https://reviews.mtbr.com/lezyne-super-drive-2012-mtbr-lights-shootout/lezyne-super-drive-7
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:
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.
We took a tour of the Lezyne Light Laboratory
[youtube width="610" height="343" align="left"]httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GjVClavYuU&hd=1
Related Links
Mtbr Lights Shootout Main Page »
2012 Bike Lights Shootout »
Backyard Beam Pattern Comparisons »
Trail Beam Pattern Comparisons »
Light Meter Measurements »
Mtbr Lights Reviews »
Mtbr Lights Forum »
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:
Serfas True 500 $150.00 - 43 Mtbr Lux
Niterider Minewt 600 Cordless $150.00 - 50 Mtbr Lux
Dinotte XML-1 C $169.00 - 51 Mtbr Lux
Light and Motion Urban 500 $160.00 - 53 Mtbr Lux
The Lezyne Super Drive is not the brightest but it is the most compelling because of its quality and $110 price. We als 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.
Light Meter Charts and Comparison Table »
MTBR Actual Lumens and Lumen Hours Measurements:
Mtbr spent several days in a light laboratory facility and utilized ad $30k integrating sphere to measure some lights. The procedure is described in the video below. This is very revealing as most lights claim a certain 'Lumen Output' without actually measuring the actual lumen output. We are able to measure actual lumen output with this setup and the measurement for the Lezyne Super Drive is 421 lumens at the peak output.
Another excellent data point is the lumen-hour graph below. It shows exactly how the light behaves over its whole run time. A flat graph is good as it means the light output is constant over the its run and the user gets the same light outpu in hour one as in minute one of the light. It also shows how long the actual run time lasts under 'high' mode. The area inside the graph can be described as the total output of the light for one full battery charge.
Strengths:
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.
Beam Pattern Photos:
Backyard Beam Pattern Comparison Page »
Trail Beam Pattern Comparison Page »
Value Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
Overall Rating: We can give this light 5 stars already but the we'll put a tiny ***** in its armor for lack of optional helmet mount and the quirky light switch logic.
4.90 out of 5 Stars
Related Links
Mtbr Lights Shootout Main Page »
2012 Bike Lights Shootout »
Backyard Beam Pattern Comparisons »
Trail Beam Pattern Comparisons »
Light Meter Measurements »
Mtbr Lights Reviews »
Mtbr Lights Forum »
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
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.
We took a tour of the Lezyne Light Laboratory
[youtube width="610" height="343" align="left"]httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GjVClavYuU&hd=1
Related Links
Mtbr Lights Shootout Main Page »
2012 Bike Lights Shootout »
Backyard Beam Pattern Comparisons »
Trail Beam Pattern Comparisons »
Light Meter Measurements »
Mtbr Lights Reviews »
Mtbr Lights Forum »
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:
Serfas True 500 $150.00 - 43 Mtbr Lux
Niterider Minewt 600 Cordless $150.00 - 50 Mtbr Lux
Dinotte XML-1 C $169.00 - 51 Mtbr Lux
Light and Motion Urban 500 $160.00 - 53 Mtbr Lux
The Lezyne Super Drive is not the brightest but it is the most compelling because of its quality and $110 price. We als 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.
Light Meter Charts and Comparison Table »
MTBR Actual Lumens and Lumen Hours Measurements:
Mtbr spent several days in a light laboratory facility and utilized ad $30k integrating sphere to measure some lights. The procedure is described in the video below. This is very revealing as most lights claim a certain 'Lumen Output' without actually measuring the actual lumen output. We are able to measure actual lumen output with this setup and the measurement for the Lezyne Super Drive is 421 lumens at the peak output.
Another excellent data point is the lumen-hour graph below. It shows exactly how the light behaves over its whole run time. A flat graph is good as it means the light output is constant over the its run and the user gets the same light outpu in hour one as in minute one of the light. It also shows how long the actual run time lasts under 'high' mode. The area inside the graph can be described as the total output of the light for one full battery charge.
Strengths:
- Great light output for $110
- 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
- Non-intuitive switch action for turning on and off
- No helmet mount available at this time
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.
Beam Pattern Photos:
Backyard Beam Pattern Comparison Page »
Trail Beam Pattern Comparison Page »
Value Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
Overall Rating: We can give this light 5 stars already but the we'll put a tiny ***** in its armor for lack of optional helmet mount and the quirky light switch logic.
4.90 out of 5 Stars
Related Links
Mtbr Lights Shootout Main Page »
2012 Bike Lights Shootout »
Backyard Beam Pattern Comparisons »
Trail Beam Pattern Comparisons »
Light Meter Measurements »
Mtbr Lights Reviews »
Mtbr Lights Forum »