LEZYNE bike lights

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
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JohnW
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Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Yorkshire

LEZYNE bike lights

Post by JohnW »

LEZYNE - bike lights - has anyone any experience of them?
Psamathe
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: LEZYNE bike lights

Post by Psamathe »

What do you want to know? I've a Macro and a Micro (front & rear) but only every used them early dusk and very dark overcast conditions. Not used at night to see with.

Ian
AndyK
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Joined: 17 Aug 2007, 2:08pm
Location: Mid Hampshire

Re: LEZYNE bike lights

Post by AndyK »

I had the original model Lezyne Superdrive XL front light for about 4 years. It was pretty good - just bright enough to use on country lanes at speeds into the mid-20s mph, very tough (withstanding a a few drops onto tarmac) and with the useful ability to swap standard size (18650) rechargeable batteries. However the mounting point started to deform and wear over time so that eventually it rattled continuously in the bracket, to the point where the light beam was starting to shake noticeably.

Last year I upgraded to a Fenix BC30, which is more powerful and has a better-shaped beam. A few days after the Fenix arrived, the Lezyne had a huff and stopped working altogether.
David9694
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Joined: 10 Feb 2018, 8:42am

Re: LEZYNE bike lights

Post by David9694 »

The Lezyne Super Drive 1500xx I’ve just got has a robust quality and weighty feel to it, is plenty bright. Well made usb charging port. The but is the mount - it relies on a rubber/plastic strap which is well made but won’t be so good in the longer term for commuting duties as it’s fiddly to remove and at some point something will break. Something that slides off the mount is better for daily dismount.
Spa Audax Ti Ultegra; Genesis Equilibrium 853; Raleigh Record Ace 1983; “Raleigh Competition”, “Raleigh Gran Sport 1982”; “Allegro Special”, Bob Jackson tourer, Ridley alu step-through with Swytch front wheel; gravel bike from an MB Dronfield 531 frame.
freeflow
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Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 1:54pm

Re: LEZYNE bike lights

Post by freeflow »

The best mount for lights I've come across is the one used by Exposure lights. If you can bodge the mounting of the shoe for your current light that would be my preferred option.
pwa
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Re: LEZYNE bike lights

Post by pwa »

JohnW wrote:LEZYNE - bike lights - has anyone any experience of them?

Bought a set, front and rear, from Halfords. Used them for a few rides then put them away and forgot about them. Unless you charge them every day they die on you. I need my lights to survive five return trip commutes between charges. These lights wouldn't get close. They now reside at the back of a drawer somewhere.

If you spend your working day beside a USB point they might work for you.
brooksby
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Location: Bristol

Re: LEZYNE bike lights

Post by brooksby »

I had the old version of one of their headlights - used it most days for about a year, but the battery life gradually got worse and worse (spent more time charging it than using it) and I sent it to the tip.

OTOH I have a front and back of their Zecto (I think - the circular one with three LEDs) which I use as blinkies, and they're both absolutely fine, having used them most days for a couple of years now.
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mjr
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Re: LEZYNE bike lights

Post by mjr »

Are any of them legal? Probably with K-number indicating compliance with the German StVZO and thereby the UK RVLR thanks to the "equivalent standard" clause.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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busb
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Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 10:10am
Location: Berks, UK

Re: LEZYNE bike lights

Post by busb »

I still have one of their front lights (Microdrive, I think). Like most of Lezyne's lights, it has so-called "Tool-less" rubber band mounting that I hate. Although it's small it never stays at the angle I want for very long. All my current front lights have proper brackets with thumb wheel or cam release that stay put. I do like USB charging though - can recharge lights at work.
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Sum
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Re: LEZYNE bike lights

Post by Sum »

mjr wrote:Are any of them legal? Probably with K-number indicating compliance with the German StVZO and thereby the UK RVLR thanks to the "equivalent standard" clause.

Some Lezyne lights are, although the ones mentioned above probably aren't. Lezyne's lights appear to have STVZO incorporated into their name if they are compliant.
JohnW
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Location: Yorkshire

Re: LEZYNE bike lights

Post by JohnW »

My reason for this thread (and in reply to question from 'Psamathe') is that I bought a 'LEZYNE SUPER DRIVE 1500XXL' from our local Evans a few weeks ago, and I copped a problem with it - which Evans sorted out within seconds. I receive Evans' frequent (almost daily) bulletins, one of which was offering 40% off all Lezyne lights. That meant £65.99p from mfr recommended price of over £100.00p. I wouldn't have spent over £100 on an unknown quantity, but the reduced price did tempt me.

My initial impressions were that the power of the light on "Blast" power (quoted as 1000 lumens)and "Overdrive" (quotes as 1500 lumens) is amazing, especially for the price, and the "Enduro" (quoted as 600 lumens) is ample for most of my riding (all on-road). The "Flash" setting is also the best I've had for on-road identifying use. As with all integral battery lights that I know, the burn times from fully charged are limiting on long rides in winter, or overnight rides.

In my own opinion, however (and in confirmation of David9694's post), the fixing system certainly lets the light down. In theory its probably fine, but I find it fiddly and a bit difficult to fit, especially in the dark, when a ride is moving into darkness and lights are needed. I ride drops, and fit the light to the top, flat area...........I ride with my hands on the levers, and this means that I have a wonderfully illuminated wrist which can be distracting and side vision on that side is limited. I've also found that I have to be selective with positioning the light because when in "Flash" mode it interferes with my Cat-Eye wireless computers. My 'Hope Vision 1' lights do not interfere with my computers.

The problem that I copped was that suddenly, and at the time inexplicably, I lost all functions except the "Blast" and "Economy" (250 lumens). I had kept my receipt and was passing my local Evans, and took the light into them. The assistant sorted it out almost immediately; I had apparently (but quite unknowingly) adjusted the light into "Race Mode", and it only needed a couple of seconds to put me right. Having been made aware of the facility in the 'Operations' section of the destructions it became clear, and I felt the proverbial 'Charlie'. To change into and out of 'race mode' you have to hold the switch down for a period of time...................I didn't actually do that, so it must have happened whilst the light was in the rackpack during a ride. Something to watch.

I don't normally use lights with integral rechargeable batteries - it's easy to get caught short when they give a short burn-time from fully charged - and if you're light blebs miles from anywhere - at the top of a Dale-head to Dale-head pass for example - there's nowhere to plug your charger in. I really favour the Hope 'Vision 1' lights - true that at full power they only give 3 hours and a bit more, but I carry a battery cassette ready loaded with fully charge batteries...................it's a long ride that includes more than 6 hours darkness and full power isn't necessary all the time.

I certainly go along with 'freeflow's' comment about mounting lights, and his opinion that 'Exposure Lights' mountings are by far the best I know - it's easy to adapt the 'Hope Vision 1' light to fit the 'Exposure Lights' bracket. Has anyone anything to say about 'Exposure Lights'? The people that I know who have them are all satisfied and full of admiration.

That was all terribly boring wasn't it? - talking about myself!
Samsbike650

Re: LEZYNE bike lights

Post by Samsbike650 »

I have the original lezyne SuperDrive and it’s a bit temperamental, switching itself off on bumps etc.

However it’s handy to charge at work so I persevere and it’s a back up to my dynamo light.

My clamp has worked fine (for the last 3 years)!

My LBS really pushes exposure lights so have not heard anything negative about them.
JohnW
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Re: LEZYNE bike lights

Post by JohnW »

Samsbike650 wrote:I have the original lezyne SuperDrive and it’s a bit temperamental, switching itself off on bumps etc.

However it’s handy to charge at work so I persevere and it’s a back up to my dynamo light.

My clamp has worked fine (for the last 3 years)!

My LBS really pushes exposure lights so have not heard anything negative about them.

Odd that Sam - since my previous post and my reported experience, the switch on my (referred to above) Lezyne has become a bit erratic on switching on. Sometimes it does as I expect (i.e. switching on where it switched off) but just occasionally it starts on the 'boost' function. I then have to scroll through and to the function that I want - which I do then find OK.

Searching through the web, and from what I've heard from the small number of users of my acquaintance, I think that I have come to think highly of 'Exposure' lights.....................but it's not from my own experience. I think that their mounting design is probably the best.
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