USE TORO light
First thing I noticed was how solid the Toro feels in the hand, it feels indestructible, all touchable parts except the lens are solid aluminium. I’m sure it would still be working after many a crash. There are multiple light settings controlled by a single rubber switch but to be honest I only want on and off, the others are a luxury that I don’t use and if there was an option not to pay for them I would select it.
I don’t really take much notice of the manufacturers light outputs etc as I think the lens and reflector design and clarity are equally important; however here is a comparison of the USE range.
| Exposure Light | No. LEDs | LED Output | Battery (mAh) | Hours (High) | Hours (Med) | Hours (Low) | Weight (gms) | SRP (from £) |
| Spark CR123A | 1 | 220 | 2600 | 2.5 | 8 | 15 | 72 | 100 |
| Spark RCR123A | 1 | 220 | 1400 | 1.5 | 4 | 10 | 72 | 100 |
| Joystick | 1 | 240 | 2450 | 3 | 10 | 24 | 76 | 145 |
| Diablo | 1 | 700 | 2450 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 102 | 225 |
| Race | 2 | 480 | 4900 | 3 | 10 | 24 | 190 | 225 |
| Strada | 2 | 480 | 4900 | 3 | 10 | 228 | 245 | |
| Toro | 1 | 700 | 7350 | 3 | 10 | 24 | 276 | 275 |
| MaXx-D | 4 | 960 | 9800 | 3 | 10 | 24 | 298 | 325 |
The light output of the Toro is very good and more than up to my night riding, my own lights have both bar and helmet mounted units so a comparison is in order; therefore personal preferences come into the equation. The cable-less design is brilliant and is an added value (it is difficult to go back once you’ve tried it), although the Toro is very solid and feels indestructable the weight is not noticeable when riding, a battery life of 3 hours on full-setting was more than sufficient for me. I did the usual thing of turning it on while looking into the lens and was nearly blinded – it is very bright.
In use the Toro provides more than enough light for woodland trails long after the sun has set, the light spread is very good with both the central area and peripheral zones illuminated. In twisty and technical singletrack the illumination is good but not in the way I’m used to. I’m used to both helmet and bar lights, I point the bar light onto the ground 5-10 yards in front of me and use the helmet light to look around. This is not possible with a single Toro unit but then the light spread covers a large area. I know my own lights are water/mud proof and pretty much indestructible, the individual components are also available separately so if anything does go wrong the outlay is not prohibitive. It would be possible to build a bar and helmet system from the USE range but the cost would be very high (A Toro and Diablo combination would be likely be stunning but very expensive). USE state that replacement spare batteries can be bought and plugged into the back of the unit, I’m not interested in this I want something that has the appropriate battery life without faffing about changing them. After trying the Toro I’m not too sure of the point of the Maxx-D as I can’t believe it could be any brighter, also USE need to make more of any water/mud proof claims.
Conclusion
If I shelled out for the Toro I would be very happy with it, the cable-less design is truly brilliant and the illumination it provides is very good. Would I replace my existing set-up with the Toro? No, I will buy the replacement parts as mine wear out. I am also stuck in my habit of having separate bar and helmet lights and going back to a single one would be a retro-step. Overall I think the Toro is an excellent design but it is expensive.
I think USE should offer a dedicated singletrack mtb light set with both bar and helmet lights together with 4 hour batteries, keep the cable-less design and fixing system. Forget about the multiple power options and flashing etc (either have the max or secondary setting and nothing else), lose the engraving. Keep it simple and at the £300-00 mark, I’d be very, very tempted.
It’s a great piece of kit and many of our regulars have USE lights similar to the Toro so there is no doubting that they are effective. If in doubt try it.
Contact Ben or Alan at Freedom Bikes (01273 681698) for a demo on a night ride, but be prepared to buy it as it is very good!
I’m lucky enough to have the set up you mention. I run the Diablo on my helmet with the triple cell back up battery and the Maxx D on the handlebar. I know you say that varying the power is a pointless option, but that’s not the case for several reasons. If you’re riding along a fire road there’s no point in having the maxx d on max. If you have it on ride it’s fine. I tend to run it on ride the whole time, maybe occasionally switching to high for a fast singletrack downhill. I run the diablo on hi the whole time as that will typically be OK for an evening ride.
If I’m doing a long enduro or team enduro I tend to run them both on ride and that lasts long enough and is bright enough.
As you say though a great lightweight design. A local product with good back up if you have any problems.
Rory from USE/Exposure and Brighton Big Dog here. Great to have Brighton MTB’s review – thanks Mike and particularly appreciate they way you made use of the dealer demo programme from Freedom Bikes. It’s loans like this that really help potential customers understand and appreciate the lights, the CFD (Cable Free Design) and SPT (rear lights from Smart Port Technology). Always best to try before you buy we think, specailly with a high end purchase.
Regards Mike’s trail light set wish for £300… anything is possible…but for us to make a worthy set anywhere close to that price we would have to squeeze margins and this would likely cut out the dealers. There are increasing numbers of “direct” sell lights sets being imported or home made. Very few come with any real guarantees, accessories or features like Cable Free. As a UK manufacturer it’s important to support UK bike shops. The marriage of good marketing (Exposure invests more than any lights brands on events and support for teams etc) and good dealer support means that our lights can reach customers more widely. Without that Mike’s review might not have been written.
As we grow our our company Exposure Lights will always bring the customer the best technology first and the best designs. We believe the support is very important to any technical product too and having the dealers involved is key to that. It comes at an extra cost to the consumer but it’s worth it. Just like pubs, it would be a shame if the only beer we could drink was from the supermarket. Support local business and retailers and the choice and flavour of the beer will always be better. Likewise so will the enjoyment of your night time cycling with support for local bike shops with your purchasing power.
Thanks all and “Own the Night”
Rory
Brighton Big Dog – 14th Aug 2010 – Stanmer
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