Lezyne Micro Drive 600XL front light

The Lezyne Micro Drive 600XL is a great commuting companion. The 600-lumen max output makes it a very versatile light for town/urban riding at night and during the day, although for rural night rides I'd prefer something with a bit more power and longer battery life.

• Pros: 44-hour femto mode; compact and lightweight; build quality
• Cons: Short battery life on brightest setting; too many modes

Riding at this time of year presents some surprisingly dark evenings and gloomy days where visibility isn't brilliant. Lezyne's Micro Drive 600XL performs well as a 'be seen' light and can also work as a main light in a pinch, if you find yourself caught out.

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I've been using the Micro Drive 600XL for a mix of commuting through town to uni and rides with friends. The low weight and bulk on the bar mean that it's no hassle to leave it attached, and when I've gone to charge it the rubber strap mount is quick to release, with easy charging via the USB.

Weatherproofing and build quality are very good, though I can't say that changing modes is the easiest.

I can't help feeling that nine different modes is a bit of an overkill; I certainly won't be making use of all four flash modes, for example. Others may feel differently and Lezyne has certainly made sure there is a setting available for every condition.

One of the main problems with having so many modes is navigating them. This is done using the single button on the top of the light. I've been doing a lot of riding in the 400-lumen mode, and switching to 600-lumen 'Overdrive' mode takes eight clicks of the button. If you then miss it, well... cue shouting.

The 600-lumen max power mode can only be used for an hour, making the light not suitable for prolonged night riding. Really, I've used it mainly as a feature to get me out of a sticky situation in an emergency, such as a tunnel at dusk or unlit lanes. Other than that, it does what it says on the box.

The 100 and 200-lumen modes aren't really bright enough to feel comfortable when travelling at speeds beyond 20kph, meaning my personal preference at dusk was to use the pulse mode as it clearly distinguishes you as being a cyclist and is definitely eye-catching.

Run-times are accurate, and the light does indeed charge in the claimed 2.5 hours from flat.

> Buyer's Guide: The best front lights for cycling

The website blurb states that this is a very versatile light, suitable for riding both day and night, and I have to say I've only been wanting a bulkier light a few times on commutes for faster speeds on unlit roads. Part of the issue is that the 600XL has a much wider beam pattern than other front lights I've used. This means the ground directly in front isn't as intensely lit and the light doesn't reach as far.

For the most part this is fine, only becoming an issue when travelling at higher speeds in rural areas, for example down hills. For urban riding, the wider beam, along with side cutouts, is superb and will help with visibility from all angles.

The 44-hour 'femto' mode will run for days. While commuting, this means that I rarely have the light switched off. Although not particularly bright at 15 lumens, it's certainly better than nothing.

Build quality

As with most of the Micro Drive range, the main body of the light is CNC machined from aluminium, which should aid durability. The light has stood up to some pretty horrendous Welsh weather and appears to be well sealed, with no signs of water ingress. One small niggle is that the waterproof rubber cover on the rear of the light isn't actually attached, and it's easy to misplace while charging; without it, the light isn't watertight.

At first, I was sceptical of the cable-free USB stick style charging, although after nearly a month of use I have been pleasantly surprised with how resilient it has been. The USB stick itself is made from fibreglass and feels plenty robust enough. As someone who often misplaces chargers and leads, it definitely makes life easier to have a light that can plug into any USB socket to charge. The USB stick is also positioned well, so it can be plugged into even the slimmest of laptops.

Mount

The strap is made from durable rubber and mounts the light securely – at no point did the light slip round the handlebar and point at the floor, even on the bumpiest of roads. It was a stretch to fit it on my road bike's bar with its aero profile, but it did. This is worth considering if the handlebar you plan on fitting it to is particularly wide, although replacement straps are readily available.

Value

The Micro Drive 600XL isn't bad value, although you can get the same output for less – the Xeccon Link 600, for example, at £43.99 – or another 200 lumens for an extra fiver: Blackburn's DayBlazer 800 is £54.99. Stick with Lezyne and there's the Lite Drive 800XL at £7 more, or the Micro Drive 500XL for £10 less.

Conclusion

Overall, the Lezyne Micro Drive 600XL is a competent light that will fulfil the needs of many, though it's more suited to urban commuting with the odd unlit section than full-on rural dark. However, if you don't need that extra 100 lumens you could save a tenner and get the 500XL. For unlit routes and night riding, I'd suggest looking at bigger more powerful lights in the range.

Verdict

A well-made and competent front light ideal for urban commuting