German-American design gurus, Leyzne, have sent us their 800 lumen, Deca Drive headlight to test.
Ours is the ‘loaded’ package, which includes a spare battery and two handlebar clamps in 25.4mm and 31.8mm flavours, and is supplied in a smart, foam-lined composite box.
Impressively titled, the Deca Drive is second in line to Lezyne’s LED lighting throne, and boasts a claimed run time of 90 minutes at its maximum output. Alternative options follow the usual format of reduced outputs for increased run times: the 400 lumen ‘Enduro’ mode will run for a claimed three hours, for example, and the 250-lumen ‘Economy’ mode for 4hrs and 45 minutes.
The Deca Drive has two flashing modes as well as the solid beam options described above. Flash 1 offers a 400-lumen output for a claimed six hours, while the 150 lumen Flash 2 setting is claimed to run for 16 hours.
A final note on power outputs and run times: Leyzne has equipped the Deca Drive with circuitry that delivers what they call ‘Constant Lumens Technology’, intended to end the ‘dimming’ that typically occurs when battery resource dwindles. It’s one of the many facets we’ll be testing in the weeks ahead.
Programmable modes are becoming increasingly popular with light manufacturers, and the Deca Drive offers two, each accessed from the power button mounted in the top of the light. Holding the button for two seconds simply turns it on, and allows the rider to cycle through subsequent modes with continued clicks.
Activating the Deca Drive by pressing and holding the power button for five seconds, however, triggers Overdrive Race Mode. In this trim, the Deca Drive will only offer its most powerful, 800 lumen setting, or the 250-lumen ‘Economy’ mode described above, each accessed by a single press of the power button. We expect this configuration to provide a convenient method of ‘dipping’ the beam, and we’ll report our findings in the subsequent review.
Despite the electronic wizardry, the most immediately obvious facet of the Deca Drive is more prosaic. It’s a very solid, CNC-machined aluminium unit,110mm long and some 60mm wide at its broadest point, 35mm deep, and tipping the scales at 160g unladen.
You can add another 90g for the Lithium Ion Rechargeable battery (two supplied with the ‘loaded’ package to support a concept Leyzne calls Infinite Light – essentially, carry the spare with you), which is accessed by a robust-looking hatch on the rear of the unit. The latch that secures it, however, looks less durable and we’ll be intrigued to see how this performs. The hatch also houses the micro USB port, which allows the Deca Drive to be charged via the supplied cable.
Charging is indicated via a flashing report from the top-mounted power button in a cheerful green. A solid green output indicates that charging is complete, while yellow communicates that the battery is half full (or half empty, depending on your disposition). Red illustrates that just 10 per cent of battery power remains, while flashing red indicates five per cent. Charging times are not brief (between 10 and 12 hours), but halved if you have a High Efficiency USB charger.
The power is converted to illumination via three LEDs, secured behind Leyzne’s Maximum Optimal Reflection lens: a plastic cover, with deformations over the LEDs, intended to produce a smoother and brighter beam by optimising use of the generated light. This will be the area of greatest interest when the testing begins, of course.
Mounting has proved to be a simple operation. Leyzne supply two metal handlebar clamps: one in 25.4mm flavour, and a wider, 31.8mm offering. There’s a plastic strip too, to prevent the clamp from marking your handlebars.
The clamp is sealed with a screw thread topped with a plastic housing that provides a dock for a corresponding composite square on the underside of the light. Simply slide one into the other.
We’ll be testing the Lezyne Deca Drive in the weeks ahead. Check back soon for a full review.
Price: £159.99 (‘loaded’); £124.99
Size: 110mm x 60mm x35mm
Colour: Black or white
Website: Lezyne
Distributor: Upgrade Bikes
