# Lezyne mega drive



## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

I just got this light and it certainly is bright. However, I've done two night rides with it and it has popped off the handle bar mounts each time. Never had this problem with any of my NRs. I suspect it may be caused by me adjusting the angle as I was riding. I've adjusted the NRs without issues while in motion (swapped from other bike and didn't like the angle on the trail). My take away is the Mega Drive can pop off rather easily. Obviously, I will not touch the light on the next ride to determine whether it's a design/manufacturing defect or caused by me.

Anyone else have similar issues? How do you folks like the light?


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## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

Apparently not.


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## jetboy23 (Jun 14, 2011)

Can you jiggle the light off the mount with your hand? It should lock in unless you're pushing the disengagement lever. If it does come off with gentle/normal effort, you may want to contact Lezyne and see about a replacement mount before it pops off during a technical downhill.


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## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

jetboy23 said:


> Can you jiggle the light off the mount with your hand? It should lock in unless you're pushing the disengagement lever. If it does come off with gentle/normal effort, you may want to contact Lezyne and see about a replacement mount before it pops off during a technical downhill.


This is what I've learned. If you apply a little bit of pressure to the rear of the light in a downward direction, it pops the light a hair above the clip that holds it in. As you gain speed down the technical downhill, the light falls off the bike. It happened twice now. I've realized not to make any adjustments without looking at the clip to see the light is locked in. I don't think its the greatest locking design. Seems a bit flimsy to me, but I'll see how it holds up the next few rides without touching it.

I did call Lezyne and they are of the opinion I didn't properly secure it.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

Doe Boy said:


> I just got this light and it certainly is bright. However, I've done two night rides with it and it has popped off the handle bar mounts each time. Never had this problem with any of my NRs. I suspect it may be caused by me adjusting the angle as I was riding. I've adjusted the NRs without issues while in motion (swapped from other bike and didn't like the angle on the trail). My take away is the Mega Drive can pop off rather easily. Obviously, I will not touch the light on the next ride to determine whether it's a design/manufacturing defect or caused by me.
> 
> Anyone else have similar issues? How do you folks like the light?


Wouldn't surprise me if the mount was the problem. Lezyne wouldn't be the first company to produce a self-contained lamp that had problems with the handlebar mount.

You might want to take the lamp on a couple day rides and move it around to see what happens. If the lamp is truly locked in the clip I would think you would hear an audible "click". No way should the lamp come out just because you moved the adjustment on the bars. Until you get things figured out you might want to tether the lamp so it doesn't fall too far if it comes off the mount.


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## jetboy23 (Jun 14, 2011)

Doe Boy said:


> If you apply a little bit of pressure to the rear of the light in a downward direction, it pops the light a hair above the clip that holds it in.


I can see that as an issue. I was curious since i'm about to pull the trigger on the Super Drive and i think it uses the same mount. I'm pretty cautious about making sure my light is secure even after i fiddle with it. I will watch for this issue when i get mine.


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## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

Cat-man-do said:


> Wouldn't surprise me if the mount was the problem. Lezyne wouldn't be the first company to produce a self-contained lamp that had problems with the handlebar mount.
> 
> You might want to take the lamp on a couple day rides and move it around to see what happens. If the lamp is truly locked in the clip I would think you would hear an audible "click". No way should the lamp come out just because you moved the adjustment on the bars. Until you get things figured out you might want to tether the lamp so it doesn't fall too far if it comes off the mount.


I'm gonna take it on a few more rides without adjusting the lamp. If it stays in place, I'll keep it and just be extra cautious about adjusting it.

On a different note, I tried looking for that Gemini Duo and X2 on backcountry.com and don't recall seeing them. I actually bought two mega drives (one for the wife's bike). For what it's worth, I did get these for $160 each with the 20% sale on backcountry.com right now.


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## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

jetboy23 said:


> I can see that as an issue. I was curious since i'm about to pull the trigger on the Super Drive and i think it uses the same mount. I'm pretty cautious about making sure my light is secure even after i fiddle with it. I will watch for this issue when i get mine.


Be careful with it. The light is super strong, but the lens can still be scratched from falling. Never had this issue with my NRs.


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## Gingex (Dec 20, 2012)

This is interesting. I read a customer review of the Mega Drive from a UK store - here's what he thought -

"Bought this for road use on the lanes near home. Brilliant light levels, useability and battery life BUT the light flies out of the fitting whenever you hit any road that is even slightly bumpy....in the process of sending back unfortunately (would buy if the fitting is improved)...had to give a POOR performance rating because of this!"


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## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

Gingex said:


> This is interesting. I read a customer review of the Mega Drive from a UK store - here's what he thought -
> 
> "Bought this for road use on the lanes near home. Brilliant light levels, useability and battery life BUT the light flies out of the fitting whenever you hit any road that is even slightly bumpy....in the process of sending back unfortunately (would buy if the fitting is improved)...had to give a POOR performance rating because of this!"


If it keeps happening to me, I'll be doing the same.


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## mtroy (Jun 10, 2005)

Hmmmm...I have been riding it on trail for a while now and that has never happened. What I did notice was that the machined extrusion part that sets into the clamp is a very snug fit and it is easy to think you have the clamp 'latched over' but the plastic tang is not really in place. Try to mount it again and peek at the mount interface, maybe even pressing it up into place with your fingers. Then try and wiggle it loose.

I have last year's Mini Drive on that same clamp and it just snaps into place, no fuss no muss. The Mega is a more difficult fit.

The light is quite well done although I have some things I would like to tweak a bit. Still, it is quite good and made like a little aluminum bank vault.


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## metrotuned (Dec 29, 2006)

The lezyne has two clamps, a new version 2012+ is aluminum. Maybe try that one? The plastic one leaves a lot to be desired on a 31.8 carbon bar (it slips easily and the knob is hard to turn due to small size and design that doesn't provide enough leverage). I was able to get the lezyne aluminum helmet mount and use my 1st generation Superdrive on the helmet mount, effectively replacing the infamous Magicshine bar light/battery.


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## jetboy23 (Jun 14, 2011)

After receiving my Super Drive XL, i don't see how the light could pop out. Granted, i have only mounted and tested with a deal of yanking and wiggling to test its security. No ride yet. Still, the latch overlaps about 2mm and takes a good amount of movement from the lever to disengage the light. 

My light is for my helmet or flat ground commute and i may only jar it enough if i crash to duplicate a handlebar mounting. Let us know if you still have problems. Maybe the extra weight is an issue while being properly secured.


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## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

mtroy said:


> Hmmmm...I have been riding it on trail for a while now and that has never happened. What I did notice was that the machined extrusion part that sets into the clamp is a very snug fit and it is easy to think you have the clamp 'latched over' but the plastic tang is not really in place. Try to mount it again and peek at the mount interface, maybe even pressing it up into place with your fingers. Then try and wiggle it loose.
> 
> I have last year's Mini Drive on that same clamp and it just snaps into place, no fuss no muss. The Mega is a more difficult fit.
> 
> The light is quite well done although I have some things I would like to tweak a bit. Still, it is quite good and made like a little aluminum bank vault.


It wiggles out of place too easily when adjusting the angle of the light. I can avoid it falling off if I don't touch it, but sometimes you just have to.


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## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

illnacord said:


> The lezyne has two clamps, a new version 2012+ is aluminum. Maybe try that one? The plastic one leaves a lot to be desired on a 31.8 carbon bar (it slips easily and the knob is hard to turn due to small size and design that doesn't provide enough leverage). I was able to get the lezyne aluminum helmet mount and use my 1st generation Superdrive on the helmet mount, effectively replacing the infamous Magicshine bar light/battery.


I am aware of the aluminum clamp. Lezyne said that wouldn't make a difference. I agree about the knob issue.


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## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

jetboy23 said:


> After receiving my Super Drive XL, i don't see how the light could pop out. Granted, i have only mounted and tested with a deal of yanking and wiggling to test its security. No ride yet. Still, the latch overlaps about 2mm and takes a good amount of movement from the lever to disengage the light.
> 
> My light is for my helmet or flat ground commute and i may only jar it enough if i crash to duplicate a handlebar mounting. Let us know if you still have problems. Maybe the extra weight is an issue while being properly secured.


Glad that works for you. I'm returning mine. Already bought two new sets of Gemini Olympia's and really enjoyed those lights on my last ride.


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## mtroy (Jun 10, 2005)

Doe Boy said:


> It wiggles out of place too easily when adjusting the angle of the light. I can avoid it falling off if I don't touch it, but sometimes you just have to.


So I am not sure what you mean...is it just wiggling side to side, rotating around the bars, or falling out of the clamp entirely?

I tried the light with the resin clamp and one of the rubber inserts in there between the clamp and the bars and the light was moving all over the place. I took the rubber gasket out and moved the resin clamp to the bars at the bulge and then it clamped solid and secure.

I am not so sure that the weight of the light is not too much for the clamp with that gasket in there. That was not an issue with the older lights from them but they were very light.

I took the light out for some beam comparison pics with a Magic Shine Mickey Mouse light MJ-816 (borrowed from a friend). The Mega Drive just crushed it.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

I use the Megadrive, as well as several people I ride with, none of us has experience their lights popping off the mount, that would be very scary and disconcerting. First I would say that your not mounting it properly, secondly,I would think you have a defective mount, which of course covers all bases.


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## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

As I eluded to above, the problem is that when I adjust the up and down angle of the light during the ride, the light would position itself at the edge of the clip. Thus, when I'd hit the downhill, the light popped off the mount. The clamp stayed in place and the issue wasn't lateral movement, although I wasn't crazy about the swivel the light offered. I like the system the NR Luminas have for lateral movement.


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## Sourvinakas (Oct 21, 2011)

Ι have the Mega light for one month now, and i use it 3 times a week for am-trail riding. It has already popped off the mount a few times, and now i use it with a zip-tie (agricultural) in order to avoid it. The light itself is great but the mount is rubbish. Maybe for someone who rides in the road or mellow trails is ok, but when it comes to rocky singletrack, the mount can't hold the light..Hope Lezyne will make a new mount, because this one is a reason for not buying the light.


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## jogood (May 31, 2013)

I have had similar issues with this light setup, and also thought about fixing with a zip-tie. Im curious how exactly you did that?
Ive had a few issues with this product. Firstly, the smaller of the two plastic clamps that are supplied, simply doesn't fit. The second one may fit, depending on where along your handle bar you want it, and if the bar is tapering. It seems the lateral movement is determined by how tight you can tighten the bolt, and even if you manage to get it sufficiently tight, over time, say a few weeks, it will start to loosen, and so too the lateral movement in the light will increase. I have had my light completely swivel around while riding because of the weight of the light, and the bolt coming loose. In trying to remedy the problem while riding, i have probably inadvertently, and unknowingly pushed on the locking mechanism, such that 100meters later the light came off, and bounced down the street for a few meters. In fact this has happened more than once. Which leads me on to another weak point in the design- the small metal clasp on the light that holds the battery encasing closed. This was broken when the light bounced down the road. The light itself still worked if i firmly held the casing closed, so i managed to find the clasp pieces on the road and somehow solder them together. BUt its just a matter of time before it breaks again. And it doesnt seem to be a component that lezyne supplies after market, though i have tried.


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## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

That sucks for both of you guys to have to deal with the Mega Drive clamps. I actually returned both of the ones I purchased and instead replaced them with four NR Lumina 650s. This is a much better set up. 

The LBS told me that they have had some issues with these Lezyne light. They added its better for road than MTB.


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## jogood (May 31, 2013)

ACtually someone at lezyne just told me they'll be introducing a new mount sometime around july. Hopefully that helps, cause I'm not in a hurry to spend more cash on a light


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## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

Indeed.


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## HEMIjer (Jul 17, 2008)

jogood said:


> ACtually someone at lezyne just told me they'll be introducing a new mount sometime around july. Hopefully that helps, cause I'm not in a hurry to spend more cash on a light


Anyone used this recently with the new mount and can confirm they are not having this issue?


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## PCTele (Jan 10, 2012)

I have the 2014 1,200 lumen Loaded version (aluminum clamp) and I am not having any issues of the head unit falling off the mount or moving around. Regardless how tight the bar clamp is set the design of the clam allows for the light to move left to right to properly adjust the light position with out much resistance. I was initially afraid that that it would move during my ride but it never does. My rides are 1-2 hours long with 2k feet of climbing/descending mostly smooth single track, fast flowy decent (for reference). Hope that helps.


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## androgen (Apr 28, 2005)

this is what you get when you buy a new untested product from a company that doesn't have experience in the particular area. what did you expect ? 

this is why fools like me buy from companies like NiteRider and Light & Motion that have been making similar products for many years so if there was any problem it was worked out by now.

and when you called them what did you expect them to say - that our product is badly designed, please return it to the store and buy a niterider ? of course they will deny a design flaw. most customer service reps will not only deny a design flaw, but also lie and say you're the first one to have the problem even if there are already multiple reports online of the same exact problem. it's their job to make you think it's all your fault, when it is really theirs.

if you buy a product that you want to get 2 years of life out of, you should buy it from a company that has been making similar product for 4+ years. allow a year for them to get the product out to the masses, 2 years for the product to fail, and another year for the product to be redesigned to address the issue. and this is assuming the product was recently updated ! 

this is why in my "world according to Androgen" thread i said i only recommend NiteRider, Light & Motion and Lupine. of course i was instantly called a Troll. i also said in "exposure bar mounted flood" thread that self-contained lights are not suitable for high-performance applications, and of course again i was again called a Troll. Now people like you can enjoy their lights popping off the mount as they're going downhill. 

Have Fun !


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## varider (Nov 29, 2012)

...


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## androgen (Apr 28, 2005)

varider said:


> Plenty of people like the Lezyne lights. Your opinion are not some sort of gold standard that everyone should adhere too. Get over yourself. The worst part of your "advice" you don't even go mountain biking. You ride around the city with 13 lights strapped to your light and helmet and think and somehow that makes you an expert on mountain biking. What are you doing here?


ignore list ! ( sorry, can't remember if i already had you there before )


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## varider (Nov 29, 2012)

I like the Lezyne lights. I had one of the mega drive in my hands and it seemed very well made. It was also small. If they they fixed the clamp, then they are probably a great buy.


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## stevereeneo (Jul 16, 2007)

I just got the new updated 2014 Mega Drive and the clip is VERY beefy. I'll get some time riding with it over the next few days, butI'll cannot see hot this one could possibly come out of the clip without me taking it out. It is actually a bit stiff sliding the light onto the mounting clip and quite difficult sliding it off.

I'd read that they were changing the clip and the new one seems solid.

I'm sure this will be a great light. 

S


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## ziscwg (May 18, 2007)

varider said:


> I like the Lezyne lights. I had one of the mega drive in my hands and it seemed very well made. It was also small. If they they fixed the clamp, then they are probably a great buy.


I got the Deca drive (the same body and battery, just a different LED array) and it's stable on roads and fire roads. I have not taken it onto any real rough rock gardens yet.

The improved mount is beefy and works well.


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## varider (Nov 29, 2012)

ziscwg said:


> I got the Deca drive (the same body and battery, just a different LED array) and it's stable on roads and fire roads. I have not taken it onto any real rough rock gardens yet.
> 
> The improved mount is beefy and works well.


Can you take a picture of the new mount, both the part on the light and on the clamp?


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## jogood (May 31, 2013)

HEMIjer said:


> Anyone used this recently with the new mount and can confirm they are not having this issue?


Yes, in fact i received a complimentary issue of the new mount, which has a few minor changes to the original mount. The part where the light connects is a little wider and i think therefore more stable. The tightening screw is a little larger and has a small hex key screw in it, which allows you to get the mount a lot tighter on the handle bar. However, where previously i had the plastic version of the mount, i now have the aluminium version, so i can't say for certain exactly what is the more important change, but nonetheless, since making the change i have had no movement of the light what so ever; through rain snow and bumpy tracks. If you do have the Megadrive and have suffered from movement with the old mount, or even having the light jump out while riding, then i would suggest getting the new mount with the aluminium clamp and you shouldn't have any more hassle.


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## HEMIjer (Jul 17, 2008)

Thanks all ofr replies to my question I never followoed up and while the Lezyne still looks like a great buy I ended up with Cygolite 1300 tridenX xtra, long battery life and does good bar mounted or helmet mounted. Very happy with it.


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## Doe Boy (Jul 23, 2012)

androgen said:


> this is what you get when you buy a new untested product from a company that doesn't have experience in the particular area. What did you expect ?
> 
> This is why fools like me buy from companies like niterider and light & motion that have been making similar products for many years so if there was any problem it was worked out by now.
> 
> ...


lol.


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