If you’re a regular bike rider, you will often have to cross dim roads or pitch-black lanes that will call for your need to buy a bike light. For riding in daylight, just a front-rear blinker should be enough. But you must have a powerful headlight for cycling in the dark night to keep you seen and safe.
Check out below my Lezyne Micro 500 XL front bike light review to know all the necessary details before you purchase your ideal bike light that fits your night cycling needs.
The market is dazzlingly overstuffed with bike lights. I’ve used quite a few bike lights in the last ten years. The most recent one – Lezyne Micro 500xl bike light is the best I’ve used so far. So I thought of sharing my experience and the features of this light that might help you all who’s out there looking for a decent bike light at a reasonable price.
Lezyne 500xl Review: Specifications
- Dimensions: 6 x 4 x 2 inches
- Weight: 1.6 ounces
- Material: CNC machined aluminum
- Max Output: 500 lumens
- Recharge Time: 2 hours
- Max Runtime: 35 hours
- Light Modes: 9 modes
- Battery: Integrated Li-poly
Lezyne Micro 500 XL Front Bike Light Review: Key Features
Build Quality
Without any scope of argument, the first impression of this light is quite positive. It’s well-made with a nicely finished CNC machined-aluminum case and a large rubber plug. It protects the USB stick recharge point, so you don’t need any cables – you can simply plug into any USB-charger. The beam comes from two high powered LEDs and there is a sturdy silicone-rubber strap to attach it to the bike’s handlebar.
At the given price point, it’s a classy kit with a lot of well-thought details, such as the bolted mountain strap to the light-case. The rubber straps are easy to use and hold the lights securely in position, even on a skinny handlebar.
The Lezyne Micro 500xl light weighs only 1.6 ounces. It’s one of the lightest bike lights in the market that has a good weight and performance ratio.
Day Flash
Apart from the head-on vision, it has another smart feature which is the little half-moon shape in the edge of the light case on both sides of the lens. Hence, the Micro 500XL lights up the sides too. It is not a huge deal, but it can help other people on the road spot you in the dark.
Talking about other pedestrians, Lezyne has created an effective Day-Flash setting too. It uses the full output 500 lumens and can be continuously used for around 7 hours 30 minutes. There is no guarantee that you can be seen in broad daylight, but the Day Flash of this light is enough to get you spotted or noticed.
Waterproofing
The Lezyne Micro Drive 500 XL light comes with IPX7 water resistance levels, meaning it’s able to withstand heavy downpours. Because of the hefty rubber-bung that protects the USB recharge point, it can even withstand an aggressive shower-test. For anything less than underwater cycling, it will be fine.
Light Modes
The Micro Drive 500XL has a total of nine light settings: endure (150lumens), blast (300lumens), femto (15lumens), pulse (75lumens), and flash (75lumens). It also features a memory-mode which remembers the setting you selected last for your next use.
The LED lamps of this bike lighthouse a total of 500 lumens. Besides, it’s equipped with the very latest MOR lens-techniques. These lenses maximize lumen efficiency, light output, and the light beam.
Performance
Switching on this Lezyne light involves holding the rubber button-down, with every subsequent push through the available options. We mentioned earlier that it has nine light modes. The runtime depends on these modes- 1-hour for the most powerful and 35-hours for the least powerful.
This light is mainly designed for the urban riders. The Race-mode, which is between ‘Economy’ and ‘Overdrive’, is very useful for such riders on a casual commute. Due to the cut-away design and the raised lens, this light boasts 270-degree visibility.
The beam of this light is pretty decent considering the size. It’s smooth and consistent with the illumination pattern. There aren’t any stripes, ridges, or concentric rings- just clear, nice light from its center to the edge of the beam. In fact, the beam is so wide that it illuminates the road sides too.
Pros
· Consistent intensity of beams
· Strong build quality
· Quick recharge
· Effective Day-Flash mode
· Easy to use
· Nine light modes
· Great value for money
· Lightweight and sleek design
Cons
· Low runtime
Customer Review
This product has got a huge response from the users on Amazon. Most of them have reviewed it positively with high ratings. It’s pretty easy to put on and remove. The sleek and compact design is another plus point.
On an average, users find this light easy to operate. The quick recharge time is also pretty impressive. However, some complained about low battery life. You may consider using a power bank if you intend to have longer rides at night.
FAQs
Q. What should I look for when purchasing bike lights?
Ans: The most important things you should look for in a bike light are: the brightness, how it’s attached with the bike, how it’s powered, power lasting time, and water-resistance quality. Also, keep your budget in mind.
Make sure the charge of your light lasts long if you plan to spend long hours riding your bike. If you can’t access some place to recharge the light, you may consider getting a bike light with removable batteries.
Q. How many lumens do I need on a bike light?
Ans: Lumens are extremely important to dictate the brightness of your light. But it is the lux that actually determines the intensity of the light within the area that it illuminates. If you are riding in the urban streets, you want a wider beam, whereas in rural areas you would need a brighter beam to light up the path in the front.
A 200 lumens front light should be enough as you pass through the unlit odd patch. But for long and uneven road surfaces, 500 lumens or higher will be better.
Q. How bright is a light of 500 lumens?
Ans: 500 lumens is equivalent to about 50 W. It’s bright like your lit living room.
Q. How can I make my headlight brighter?
Ans: If you have not used the maximum light output, either press the button to switch to it or use a compatible electronic screen display. If you’re still not satisfied, you may think about buying a different light with better output.
Q. Can bike lights be too bright?
Ans: Yes, some lights can be too bright. But every light features different light modes that can vary the level of brightness. For a well-lit city street, it’s quite unnecessary and somewhat risky to ride with more than 500 lumens lights. It can dazzle both pedestrians and drivers.
But there are very bright lights with even 6000 lumens. These are for night-time riders who do mountain biking or trail biking. If you’re only an urban rider, you definitely do not need them.
Conclusion
In summary, the Lezyne Micro 500xl is a versatile and compact light great for regular commuting or occasional rides on pitch-black roads. It’s a well-made light that offers decent performance.
I personally love this light because it’s small in size, has a full-range of light modes, and decent battery life for general riding purposes. The charging time is also pretty quick which impresses me every time. It’s an excellent feature-packed option at a great reasonable price.
I hope my Lezyne Micro 500 XL front bike light review was beneficial for you in terms of finding your perfect bike light for cycling at night. Happy and safe night-time riding!
