In a world where external battery packs and endless cabling constitute the norm, Exposure Maxx-D all in one approach is a breath of fresh air.

Read more: Best mountain bike lights – find your flow in the darkness

Like all Exposure lights, the Maxx D MK13 is self-contained with the LEDs and Li-Ion battery all housed in the machined aluminium body. The good thing is you can easily remove this for charging or when you’re not using it, but it is about the same size (and weight) of a drinks can, so it’s quite prominent on the bar and you can feel this weight when dropping the bike into a turn.

The Maxx D MK13 attaches to a machined bar clamp, which is secure but the 35mm size isn’t actually 35mm and does require the use of a thin rubber shim. This is fine, but the shim doesn’t stay in place when you remove the clamp and it also gets mangled over time.

Like the Exposure Diabolo Mk12, the Maxx D MK13 is fully programmable and all the settings are handily printed on the body of the light. The difference here is the Maxx D MK13 has a readout on the back, so you can actually see the mode you’ve selected during set-up, you don’t have to count flashes. This also counts down the run times as a percentage, which we really like.

The Maxx D MK13 doesn’t have Tap Technology – you tap the light to change the output – but it does get Reflex+, which activates when you start riding faster. It boosts the standard 2,500 lumens to 4,000, which is why the beam pattern here doesn’t seem that bright, it’s because the photos only show the output when stationary.

There are three Reflex+ settings with different maximum light outputs and they also dim the light right down when you come to a stop. It works seamlessly, but some testers preferred a simple high and low beam option, especially when riding in a group. Either way Reflex+ is a really cool feature that gives you the light when you need it most while also maximising battery life. The Exposure Maxx-D MK13 is not a cheap light, nor is it compact, but the quality and features are superb.