Stylish commuting light. Review given by RCUK. The Brits are a critical group, but all the better.
Lezyne’s first foray into the light market sees the arrival of three typically stylish lights. The Mini Drive sits at the bottom of the company’s debut range, priced at £49.99 and with a maximum output of 150 Lumens.
Out of the box
Pull the light out of the box and first thing you notice is how light it is, just 73g without the bracket. The light is housed in a 100 per cent CNC-machined aluminium unit with laser etched graphics. Less is more when it comes to Lezyne products and the Mini Drive is very small, sitting inconspicuously on the handlebars, unlike some of the obtrusive commuting torches we’ve seen.
Attaching the light is quick and easy thanks to Lezyne’s tool-free bracket, with a thumb screw to attach the mount to the ‘bars. An indication of Lezyne’s attention to detail comes from the fact that they supply two brackets; one suitable to a diameter of 25.4mm and the other to 31.8mm. In the past we’ve found other brackets just about squeeze onto chunkier handlebars or need adapting, so we were pleased to see this.
The weatherproof unit slots into the mount without any problems and is held securely is place, regardless of the quality of road surface. We also like the fact that the part of the mount to which the light attaches provides a little flexibility in the direction the torch is facing.
Performance
The light has four settings; high (150 Lumens), medium (100 Lumens), low (50 Lumens), and flashing. You’re best using high, medium or flashing to ensure maximum visibility, but the LED produces a strong beam thanks to an effective lens reflector.
Charging is by USB, so handy for when you get to work. Just plug it into your PC and you’re away, with the light flashing (only with a very dim output) while charging. A wall plug adapter is available as an accessory. Out on the road, the light switches to flashing when low on battery.
So the Mini Drive is a great torch for commuting, but how does it fair for occasional training at night? If you stick to reasonably well lit roads, high power is strong enough to light up a small section of the Tarmac in front of you, and, if riding at a steady pace, capable of picking out potholes and other hazards – as long as you don’t come across them too quickly that is, and it’s best backed up with a flashing safety light.
Trouble is, battery life is stated as one hour (in reality, a touch less) on full power, so if you’re planning considerable miles after darkness, it’s best to look further up the range, and certainly if you’re riding on unlit roads. The Power Drive (£79.99) puts out 300 Lumens, while the Super Drive (£99.99) boasts 450 Lumens, with the lowest setting equivalent to the Mini Drive maximum of 150 Lumens. Both lights will be reviewed on RCUK.
But, to be fair, the Mini Drive is designed largely for commuting, and it’s an impressive package in that regard, with the capability to throw in a few extra training miles if you, and your legs, fancy it.
MTBR has posted an extremely thorough review on our new Super Drive LED.
Ahh Lezyne…they’re a fairly new company that quickly revolutionized tools and pumps. Early this spring, they held a press camp to announce their entry into the lights arena. At first, I didn’t give it a second look as it seemed like small commuter lights. But the more I looked at them and now that I’m using them, the more I find their products very compelling.
The Super Drive is a self-contained light that claims 450 lumens. It uses a Cree XML emitter that is housed in an all aluminum case for heat dissipation. The battery is a standard lithium cell that can be replaced on the trail. The rear of the light unscrews easily much like a traditional flashlight and the battery can be replaced with a fresh one for longer run time.
Although this is Lezyne’s first effort in lights, they have invested significant time and money to research the competition and their own lights. They’ve purchased their own integrating sphere to measure actual lumens output. With advanced tools, they’re able to control and publish how their lights behave over the whole battery cycle. They’re also able to analyze losses in lens and reflector designs.
The Super Drive is the top of the line of a family of three lights from Lezyne. It retails for $110 and puts out a claimed 450 lumens. The other lights in the family are:
Power Drive – $90 at 300 lumens claimed output
Mini Drive – $70 at 150 lumens claimed output.
These lights are charged via USB and there is no USB charger included. It is assumed that you have a charger or computer somewhere in the household. If you need one, a separate charger is available for $20.
Something interesting about the Super Drive and other Lezyne lights is there is no tiny indicator lamp for charging status or light switch illumination. It uses the actual LED as an indicator by flashing it very faintly to indicate that the light is charging. This shows Lezyne’s focus on keeping the light as simple as possible and hitting the $110 retail price point.
The light head itself has a lip on the top rim and that’s actually useful to keep the bright light away from the rider’s eyes during out of the saddle efforts. We love light’s with wide beam patterns but a downside is when you climb out of the saddle, you get way up front and the light can shine on your eyes a bit. The lip found on this light blocks some of that light spill at the top.
Quirky Light Switch:
The light switch is a bit quirky and non-intuitive. We all know how to turn a flashlight on and off. Some companies have deviced in protection for accidental turn-ons for self-contained lights (in the bike bag) by implementing a double-click on or 2-second button press to turn on. Lezyne has gone further by putting more light logic feedback on it. When you press the button, it will turn low instantly. After one second of button press, it will turn to medium indicating it’s ready to be released. When you release the button, it turns to high. When turning off, a similar logic is applied. It doesn’t make sense to the newbie until someone explains it to them. After that, it’s easy enough to do but it does our brains process what’s going on every time we turned the light on and off. We believe that’s overkill and non-intuitive. But, it’s a pretty minor complaint as the switch action and quality is excellent. At the end of the day, one has to hold the light switch for two seconds to turn on and off.
Specifications:
Price: $110.00
Claimed Lumens: 450 Lumens
Light Head Weight: 128 grams
Installed Weight: 128 grams
Run Time: 1.5 hours
Measured MTBR Lux: 44 Lux
Measured Lumens: 421 Lumens
Mounting:
The mount is pretty simple hoop style with a plastic tightening knob for tool less mounting on to the handlebar. The light can be aimed left to right with indexed positions on the mount positions.
Helmet mounting is not available at this point but with any helmet mount from other manufacturers that simulates a handlebar pipe on to the helmet, the Lezyne mount will work for helmet use.
MTBR Actual Lumens and Lumen Hours Measurements:
This light measured 44 lux ont the MTBR Lux setup. In a laboratory environment with an integrating sphere, it measured at 421 actual lumens.
This is the most exciting field in lights today as 500 lumen self-contained lights have become very affordable. For comparison, the competition is at:
The Lezyne Super Drive is not the brightest but it is the most compelling because of its quality and $110 price.
We also want to note its honesty in reporting. Claiming 450 lumens for a measured output of 421 lumens is one of the most honest we’ve seen to date as the industry usually 30% off.
Excellent materials and construction with aluminum body
Good reflector and lens quality provides a clear and artifact-free beam pattern
Field replaceable battery is a great feature for additional run time
USB charging plug is well protected against water and the elements
The shaping, heatsinking, anodizing of the case is impressive
Weaknesses:
Non-intuitive switch action for turning on and off
No helmet mount available at this time
Bottom Line:
This is a ground breaking new light from a new light company. They could sell a few of these lights at $250 so we suspect they will sell a lot at the $110 price.
The question most people will want answered is ‘Is it bright enough for trail riding? 450 lumens does not sound like a lot’. The answer is yes. It is a great beam pattern that accomplishes a flood and a decent spot at the same time. Also, it is bright enough as you can see in the photos. And although it only claims 450 lumens, it actually measures the same at 44 Mtbr lux as the first Magicshine MJ-808 that we got last year that claimed 900 lumens.
And the real bonus is if you want it brighter, buy two. If you want more run time, buy more $10 Lezyne batteries.
Value Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Overall Rating: We can give this light 5 stars already but the we’ll put a tiny chink in its armor for lack of optional helmet mount and the quirky light switch logic. 4.90 out of 5 Stars
Lezyne has worked closely with Team HTC-Highroad to create a custom limited edition tool kit – ONLY 2000 units will be made.
Lezyne has worked closely with Team HTC-Highroad to create a custom limited edition tool kit – ONLY 2000 units will be made. This is the ultimate tool kit for the traveling and training cyclist. This limited edition tool kit is custom engraved with HTC-Highroad logos and custom anodized in yellow and black. It contains everything a traveling cyclist needs to train and service his or her bike while at home or on the road. The kit includes the following items:
Custom Port-A-Shop
Custom Pressure Drive S
Custom Lever Kit
Custom SV-5
This tool kit was created in memory of Carla Swart and to support Carla’s Circle. Carla was an HTC-Highroad rider from South Africa who was tragically killed in a traffic accident while training in her home country earlier this year. Carla’s Circle is a fund created by Highroad Sports to help Carla’s family and continue her interests. For every tool kit sold, $2.00 will be donated to this fund to help support the Swart family.
The HTC-Highroad Tool Kit will be available in May online at www.lezyne.com and at authorized Lezyne retailers worldwide. MSRP $219.99.
For more information or to make a donation to Carla’s Circle, please visit the official website here>>.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Taipei Show, Team HTC-Highroads, and New Media
Lezyne is Back From Taipei Show 2011
The Lezyne crew is back from a successful 2011 Taipei Cycle Show. We had a great looking 2-story booth and plenty of traffic during all three days of the show.
Those lucky enough to go upstairs got a sneak peak at what will be new from Lezyne in Year 5 (2012). We have several great new products coming, but that is all we will say about the Year 5 Products right now. Everyone else will have to wait until Eurobike to see how Lezyne will change the world of accessories again.
Lezyne did show the new limited edition HTC-Highroad Tool Kit. This custom HTC-Highroad colored and badged kit was created to help the Carla’s Circle fund. Only 2000 units will be made and for every kit sold, $2.00 will be donated to the fund. For more information, follow these links:
Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for updates on our New Y5 Product line up.
Team HTC-Highroads: 3 Days, 3 Victories
Riders: Matt Goss / Evelyn Stevens / Gatis Smukulis
Photos by: TDWSport.com / Dick Soepenberg / TDWSport.com
Team HTC-Highroads is on a winning streak; 3 victories in 3 days.
The streak started on Saturday March 19th, with Matt Goss taking the win at Milan San Remo for the biggest finish of his career. Goss has had a spectacular season so far, with stage victories in the Tour Down Under, Tour of Oman, and Paris-Nice. Milan-San Remo is his 8th win of the year so far.
On Sunday, HTC-Highroad Women’s rider Evelyn Stevens soloed to victory in Germany at the Koeln-Schuld-Frechen Spring classic. “It was a really fun race,” said Stevens, “as there were a lot of people out on the roads watching the race and it was perfect weather.”
Last but not least, on Monday, Gatis Smukulis of the mens team spent 145K on the attack to win Stage 1 of the Tour of Catalunya. The 23-year-old took off in the first hour of racing and shook off all other break aways close to the finish before he powered across the line alone. His win is HTC-Highroad’s 18th of the 2011 season.
Updated Videos and Awards Pages
As usual, the Lezyne team is hard at work bringing you more information and videos. Recently we have added a few more videos to the Videos Page. There is now a video review for every Lezyne Hydration pack. We also updated the Awards page with all the product awards Lezyne has won, including the Eurobike award for the Alloy cage and the Travel Floor Drive.
San Luis Obispo CA 19 April 2011 – In an effort to make more information available to the public, Lezyne has posted all available product manuals on the website.
Now sales reps, shop employees, and consumers can all access valuable information about Lezyne products whenever they are online. These files can be printed directly from the website for reference later. All current manuals can be found here: Manuals
Another Good Review from Road.cc
Town Caddy – “Basically the love child of messenger bag and office satchel, Lezyne’s town caddy is literally organized down to the last millimetre and undeniably very stylish for shorter hops.” Read more >>
Teutenberg Wins Ronde Van Gelderland for HTC-Highroad
Photo by CJFoto.com
San Luis Obispo, CA 15 April 2011 – HTC-Highroad’s Ina-Yoko Teutenberg continues to rack up the wins in the 2011 season, with victory number five of the year coming on Sunday in a bunch sprint of the Ronde Van Gelderland in Holland.
“We had [team-mate] Amber [Neben] in the big break of the day so that eased a lot of the pressure on us before the final part of the race,” Teutenberg said. “[Rival sprinter Giorgia] Bronzini’s team-mates did a lot of work to bring back thebreak and then a lot of attacks went in the last 40 kilometres.”
Teutenberg said that the final kilometer was very technical but that it favored her chances in the sprint.
Lezyne is an official sponsor of Team HTC-Highroad, providing the team the best in hand pumps, floor pumps, CO2 inflators, multi-tools, and tire repair.
Armstrong Dominates Sea Otter Classic Powered by SRAM
Monterey, CA 17 April 2011 – PB&Co.TWENTY12’s Kristin Armstrong dominated the Sea Otter Classic Powered by SRAM stage race. The 2008 Beijing Olympic gold time trialist scored a hat-trick by winning the Criterium (Stage 1), the Road Race (Stage 2), and Time Trial (Stage 3) along with a strong finish in the final Circuit Race. As a result, Armstrong won both the General Classification and Climbers competition.
Armstrong was accompanied by teammates Olivia Dillon, Alisha Welsh, and Coryn Rivera who all raced very well. Coryn scored a 3rd place finish in the Criterium; Welsh had a strong 4th place finish in the Road Race; Dillon made the peloton suffer in every stage.
Lezyne is an official sponsor of Team PB&Co.TWENTY12, providing the team with the best in hand pumps, floor pumps, CO2 inflators, multi-tools, tire repair, and organizers.
Granieri Podiums at Telecom Extreme Playgrounds
Duisburg, Germany 17 April 2011 – Following his 3rd Place at Rocket Air Slopestyle, Yannick Granieri take another 3rd place at the Telecom Extreme Playgrounds slopestyle mtb competition. His podium spot was secured with a 360, Tailwhip, 360, Backflip Tailwhip, 360 Tailwhip. Up next, Granieri is heading to St. Tropez for the Fise Tour.
For more information about Yannick, visit his Fan Page.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
While the worldwide Lezyne team has been working hard to launch the new Year 5 line, our sponsored athletes have been working hard and winning races. Here is a little update on what they have been up to.
HTC-Highroads Win Tour Green
Paris, France – On Sunday, HTC-Highroad’s Mark Cavendish crowned his first ever points jersey win in the Tour de France with a third straight victory on the Champs Elysées. The Manxman took his fifth sprint win of the 2011 race at the end of a ninety-five kilometer stage from Creteil to Paris, blasting ahead of Edvald Boasson Hagen of Norway and Germany’s Andre Greipel.
The first British rider ever to win the points jersey, Cavendish said afterwards there could not have been a better way to round off his battle for green than with the twentieth stage win of his career in the Tour de France.
HTC-Highroad completed the 2011 Tour de France as the team with the most victories; five for Cavendish and one on Saturday for Germany’s Tony Martin in the Stage 20 ITT.
For more information about the team go to their website>>.
For all those Team HTC-Highroad fans, check out the limited edition Team Port-a-Shop Tool Kit. The kit contains everything the training and traveling cyclist needs to service his/her bike on the road. For every kit sold, a portion of the proceeds are donated to the Carla’s Circle fund to help the family of fallen team rider Carla Swart. Learn more about Carla here>>.
Gracia Down But Not Out After French Champs
Photo: P. Garcia
Meribel, France – Lezyne Ambassador Cedric Gracia concluded his race run at the 2011 French DH Championships with a trip to the hospital on July 19th. Gracia had a good warm up and was ready to pin it on his race run, but had to retire after landing a jump incorrectly and injuring his left ACL. Gracia had surgery last Friday (7/22) to repair the damage and is now undergoing physical therapy for a speedy recovery.
Gracia was having a great season and was ranked 15th going into the French Championships.
Get well soon Cedric! We need the Sergeant at the front leading the way!
For more information about Cedric, check out his website a href=”http://www.cgracingbrigade.com/”>here>>.
Premont and Cunningham Place High at Windham WC
Windham, USA – Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain had a good showing at the UCI World Cup in Windham, New York earlier this month. Marie-Helene Premont came through with a 5th place finish in the XC while Ruaridh Cunningham brought home a solid 17th place finish in the DH. Not a bad finish for Cunningham considering he was racing injured. Teammates Geoff Kabush and Sabrina Jonnier also had solid results finishing 7th in the XC and 7th in the DH, respectively.
Monterey, CA April 16, 2011 – On Saturday, Lezyne met up with Tom Ritchey at the Sea Otter Classic to make a donation of Lezyne cycling accessories to Project Rwanda. Lezyne’s Patrick Ribera-McKay and Mike Foote delivered over 600 Lezyne hand pumps, patch kits, saddle bags, and hydration packs to Ritchey to help further the efforts of Project Rwanda.
The idea of the partnership grew from Ritchey’s March visit to Lezyne’s headquarters in San Luis Obispo, California. He was making his way back home after the 2011 North American Handmade Bicycle Show and decided to visit his old cycling buddy and Lezyne Aftermarket Sales Assistant, Mark Mozart. After taking a tour of the Lezyne facility, Ritchey and Mozart crafted the idea of Lezyne contributing to Project Rwanda and presented the idea to Patrick Ribera-McKay, Lezyne Worldwide Marketing Manager. “Once I learned about Project Rwanda, I jumped at the chance to find a way for Lezyne to take part,” said McKay. “Ritchey’s passion for cycling and commitment to helping the people of Rwanda is very compelling and I am glad that we could take part in Project Rwanda and hope we can continue to do so in the future.”
Afterward Ritchey explained just how valuable these basic cycling accessories are to the people of Rwanda. “Clean water is a luxury that many of us take for granted, but in Rwanda, it can be a rare resource. You can’t imagine how valuable a tool these hydration packs will be for Rwandans. These packs will allow them to easily take clean drinking water and gear with them while traveling. Basic cycling essentials like a good pump and patches are also hard to come by in Rwanda. Many people patch tubes not with patch kits, but with string, and will do so repeatedly until the tube is completely unusable. To give a Rwandan a real patch kit and hand pump is a truly empowering gift.”
Project Rwanda was founded by Tom Ritchey after he visited Rwanda in 2005, out of his passion for cycling, a love of Rwanda’s natural beauty, and the inspiring stories of hope of the Rwandan people. Tom’s trip resulted in a realization that the bicycle can be an important tool in rebuilding a country, building national pride and addressing local issues facing Rwanda and other African nations. Project Rwanda is committed to furthering the economic development of Rwanda through initiatives based on the bicycle as a tool and symbol of hope. The organization’s goal is to use the bike to help boost the Rwandan economy as well as re-brand Rwanda as a beautiful and safe place to do business and visit freely.
The Lezyne goods will be transported one box at a time to Rwanda via the Rwandan Courier Network over the course of the year. The Rwandan Courier Network is a group of men and women who volunteer to carry goods to and from the African nation. Project Rwanda organizers found that due to the high cost of international shipping, individual couriers are the most reliant and cost effective method of transport. So, if you are bounds for Rwanda and have room for one more bag, give these guys a call and directly take part in helping another nation.
Doha Corniche, Qatar – Exactly one week after Ellen Van Dijk won the women’s Tour of Qatar, Mark Renshaw made it an exceptional two-out-of-two for HTC-Highroad when he scooped the overall victory in the same race for the men.
Renshaw made a successful defense of his lead in the 126.5 kilometer final stage from Sealine Beach Resort to Doha Corniche on Friday, to finish ahead of Australia’s Heinrich Haussler and Italian Daniele Bennati.
Qatar is the first stage race win of Renshaw’s career. “The last day was really a question of staying in the pack and making sure I stayed close to Haussler and at the head of the field,” Renshaw said afterwards, “It’s great to come here and get the win in Qatar, it’s such a hard race and to follow on the win by the women’s team makes it even something special.”
Lezyne is an official sponsor of Team HTC-Highroad, providing the team the best in hand pumps, floor pumps, CO2 inflators, multi-tools, and tire repair.
San Luis Obispo, CA –Carla Swart was one of the most talented young riders in the world when she was tragically killed in traffic while training in her home country of South Africa. She was 23 years old with an incredible collegiate career behind her, and HTC-Highroad was honored to have been her first pro team even for such a short while.On Saturday, March 12, a Ride to Remember Carla has been set up by her cycling peers. It begins at 9:30am from 367 State Street in Los Altos, California . There will be a sixty-mile route as well as a thirty-mile route, and there is no cost to ride.
Donations can be made to one of two funds set up on Carla’s behalf. One is a fund called Carla’s Circle set up by High Road Sports to benefit Carla’s family. Carla was very close to her family and always wanted to be able to give back to support them and in particular her mother who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. Another way to donate is to support the Scholarship fund set up by Lees McRae College where Carla attended University.
Details and entries for the ride are available here.
San Luis Obispo, CA – Lezyne is proud to announce the continued sponsorship of Austrailian pro cyclist, Tiffany Cromwell. Currently riding for Honda Dream Team (Aus) and Lotto Laddies Team (Bel), she is one ofAustralia’s top cyclists climbing up the world ranking.
Lezyne started working with Tiffany in 2010 after Lezyne CEO Micki Kozuschek meet with her in Adelaide during an Australian dealer tour. Tiffany will use Lezyne’s award-winning hand pumps, floor pumps, multi-tools, and tire repair to keep her training and racing at her best.
Hailing from Adelaide, Australia, Tiffany began racing as a junior at age 13 and quickly began winning races. In 2008, Tiffany turned pro by signing with the US-based Colitiva Sutter Home team. That same year she won her first professional race, the 2008 Sea Otter Classic, as well as a number of strong results. In 2010 she has moved to competing full time in Europe with the Australian Institute of Sport national women’s team where she competed in all of the major races on the world calendar including the world cup series, Giro D’Italia feminine, La Route de France feminine, and finished off the year by competing in her first World Road Cycling Championships in Australia.
Tiffany’s 2011 season is off to a great start! Riding for the Honda Dream Team, she won Stage 2 of the Jayco Bay Criterium Series (Aus) where she also finish 1st overall in the Sprint Classification.
