Lezyne Deca Drive Infinite 1500i Bicycle Headlight Review

Skillful bicycle lights are important for every cyclist. Whether y'all're going for a curt ride on your city cycle, or want to head out into the dark for hours on terminate on your road bike or mount cycle. Without proper bike lights, you're nowhere. Lezyne have released new cycle lights this year. Fourth dimension then for a serious test of the new Lezyne bike lights!

It has become too night to do my daily commute, which is 25 kilometres i-style, without proper bike lights, then it was time for some brand-new bike lights. Until recently, I only used battery-powered bike lights. It seems platonic because they last for quite a while, simply they don't offering all that much light. Yous're barely noticed.

More bikes with better wheel lights

Time for an upgrade then. I wanted to see more myself as well as be seen better. The new lights also had to last for at least 2 hours. That'south how long my daily commute takes on the bike in full.

I was a fan of the Lezyne Strip Drive rear low-cal from the offset 2d I saw it.

The route I use for my daily commute is adequately well lit. Fortunately it'due south a segregated bicycle lane and I don't encounter many cars along the way. The points at which cars exercise meet my route are a little more than difficult though. So I definitely needed a bike light that stood out.

With these demands in the back of my head, I went for a long search through our bicycle shop in Arnhem. Nosotros've got loads of bicycle lights prepare there for you to attempt. After having tested a few lights for a flake I cull a pair of wheel lights for me to endeavour out.

The choice

Firstly I wanted the Lezyne Lite Drive 700XL. On the normal, brightest setting I should get 3 hours of battery life. Plenty of theoretical fourth dimension then. Combined with the Calorie-free Bulldoze, I choose the Lezyne Strip Drive as my rear light. On the slightly less bright mode information technology still put out a good glow, and it should last up to xviii hours in this mode.

The front lite of the KTV Drive is compact and easy to bring with yous. Battery life isn't sufficient for a long ride though.

Since I was testing anyway, I also took the Lezyne KTV Drive Pair with me. An inexpensive gear up of bicycle lights which should still perform well- at least on paper.

Since I go for the odd nightride in the woods I also went mad with the Lezyne Deca Drive 1500i combined with the Infinite Power Pack. Not but a blaze of light, but bombardment life that'll become y'all through the night also.

Just because I'm curious I too wanted to effort the Lezyne Laser Drive rear light. Because… Well, lasers!

Charging

With all cycle lights ready to go I started my starting time test. How long exercise they all take to charge. I've all fully charged them the first time in accord with the instructions from Lezyne, and then drained them afterward.

Charging was faster than the specs suggested for all the lights, then no unnecessary waiting around before I was able to set off.

Charging was faster than Lezyne specified in well-nigh cases, then I was a happy man thus far. As long as you don't decide last-minute to set off, you'll always have enough power on tap for a long ride.

Bike lights in town

On to the more important part: the calorie-free. I started with the Lezyne KTV Bulldoze Pair. I expected the least from these. According the specs, they're little more than lights to be seen with around town or on well-lit roads out of town.

The KTV Drive rear calorie-free was fine for brusk rides effectually town.

They're correct. The front low-cal provides a decent amount of low-cal, simply I was longing for a lot more than. The rear light too is enough to be seen with. During a foggy ride I got the idea that other road users still were able to see me well plenty. Something which makes you lot feel a lot more comfortable on the cycle.

Daylight mode is convenient

I was peculiarly a fan of the daytime running fashion of the headlight. Information technology can flash bright enough to ensure you simply can't exist disregarded. I speedily noticed the added visibility on my daily commute.

Specially the daytime running mode of the KTV Drive headlight appealed to me.

In spots where motorists would unremarkably notice me at the last second -or not at all- in the pelting or at sunset, I was now never overlooked.

The KTV Drive rear lite wasn't overly bright.

I used to have to brake difficult or stop to make sure someone saw me, but with the daytime lights on I didn't anymore. Considering this is ane of the cheapest sets of bike lights out there, you really do get a lot for your money.

Time for a bit more power

As the KTV Bulldoze headlight simply wasn't vivid enough for me in regular mode, I placed my promise on the Lezyne Lite Drive 700 40 to give me what I needed. I had an older model of a less powerful version of this Lezyne headlight (450XL) and it met my needs. I decided to calibration up to a bigger light considering I wanted a little more light and a longer battery life.

If the 700XL is 50% drained the indicator turns orange. Under ten% and it turns red.

It turned out to be a expert phone call. My former headlight could just cope with 2 hours a day of commuting in the medium light mode, provided I topped information technology upwardly at work. The Lezyne Lite Drive 700 40 can easily exercise that while putting out more than and amend focused low-cal than my quondam light.

Only when I ran it at full power, for case in poor conditions, did I have to charge it upwards for a flake at piece of work. Normally I accept to recharge it in one case a 24-hour interval. Convenient as it means I tin can just leave information technology on the wheel at work.

The 700 XL was perfect apart from how you connect the charging cable. This could accept been designed better.

I'grand more than than happy when information technology comes to brightness. No more medium style, just burn it at its brightest. Not considering the Overdrive mode. Plenty to see everything on my ride to work.

The but downside for me is how hard information technology can sometimes be to plug the cable into the mini-USB port. Quite irritating when you've got to recharge it daily.

Hitting rear light

The Lezyne Strip Drive is the rear low-cal I'd expect to come with the Lezyne Lite Drive 700 Twoscore if they'd come as a set. The price is roughly equal as is the performance, at to the lowest degree on newspaper.

I liked the sleek looks of the Lezyne Strip Bulldoze rear lite during the day also.

Every bit I find being seen as important as seeing for myself, a vivid rear light was essential. From the offset moment I used information technology, I knew the Strip Drive would provide what I was looking for. The continuous low-cal mode, so no flash, easily lasts multiple commutes to and from piece of work.

The daylight way is a overnice extra if you lot find yourself in the middle of a heavy daytime shower, something in which drivers are more likely to not run across yous.

I merely used the daytime mode and i of the constant burn modes. With 8 other flash modes in between, things felt a little over the top.

Unfortunately the Strip Drive does offer a huge amount of flash modes. So many that it became annoying. You'd actually like to merely switch them all off. Whoever wants to scroll through xi low-cal modes just to go to the right one?

It stayed put nicely though, despite the flat dorsum of the D-Fuse seat post on my Giant. I worried it might not fit right when I saw the back of the rear light, but information technology all turned out to be fine.

The Strip Drive is a sizeable rear light, only not overly huge.

Mud and other dirt managed to stay stuck in the space between the low-cal and seat post though. Something you lot tin can clean easily enough. For me not an issue, as I make clean my bicycle after virtually every ride.

Lasers!

Just for the sake of having lasers, I wanted to encounter the Lezyne Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation Bulldoze rear light in action. I felt like Dr. Evil when installing the low-cal and every bit a result, I was unable to utter the word "laser" in any vaguely normal way afterwards…

"Lasers"…

The 2 lasers project a long laser strip on the route on either side of your bicycle, stretching for well-nigh two to 3 metres. It stood out in dark areas, but as before long as I ventured near some streetlights that advantages quickly faded.

The Laser Drive is slightly less narrow and tall than the Strip Drive, but by any ways still non too big.

I did feel every bit though motorists -given that the two lasers project a fairly wide stance on the road- gave me more space as they went effectually me. Something which is absolutely great if you ask me. A little extra space, especially in stormy weather, is always a safe feeling.

See everything, and I really mean everything…

The concluding headlight in my test was the Lezyne Deca Drive 1500i paired to the Infinite Power Pack. On the brightest regular light mode -so no Overdrive- information technology'll put thousand Lumens on the road alee of y'all. The bombardment lasts an impressive five hours in that mode.

The Lezyne 1500i is a fairly sizeable unit, peculiarly with the add-on of the Infinity Ability Pack.

You have notice. On an unlit road at night, information technology'll show yous everything you want to see. The road is conspicuously lit over the next 100 metres alee of you and the sides are visible too, showing you what yous tin await along the way.

I used to exist a little cautious with other cycle lights, but that wasn't necessary in this instance. Because your field of view is quite wide my conviction got a boost and I dared to actually throw the cycle into corners.

For night rides and long endurance rides

The simply thing stopping me from purchasing this combination of light and power pack for my occasional dark fourth dimension ride is the price. Something which also stood out was the weight. The light itself is on the heavy side and when combined with the power pack, you've got quite some weight up front end on your bike.

The Power Pack worked beautifully though. Easy to connect and deeply fitted. Sadly the connector cablevision isn't long enough to just fit information technology anywhere on the bike. The weight is all placed at the front of the bike then, and that isn't ideal to me.

Great wheel lights, just too many wink modes

All in all, I liked all of the bike lights I tested. Apart from the 1500i they're all nice and light, and perform very well. A long battery life and short charging times were key factors for my personal needs.

The lite levels were cracking as well, autonomously from the low budget version of the KTV drive. Then once more, you're not paying for something you don't get either.

Charging the KTV Drive was a piece of cake for both the front end and rear low-cal thanks to the integrated USB connector. No cables needed.

The only downside to all lights was the overkill in setup options. The Strip Drive rear light offers no less than 11 different modes. A little too much if you ask me.

The other lights as well had enough of different modes. Even though I really but needed a bright mode for poor conditions, a slightly less one for your average mean solar day out, and a daytime-mode for poor conditions during the day.

The 1500i put out some serious light.

Switching between modes is a doddle, but it was annoying to cycle through all the flash modes to get to the correct 1. Especially when you merely scrolled past your favourite mode and had to outset all over again.

My bike lights for winter

In full, I tested the various lights for effectually m kilometres nether various weather. After testing I continued to use three different bicycle lights. The front light of the KTV Drive, the 700 XL headlight, and the Strip Drive rear light.

My wheel calorie-free combo on the bars. The Lezyne 700XL as a chief light and the KTV Drive for the vivid flash style on dangerous stretches of road.

I but utilise the headlight of the KTV Drive equally a daytime headlight. I apply it on the start few roads where my route crosses with many cars, regardless of whether information technology's daytime or nightime. Since I employ it and then sparingly information technology lasts several weeks betwixt charges.

The Lite Drive 700XL is my become-to headlight for everyday use. Plenty of light to run into the road and enough battery life to use for ii days, so iv hours, of commuting. I might effort the 1100XL some day for even more than calorie-free and bombardment life.

And this is how I ride through winter…

When it comes to the rear low-cal I stick to the Strip Drive. It puts out more than enough lite under all atmospheric condition and it offers a daytime running mode for poorer conditions during the day.

My Lezyne bicycle lights for this winter

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Source: https://www.mantel.com/blog/en/lezyne-bike-lights-review

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