Exposure Strada Mk11 SB AKTiv review: why complicated might be better

Why are Exposure lights so common on ultra-endurance starting lines?

Exposure Strada Mk11 SB AKTiv
(Image: © Josh Ross)

Cyclingnews Verdict

The Exposure Strada Mk11 SB AKTiv is an expensive light but it’s beautifully made, has a huge battery, and tells you what’s happening in multiple ways. When you are too tired to think straight this is a light you won’t mess up.

Pros

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    Comes with a wired remote

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    Gorgeous fully-machined aluminium body

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    Optional support cells extend runtime

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    AKTiv technology automatically dims the beam for cars

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    Dual-beam pattern illuminates close and far ahead

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    High-quality mounting

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    Control scheme lets you set everything at home

Cons

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    Expensive

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    Non-standard charge port

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    No listed correlation between lumens and burn time

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

There are a lot of uses for a light on the front of your bike. For some people, it's as simple as staying visible while getting home from work. For others, it's an occasional event that means starting or finishing in the dark. We have all of those uses covered in our list of the best bike lights so if any of that sounds like what you need, take a look. There is another use though and it's become a lot more popular over the last few years. Ultra-endurance racing means riding through the night and it takes a special kind of light to do it. 

The light I placed on our list for that use is the Exposure Strada Mk11 SB AKTiv. Exposure is a British brand that seems to have found a place in the ultra-endurance community. While researching it, I found all three podium winners of the 2021 GBDuro had Exposure lights listed in their gear list. That's just one example but that's the kind of thing that deserves an explanation. The Strada Mk11 SB AKTiv is the latest version of the most feature-laden road light that Exposure makes. I haven't had a chance to attempt any racing with it but I did spend time testing to see what makes it special. If you are looking for the right light to get you through something truly gruelling, keep reading to see what makes this light special.

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Testing scorecard and notes
Design and mountingIt doesn’t get better. Milled from a solid piece of aluminium and all the mounting is rock solid.10/10
Light qualityShape and beam quality is excellent. Keeps it from feeling like riding in a tunnel and there’s a fairly tight cutoff. I would like to see a bit higher max lumens though.9/10
Control SchemeOptions for everyone. Depending on your needs you could have less complexity but the trade-off would be someone else not getting what they need. 7/10
Battery life and chargingBurn time for the power is good but not the best and not using USB-C for the connections makes it harder than it needs to be. 8/10
ValueYou get what you pay for and this is a beautifully designed light built in the UK. It’s not outrageous for what it is but it’s also not a bargain.7/10
OverallRow 5 - Cell 1 82%
Josh Ross

Josh hails from the Pacific Northwest of the United States but would prefer riding through the desert than the rain. He will happily talk for hours about the minutiae of cycling tech but also has an understanding that most people just want things to work. He is a road cyclist at heart and doesn't care much if those roads are paved, dirt, or digital. Although he rarely races, if you ask him to ride from sunrise to sunset the answer will be yes. Height: 5'9" Weight: 140 lb. Rides: Salsa Warbird, Cannondale CAAD9, Enve Melee, Look 795 Blade RS, Priority Continuum Onyx