Lezyne’s biggest bar light is the Mega Drive 2400+ - it's low on tech but big on useable light and functional features
No screens, no remote switches, no gimmicks: Lezyne’s Mega Drive 2400+ is one of the best night riding lights I’ve tested this winter
The Mega Drive is the most powerful of Lezyne’s 14 strong bar light arsenal but it’s simple in terms of features. Deliberately so though, the idea is to prioritise brightness, run time and bombproof reliability over what some might call gimmicks. Pass through charging and power pack functions make it great for riders who cover big miles, but if you want remote switches and fancy OLED screens give it a miss.
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Design and specifications
The rectangular alloy body is finned on all sides to keep it cool, and there are some small side cut outs to give it some sideways shine in traffic. It also features a top and bottom lip too so it doesn’t get in your face too much out of the saddle whichever way up you run it. A well sealed USB-C port on the back gives a high IPX7 waterproof rating, while the chunky 9600mAh battery gives impressive run times for the weight and size compared with the best mountain bike lights for night riding. It can also be used as a power pack itself or linked to Lezyne’s 6600mAh Infinite LED Light Power Pack+ for an extra £88,
A single backlit button on top of the light controls four steady (300 – 2400 lumens) and four flashing (700 – 20 lumens) modes in the default setting. Thankfully you can also engage Race mode, which toggles between 2,400 lumens in Over Drive or 700 lumens in the Enduro setting. The power indicator is limited to green, orange and red colour changes of that same button, and there are no set up apps or remote switch options either.
The Mega Drive straps on with a simple silicon ladder band that can be used with a rubber shoe on round bars or without the shoe for flatter all in one carbon designs. You can also twist it 90° to fit it onto skinnier stems or switch it out for a GoPro adaptor. Lezyne does a strap on helmet mount and you can stretch it round shallower vent bars on helmets too, but it’s too heavy to do that comfortably unless you’ve got a BMXers neck.
Performance
The first thing I did when setting up the Mega Drive is to engage Race mode. It saves panic scrolling through an endless strobe disco of too many flashing modes, in the search for full power. It’s a simple hold-the-button-down operation and once set the light will default to that each time you turn it on, which makes much more sense off road. While it’s a bit of a clunk to press, the proud button doesn’t get triggered accidentally when being transported. It’s easy to find with winter gloves too.
I found there was a serious amount of light from the Mega Drive. The five diode output, with three medium and two big ones, isn’t the punchiest in terms of distance and doesn’t look that good on comparison beam shots. On the trail though it infills the surroundings really well, which is ideal for gauging ground conditions and traction.
It also let me see changes in peripheral surroundings – rocks, swamp grass, upslopes – that more focused lights miss, helping me to second guess what happens next. That means while I’d always recommend using a bar and helmet light together where possible, the Mega will see you right on its own unless things get super twisty.
The battery display is very limited, and my sample was pretty inaccurate at determining how much juice I had remaining. The amber ‘50% left’ light actually worked out to mean around 65% remaining.
There’s enough run time to leave it on full bore for most rides without worrying, while lowering it into LED limp mode adds 25 minutes of emergency crawl too. Being able to plug in an auxiliary pack is great for epic riders and the fact it can charge other devices can be a lifesaver if you need a fading phone for navigating or safety signalling.
The extensive fins and efficient design means I had no issues with thermal throttling where the light overheats and dims itself to cool down. My last few years of test experience with Lezyne has been totally trouble free too.
Verdict
What it lacks in terms of features and detailed run time feedback the Lezyne Mega Drive 2400+ makes up for in impressive power and comparatively long run times. They’re backed up with bombproof reliability, simple, universal mounting and power pack or pass through charging features too. That makes it a great choice for riders who, like me, want fit and forget functionality rather than fancy tech.