Lezyne Micro Drive 800+ review: a well-built light that underperforms where it matters

SQUIRREL_13108556

The Micro Drive 800+ front light offers Lezyne’s usual reliable build quality and the integrated strap is handy to avoid losing it.

The light's output is adequate for unlit roads, but the rather diffuse lighting pattern limits the forward throw.

Priced at £60 / $65, the light offers a long runtime, still putting out a rideable level of light after three hours.

• Summer's over – make sure you're seen with our buyer's guide to the best bike lights
  

Lezyne Micro Drive 800+ specifications and details

The Micro Drive 800+ is a newer light from Lezyne, which has a similar wide, flattened format to its other lights with outputs from 500 to 1,200 lumens.

All the lights have an integrated rubber strap mount bolted to their underside, although you can replace this with a GoPro mount, costing only £4 / $8 if you prefer to fit them below an out-front computer mount.

It’s worth mentioning that Lezyne doesn’t ship the light with a USB-C power cable – the only light of the group I tested that's supplied without a charging cable.

Lezyne Micro Drive 800+ performance

The Micro Drive 800+ puts out a good amount of light in its highest setting and has a long runtime. Lezyne quotes two hours, but it was still going strong at three hours, making it the longest-running light of the six in our group test.

By this time, it had stepped down although, unlike some other lights, there was still enough output for steady riding.

You can extend the runtime still further with Lezyne’s optional Infinite Light Power Pack+, which costs extra.

The light pattern isn’t very focused, though, and a lot of the output seems to go on illuminating the hedgerows. Even in the highest setting, there’s not the throw down the road offered by lights such as the NiteRider Lumina Micro 950.

There’s enough forward lighting to ride with confidence, but it’s not as bright as the alternatives.

By default, the light cycles through all six beam patterns, including the three flashing / pulse modes, when you press the control switch.

That said, you can switch to Race mode, which toggles between full power and a lower-intensity setting.

This is a good option for riding at night to avoid being plunged momentarily into darkness when you want to change the output.

The Lezyne Micro Drive 800+ doesn’t feel best adapted to riding on unlit roads, despite its reasonably high output. It’s a better option for riding in town, though, where the beam’s wider spread helps increase road presence and the street lighting can help with forward illumination.

Lezyne also makes the Micro Drive Pro 1000+. For £15 / $10 extra, this increases the claimed lumens by 200 in practically the same-sized package.

It reduces the claimed peak runtime by 30 minutes, but could help remedy the perceived lack of forward illumination.

Lezyne’s was the only light on test with an integrated strap, which ensures there’s one fewer thing to lose, or to be stolen from your bike, when you take your light with you.

Even with the strap, it’s fairly compact to carry around and it is short enough not to get in the way if you ride out of the saddle.

The wider body takes up a little more bar space than some of the other five lights I tested, though.

Lezyne Micro Drive 800+ bottom line

Despite its 800 lumens, the Micro Drive 800+ underperforms, with a diffuse lighting pattern that doesn’t highlight the road ahead as well as similarly pitched competitors.

On the plus side, it’s well built and the peak output runtime is good. The integrated strap gives a firm grip on the bar and won't get lost.

Also, the option to set a Race mode and avoid scrolling through multiple modes is handy.

SQUIRREL_13108556