The Exposure Race 19 is one of Exposure’s larger off-road ready bike lights that packs an impressive punch and the latest features. It is marketed as a gravel and cross country light with a dual LED design and large battery to support long rides. Retail price for the headlight is $355 and includes a metal handlebar mount. As with other Exposure lights, the Race 19 is produced in the UK and is designed to be serviced by Exposure for long-term use and repairs. With 2650 lumens, the headlight can run between 2 to 36 hours depending on the mode thanks to the generous 8000 mAh Li-ion battery. One of the big features of the headlight is the upgraded OSD+ display which shows the status and current mode on a large backlight screen.
The Exposure Race 19 offers high output and long runtimes in a surprisingly light and portable package.
| Retail Price | $355 |
| Rating | 9.0 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 199 (headlight), 26 (handlebar mount) |
| Likes | + Serviceable design that can be sent back to Exposure for repairs or battery replacement + Bright display screen with real-time battery display that makes the user interface more intuitive to use + Surprisingly light given the size and power |
| Dislikes | – Premium price point – Changing and setting power profiles can be confusing initially |
| Where to Buy (US) | Exposure Lights |
UNBOXING
The Exposure Race 19 bike headlight comes in a medium sized cardboard box with a simple graphic of the headlight printed on the exterior. When you open the box you’ll find a the light and all the accessories inside the zippered storage case. All told, Exposure includes the following with the light:
- Race 19 headlight
- Zippered storage case
- Wall charger
- USB-C charging cable
- Instruction manual
The included wall charger adapter is something you don’t typically see with bike lights but ensures you can charge at proper voltage even on the go.
MOUNTING
The Exposure Race 19 uses a surprisingly small tab style mount with a triangular shaped adapter placed near the front of the light. Given the large size of the light, the mount visually looks tiny but works well with an all metal construction. Exposure includes a handlebar mount with an all-metal construction and a locking pin design to secure the light in place. The design works well to hold the light securely and prevent any rattling or movement even over rough terrain. There are additional GoPro and stem adapters available, but they have to be purchased separately. Note, this light also has a symmetric beam which means you can flip it upside down without affecting the light output. Exposure even flips the screen display when the computer is mounted upside down so that you can still view the mode and battery information correctly.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the Exposure Race 19 has Exposure’s distinctive cylindrical design that looks more like a flash light than a bike light. It’s a fairly large light with a diameter of 46mm and 107mm length with Exposure’s distinctive anodized gunmetal aluminium body. CNC grooves cover the body to create a textured surface that is easier to grip along with grooves along the front and rear to increase surface area for heat dissipation. It’s an impressive design compared to standard plastic or black bike headlights with impressive CNC work. On the sides of the light you have Exposure and a mountain background printed on it, as well as a configuration cheat sheet and safety indicators on the underside.
With this higher-end light you also get what Exposure calls OSD+ feature which is a color screen display that is 70% larger than previous screens for improved clarity. It is controlled using a steel button above it and eliminates the usual confusion with Exposure’s multi-power configuration options. The screen can display the battery status, real-time battery runtime and reflects that current state of the headlight. Exposure even includes a nice zippered case to hold the headlight and accessories with internal foam cutouts and pockets. It’s a nice way to store and travel with the light without damaging or scratching the anodized exterior.
The Race 19 uses a two LED lens with a large 8000 mAh internal battery to support the higher output. It’s a fairly basic cone-shaped beam compared to Lupine or other brands that have sharp beam cutoffs. The two LEDs are Cree XPL2 (W3) LEDs which put out a maximum of 2650 lumens in the Reflex mode and 1800 lumens in the highest constant mode. Both LEDs are always illuminated together in all the modes with various constant modes and a flash mode available. This headlight also has Exposure’s Reflex 2.0 feature which will adjust the headlight output based on speed. That means it will dim while riding slower and brighten when riding faster which can help extend the runtime of the light.
USER INTERFACE
The user interface for the Race 19 uses a single metal button along with the OSD+ color screen display. It’s a bright multi-colored display that shows the battery status, real-time battery runtime and the selected power mode. The display is a big bonus as most Exposure lights, such as the Exposure Sirius 11, have a confusing multi-power profile configuration option that requires holding the button and counting the number of flashes. With this display, there is less confusion and need for counting as the display provides visual feedback. A single press of the power button cycles through the Exposure logo, current power mode and the current battery status as a percentage.
To turn the light on, you do a double press which turns the light on in the constant mode for the current power settings. Multiple LEDs above the light duplicate the color of the screen and indicate which of the high, medium and low settings the light before reverting to a seven level battery indicator after 3 seconds. The headlight can also be switched to a flash mode by holding the light until the lightning bolt symbol is shown. To turn off the headlight you hold the button for about two seconds until the power off icon is shown. The headlight also has seven power profiles with only three of those with the Reflex feature enabled.
All the profiles have a high and low mode option which can be toggled with a single press while mode 5 and 6 also have an additional medium setting. It’s fairly complicated and you would want to set the mode before starting a ride, but the display screen makes it easier to configure and visually see which mode you are in. The headlight also has mode memory so the current mode, and power configuration setting but you still need to hold the button to re-enable flash mode.
LIGHT OUTPUT
Exposure has programmed the Race 19 with seven power profiles which each have a high and low modes, while two of the modes feature an additional medium mode for a total of 18 modes including flash. The idea is that you can select the profile that best matches the type of ride you are doing rather than endless cycling through the modes. Power profile one offers the highest output with a 2650 lumen Reflex mode with 3 hour runtime and a 314 lumen low mode with 12 hour runtime. The next two power levels have about half the lumen output per mode with double the runtime. Power profile four to seven are non Reflex modes with constant outputs that has a maximum high 1800 lumen (2 hour runtime) and a 588 low 588 lumen (6 hour runtime) mode. To make things a bit more complicated power profile five and six have additional medium modes with are exactly half way between high and low in terms of output and runtime.
As far as flash modes, there appears to be only one daytime rapid flash mode that is accessible from any power level that has around 24 hours of runtime with a rapid low / high pattern. The final low mode in power profile seven is also the SOS mode with 138 lumen runtime which flashes in a SOS Morse code pattern. In all the modes, the two LEDs are always synchronized and create a wide and far beam pattern the lights up the road or trail. You’ll want to avoid riding on busy streets as the cone beam pattern creates a lot of glare and requires tilting the entire light downward to reduce glare for oncoming traffic.
Otherwise, it’s a very bright light with long runtimes that continuously update with real-time count downs displayed on the screen. It’s hard to really quantify the Reflex mode without proper testing equipment, but it helps extend runtimes by optimizing output based on speed. Compared to lights like the Magicshine Ray 3000, the lens design is simpler but you have more consistent runtimes and better heat dissipation with the cylindrical design and heat fins cut into the body. As with other Exposure lights, we think the lights would be easier to use with a second button but we’re happy that there is no additional phone app required to access all of the Race 19’s features.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Exposure Race 19 to be a bright and well made light. As with other Exposure bike lights, the Race 19 has a high quality aluminum construction with the ability to have it serviced for repairs or warranty work to ensure you get the most out of the light. At 2650 lumens, the Race 19 is bright and lights up the road and trail to ensure you see what’s coming. We were impressed with the overall build quality and the OSD+ display screen which takes the guessing out of profile selection and makes the user interface easier to manage. While we couldn’t quantify the benefits of Reflex mode, the runtimes were impressive across the board with the headlight. The main downsides of the headlight are the premium price and the overloaded single button user interface with long holds, double presses and single presses. That said, the Exposure Race 19 offers impressive output in a lightweight package for riders looking for the ultimate bike headlight.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Exposure Lights. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.