Lezyne Saddle Drive 250 Rear Light

The Lezyne Saddle Drive 250 Rear Light cleverly incorporates a clamp into its machined aluminium body, while letting you easily remove the lamp – for charging or security – without disturbing that clamp or using tools. It’s perhaps a little too clever for its own good, however, as it introduces a few problems of its own while not really solving any existing ones.

> Buy now: Lezyne Saddle Drive 250 Rear Light for £53 from Tredz

There are many positive aspects to this light, as once clamped neatly under your saddle it’s very bright and effective, yet fundamentally unobtrusive. The single button is easy to use as it’s in the centre of the lens; a long push does on and off, while short ones cycle through various flashing, pulsing and solid modes.

Once you’ve firmly bolted this on (it can droop toward the road if you don’t) your T25 Torx key can go away, as the unit separates from the clamped base after you’ve rotated it about 2cm. Removing it reveals the USB-C socket for charging the 1100mAh battery inside. You’ll have to find your own cable as there isn’t one supplied – which seems a bit tight given the price – but USB-C cords are at least ubiquitous.

There are laser-etched ‘locked’ and ‘unlocked’ markings clearly visible on the right of the alloy casing, and two lines of knurling to aid grip. Even unlocked it takes a fair pull to get it off, as there’s a large O-ring squeezed between the two parts, so it’s pretty secure. It’s rated to IPX7 for waterproofing, which is impressive; it can sit in a metre of water for 30 minutes without issue, so it can certainly handle rear wheel spray and rain.

However, even with alignment marks I found it could be a fiddle getting it together under the saddle, especially in the dark. And you really should attach it every time – riding without the light will plaster the mount and its big threads with road filth, and all that ends up pressed against the USB port. I also wasn’t keen on having to open the unit while my hands were wet and dirty; with a regular silicone strap the light unit stays sealed up as you fit and remove it.

Dirt doesn’t feel good here given the tight fit of the parts, or bode well for the O-ring, which is already getting dragged around every time you fit or remove the lamp.

While this system certainly works, I would argue that it’s not actually easier than stretching a strap around the post, and in some cases it’s fiddlier getting it seated. A saddle mounting could be a boon if you’ve got a dropper post and don’t want to/can’t stretch a strap around the base, but it’s a negative if you ever want a saddle bag for tools and spares.

One further issue was that the innards of our test unit were loose. The plastic faceplate with the charging port was rattly, while that whole block beneath could slide 1.5mm up and down the barrel. Not great over bumps.

As the Lezyne Lezyne Saddle Ai Alert 250 we reviewed is this same light with extra functions, we compared the two. The faceplate in that one floats in a similarly loose way, but the internals beneath are firmly fixed. However, that unit was also was replaced during the test as the original failed.

Lezyne confirmed that our test unit was not right, and sent a replacement. The new unit’s main chunk of innards are stuck entirely securely, and while there’s still some slight movement in the faceplate, it doesn’t rattle. The replacement worked without issue for the whole test.

This kind of manufacturing issue is covered under warranty, and on a personal level it’s the first problem I’ve had across a great many Lezyne products. Lezyne says it’s sold thousands of the AI Saddle Drives and not had any rattly ones before, though I can’t help but feel just a tiny bit wary about the QC process on this particular light after seeing two go wrong.

Performance

The full 250 lumen setting – wisely a flashing mode rather than a permanent deathray – is searing enough to potentially antagonise following riders or drivers, so while the 15hr runtime makes it very useable, I tended to avoid it.

The shortest runtime is actually found in a lower setting, namely the solidly-on 80 lumen Blast mode. It’s claimed to last four hours and I found that accurate – it managed almost exactly four hours in my test, though in admittedly warm air. In winter it’s likely to be less. I also found Blast plenty even on sunny days, though I personally preferred the 125 lumen Day Flash as it’s more eye-catching. That also lasts way longer at a claimed 25hrs.

The full menu of two solid modes, one pulse mode, three main flashes and a 60hr emergency-style ‘Femto’ flash offers everything most of us could really need.

Even if you insist on using only the most power-hungry mode, the Saddle Drive 250 will easily cover a day’s commutes on one charge, and can happily last a week on lesser modes. Recharging from flat takes 2.5hrs.

Value

The £60 RRP seems a little high for a rear light of 250 lumens, though the aluminium construction is unusual. Whether it’s actually better than many modern plastics is up for debate, but it does at least look and feel premium.

The Moon Helix Sense 450lm is £59.99, has a plastic construction that’s more than up to the job, has some clever braking and parking sensors, and is significantly more powerful.

Meanwhile the Ravemen TR250 Smart Alert with Brake Detection is cheaper at £44.99 and has additional clever functions – we liked the 200 lumen version when we reviewed it last winter, and it now matches the Lezyne for brightness.

The version of this Lezyne with the AI-tuned brake light function is very good too, but it’s more still at £75.

Check out our best rear bike lights buyer’s guide for more options.

Overall

This is a bright, effective light with a lovely metal case and a clever clamp, but ultimately its unique elements (and slight price premium) don’t really add anything over more traditional designs. In fact, it has flaws all of its own. It’s a good light, but it’s not great.

> Buy now: Lezyne Saddle Drive 250 Rear Light for £53 from Tredz

Verdict

Premium feel and clever design, yet not really better than ‘regular’ units – and in some ways worse

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