Most of the time when I’m out night riding I use a Hope Vision 2 front light; it’s a quality piece of kit that at 480 lumens packs a good punch for lighting the road or trail. However, Wiggle recently had a batch of lights in for staff to test and the Lezyne Megadrive jumped out at me as an impressive bit of kit, so I've been giving it a trial out on the bike.
Let’s start with the unit itself. Compared to the Hope V2 head unit (which has an external battery pack), the Megadrive is heftier both in terms of size and weight. Sat on your handlebars it is a noticeable presence, and takes up a fair bit of handlebar real-estate. However, the weight and size is there for a good reason; this self contained unit is made of beautifully CNC machined aluminium, with a self contained battery pack: It is built to last. This follows a theme with all Lezyne products I have tested; Lezyne pumps are similarly made to a superb quality level and can be seen as a long term investment, as opposed to many competitor's “disposable” products.
Onto the power! When you are used to riding with 480 lumens as your max power, stepping up to 1200 lumens on the Megadrive was a little bit like turning on the sun. This thing has got some kick! In terms of battery life it will do about 1.5 hours on "Overdrive" (1200 lumens), and 2.5 hours on "Enduro" (600 lumens), the latter of which is still easily enough to light up the road or trail! The unit is charged up via USB cable, and takes quite a long time if it is fully run down (9hrs) when plugged into a computer, although this is reduced if you plug it into a USB mains plug directly.
The removable battery on the Megadrive is a less common feature on modern high powered bike lights (like Exposure), but one that has some significant advantages. Batteries do have a finite life to them and this system means you can replace one when it gets old. It also means that you can carry a spare battery pack with you when you are on an “Epic” ride, so that you can extend your run time even more.
If there is one thing that slightly lets the Megadrive down it's the plastic handlebar mount, which in my mind is a little bit out of place given the beautifully machined CNC shell of the light itself. However, plastic can be a wise choice when you consider that the the handlebar mount is likely to be left in place and exposed to bike washes, weather and knocks. It is also less likely to mark the handlebar when it is tightened on there, so perhaps it has been chosen sensibly.
If there is one thing that slightly lets the Megadrive down it's the plastic handlebar mount, which in my mind is a little bit out of place given the beautifully machined CNC shell of the light itself. However, plastic can be a wise choice when you consider that the the handlebar mount is likely to be left in place and exposed to bike washes, weather and knocks. It is also less likely to mark the handlebar when it is tightened on there, so perhaps it has been chosen sensibly.
The Megadrive is an impressive bit of kit; built to last and built to perform. At under £150 on Wiggle at the moment as well, it present very good value compared to similarly powerful and high quality units from Exposure and Hope. Well worth considering.
The Lezyne Megadrive is available from Wiggle Bike Shop (Link)
The Lezyne Megadrive is available from Wiggle Bike Shop (Link)
 |
| Image from Wiggle Lights Comparison Tool |
0 Response to "Review: Lezyne MegaDrive Front Light"
Post a Comment