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Lezyne Macro Drive 600XL

9
£59.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Fantastic, a great value light with a myriad of modes for seeing and being seen
Weight: 
141g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Bike accessory manufacturer Lezyne has been producing some great lights for a while, and the Macro Drive 600XL is no exception.

The Macro Drive is clearly designed for those who, along with the obvious need to be seen at night by other road users, need enough light to blaze their own trail through the night. At the moment I fall squarely into this category, riding to and from work along an unlit bike path in the pitch black. Without a bright and dependable light, I'm in trouble.

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The Macro Drive has a wide range of seven different lighting modes that use anywhere between 600 and 15 lumens, giving you claimed corresponding battery run times of between 1.5 and 63 hours. I spent nearly all my time using the light at full power mode, and I can say that the 1.5-hour estimate is pretty accurate.

Accessing any of the lighting modes up to 400 lumens is easy enough, with the single rubber button on the top of the light serving as an on/off switch as well as the button for cycling through the modes.

It gets slightly more confusing when you want to access the top end 600-lumen setting. For this, Lezyne has a separate "Overdrive" mode, enabled by holding the button down for five seconds. Once in Overdrive, you can then only switch between two modes – the 600 lumen one, and a 150-lumen 'economy' setting. I found this ideal for bike path riding, as it is very similar to driving a car down a dark road and switching between dip and full-beam. The full power setting was definitely bright enough to dazzle other riders coming in the opposite direction, so being able to dip the beam was great.

Lezyne Macro Drive 600XL - beam shot.jpg

The button also acts as a battery indicator, with different colour LEDs lighting up to show when the battery is at 100% (green), 50% (orange), 10% (red) and 5% (flashing red).

The lens throws a nice flood of light in front of the bike, and you can mount the light underneath the handlebar and still get the same pattern as you would from above. It looks cleaner if you mount it like this too...

Lezyne supplies two handlebar mounts – a simple rubber strap and a more solid plastic quick-release clip that involves unscrewing the rubber strap and attaching a plastic cleat to the base of the light. I was constantly switching the light between a couple of bikes and so used the rubber strap. It was more than secure enough to hold the light, even on very rough surfaces. However, if I were only ever using the light on one bike I would probably switch to the plastic mount, just so the light is always in the same place.

If handlebar lights aren't your thing, Lezyne also supplies a composite helmet mount for the Macro Drive.

The Macro Drive is rated to IPX7, which means it can withstand immersion in one metre of water for up to 30 minutes. I didn't perform this exact test, but it survived any downpours I got caught in without issue.

Recharging is via a micro USB port in the back of the light. Claimed recharge time is 6 hours on a 1 amp supply, or 4 hours on 2 amps, but I tended to charge the light overnight or during a full day at the office. However there were a couple of occasions when I forgot to put the light on charge until later in the afternoon – all in the name of testing, naturally... On these days I always made the hour-long ride home again without the light ever indicating that it was down to its last 5%. The light comes with a charging cable, but if you're using a non-specific one the port can be a touch awkward to reach, as it is recessed into quite a tight space.

> Check out our guide to the best front lights and our beam comparison engine here

Price is another area where this light delivers. When I picked up the light for testing from road.cc towers, in its fancy box, I thought it would be well over 100 quid. This perception continued during testing, with its feel and performance comparing well with lights twice its price or more.

Overall, this is an excellent light. Really, really good. Accessing all the lighting modes is a little bewildering – enough for me to think there were only two settings for quite a while – and the micro USB port can be annoying to access if you're not using the Lezyne cable. Otherwise, it's pretty much spot on. It even looks good in both its colourways, if a bike light can ever be described as 'good-looking'.

Verdict

Fantastic, a great value light with a myriad of modes for seeing and being seen

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Lezyne Macro Drive 600XL

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the light is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Lezyne says:

High-performance multi-purpose LED cycling light. Compact, durable and heat-dissipating extruded and machined aluminum body. Ultrahigh-output LEDs delivering up to 600 lumens. Optional Overdrive Race Mode toggles between Overdrive and Economy modes only. Mode Memory function returns to selected mode after turning off. Enhanced MOR (Maximum Optical Reflection) lens with built-in side visibility. High-speed 2 Amp USB charging capabilities (with compatible wall adapter). Advanced Li-Ion battery for superior run time.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the light?

From Lezyne's site:

MAX LUMENS: 600

WEIGHT: 142g (without strap mount)

RECHARGE TIME: 6hrs (1A) / 4hrs (2A)

COLORS: black, silver

Rate the light for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the light for design and ease of use. How simple was the light to use?
 
8/10
Rate the light for the design and usability of the clamping system/s
 
9/10
Rate the light for waterproofing. How did it stand up to the elements?
 
9/10
Rate the light for battery life. How long did it last? How long did it take to recharge?
 
8/10
Rate the light for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the light for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the light for value:
 
9/10

Tell us how the light performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Brilliantly – that pun had to get in somewhere.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the light

Price, looks, lighting modes, battery life, mounting options...

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the light

Accessing the lighting modes was a little confusing, and accessing the charging port with a non-Lezyne cable could be a little annoying.

Did you enjoy using the light? Yes

Would you consider buying the light? Absolutely

Would you recommend the light to a friend? Definitely

Use this box to explain your score

It's an excellent compact and powerful front light for £60, capable of lighting up dark roads and paths well enough for riding at a good pace.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 23  Height: 182cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride: Kinesis Pro6  My best bike is: The first steel bike I made

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, cyclo-cross, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

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5 comments

Avatar
PaulBox | 8 years ago
0 likes

I would just like to ask the reviewer why he marked the light down a couple of marks on durability. Did you have any specific problems? Or could you tell me what you are comparing it to?

I think this is one of the most solid feeling lights that I've ever held. I've dropped mine a couple of times with no negative effects. It feels so much better than the plastic offerings that you normally get at this price point.

Avatar
Yorky-M | 8 years ago
0 likes

Love my old one but the bracket wasnt a great fit and the light would bounce off. Shows the quality of the light as it survied several falls. Is the bracket improved?

 

Avatar
PaulBox replied to Yorky-M | 8 years ago
0 likes
mylesrants wrote:

Love my old one but the bracket wasnt a great fit and the light would bounce off. Shows the quality of the light as it survied several falls. Is the bracket improved?

I just use the elastic band thing and it's as snug as can be.

Avatar
Username | 8 years ago
0 likes

I bought one of these last autumn and it's worked okay for a winter's worth of 15 km canal tow path commuting.

 

I say 'okay' because there are a few grumbles.

Firstly, as with PaulBox, I find the recessed socket very hit and miss, there have been a few times when I was convinced the receiver must be bent because it was refusing to allow the USB lead to connect to it.

Secondly, endurance is fine on flashing but the moment I put it on constant the indicator light changes to red. It hasn't yet died on me, on my commute, but it doesn't fill me with confidence.

Thirdly, you can't tell from the details on line - they quote multiple flashing modes - but I was disappointed to discover it doesn't have a fast flashing mode. There are only two flashing modes: one, a very slow "breathing" pulse and two, a slow flash. I think for commuting in the traffic the slow flash is far too slow; the periods of no light are too much; and the breathing pulse is also too slow and too subtle. I wanted a fast strobing light to wake up dozy motorists. This isn't it.

 

Otherwise it's a well made bit of kit, it shrugged off bad weather,  and feels like it will go on for years. One thing I really like, unlike CatEye's products, it won't switch on by accident in your bag; the switch requires a firm push to be held for a few seconds.

Avatar
PaulBox | 8 years ago
0 likes

I bought this light in January and have been very pleased with it.

The only downside for me is the charging port, it is very recessed, but it definitely wouldn't put me off it.

PS. £43 on Wiggle.

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