call between the Magicshine Monteer 8000 and Light and Motion Seca Enduro, but the Monteer 8000 had so much light for the money it was just hard to ignore. When we talk about light quality in this test, it may seem unimportant compared to cost or lumens, but light up the Seca Enduro and you can see how good it is. The Monteer 8000 isn’t as clean, but we really couldn’t argue with the price or that raw power.

If you ride an e-bike you don’t need a dedicated light, you can just use any of the above, but the advantages are attractive; you don’t have to worry about charging a separate battery and they’re usually cheaper. The Exposure Flex MTB and Lupine SL X are superbly made bits of kit but they had the same problems with the bar clamp and stem interference and high cost. Their light quality is amazing though – everything was really well-defined. The Magicshine 906SE isn’t as crystal clear but it has just as much light on tap, if not more. The handlebar mount is neater and you get four different sizes in the box. But two things elevated this light above the others, and one was the fact that you can run this light with a regular battery, the other was the price. Yes, the lamp unit is just plastic and light quality is not as well-defined, but if you want to dip your toe in the e-bike light market, this is a great place to start.

The Monteer 8000 had so much light for the money it was hard to ignore