In the latest installment of our chats with the brands we stock, we catch up with Mark Robinson, the European Territory Manager from Lezyne to chat lights, pumps and multitools! Read on to find out more!
Tell us about the history of Lezyne? Where is the brand originally from?
Lezyne was founded in 2007, by industry icon (and German native) Micki Kozuschek. In the prime of his career as a professional triathlete, Kozuschek began Maxcycles and brought affordable, high-quality bicycles and clothing to the German market. Shortly after moving to the USA, Kozuschek founded Truvativ, which grew to become a leading manufacturer of OEM and aftermarket cycling components. In 2004, Kozuschek sold Truvativ to SRAM.
In 2007, Kozuschek re-entered the cycling industry with Lezyne – Engineered Design.
At a time when poorly engineered, plastic catalog-copied accessories were the standard, Lezyne’s goal was to engineer and produce premium quality accessories that meet the same high standards as high-end bicycle components. In few words, Lezyne’s goal was Engineered Design. Today, the goal remains the same and Lezyne is now a cycling accessories industry leader with award winning products worldwide.
Lezyne’s headquarters is located in Reno, Nevada, USA, with office locations in San Luis Obispo, California, USA, Berlin, Germany, and Taichung, Taiwan.
We’re heading into ‘Light season’, the mornings and evenings are darker – what makes Lezyne LED lights different to the rest?
Since 2011, Lezyne has been developing LED lights with a team of in-house product designers and engineers who work under the lead of Micki Kozuschek to create the highest quality lights in the industry. A part of the factory crew, is an in-house quality control team, made up of engineers that supervise construction.
Lezyne develops its own lenses to produce the best possible optics for bicycle lights. Spectroradiometers are used to verify lumen outputs and advanced CNC-machined heat dissipating aluminum bodies are all manufactured in-house. The ecosystem is completed with in-house software programmers.
Lezyne LEDs boast powerful, uniform light beams with industry leading run times, are feature rich with a variety of solid and flash modes, intuitive, and come IPX7 waterproof rated. The compact, everything you need and nothing you don’t approach makes a Lezyne LED a high-performance, yet stylish addition to any ride.
Under Micki Kozuschek’s leadership and investment into the industry, Lezyne has full control over the development and production process, allowing exquisitely designed, intelligently engineered, meticulously inspected and functionally complete lights at a price-to-value ratio unmatched by the market.
What are the key launches for this Autumn/Winter?
Lezyne launched their 2024 product range at Eurobike, announcing the Ai light series, including the Strip Pro Ai Alert 400+ Rear, KTV Pro+ Ai Alert Rear (the Strip and KTV having StVZO complaint models for the German market) along with the well-received Saddle Ai Alert 250 Rear. The Ai Alert series combines Artificial Intelligence with our advanced ALERT rear taillights which automatically detect brake events and intelligently change output mode to Active Alert – a rapid flash “brake light” mode; signaling deceleration, effectively communicating your actions to traffic and fellow cyclists, enhancing rider visibility and safety.
Lezyne have also launched a mount range, the LED qPro Mount – a CNC-machined aluminum, quick-release mount with GoPro compatibility designed for super quick mounting and dismounting of compatible Lezyne LEDs. The Garmin/Wahoo GPS Forward Mount as well as a GoPro compatible variant, the Mega Mounts S/L, and the compact Flexi Stem Mount.
In addition, Lezyne announced the 18k Gold limited Edition Pump featuring the Presta Pro pump head, a pump head with Lezyne’s innovative (VBS) Valve Bleed System, allowing users to fine tune tire pressures at the simple press of a button on Presta valves.
How does a rider choose the best light for them? Is brightest the best?
No. Brightest is not necessarily best. Lezyne’s lineup includes lights to see, or lights to be seen. Lights to see include front lights, helmet lights, and E-bike lights. Lights to be seen include rear lights and alert lights. Lights are also offered in pairs and certain models feature Smart Connect- a smart way to wirelessly control your lights using Lezyne’s LED Ally app. We recommend a combination of front and rear lights to increase your visibility and overall safety.
When choosing your Lezyne lights you should note your countries regulations, for example German law requires StVZO compliant lights. Your lights specification depends on your personal needs as a rider. Road and gravel cyclists may want sleek and compact lights with clean integrated mounting options like the Macro Drive 1400+ with the Strip Pro Ai Alert 400+ Rear. Mountain bikers bombing trails during night rides may want the biggest and brightest like the Mega Drive 2400+ with the Lite Drive 1200+ helmet light combination. Bike packing cyclist may require powerful lights like the Super Drive 1800+ with Infinite Light Powerpack+ compatibility for extended runtimes. A favorite among E-bike riders is the E-Bike Macro Drive 1000- it is important to consider compatibility when choosing an E-bike light.
Specifications to consider would be max lumen output, max runtime and the combination of solid and flash modes that suite you as well as powerpack compatibility. Size and weight are also important aspects to consider and these specifications are all accurately listed on the website. All Lezyne lights are IPX7 water proof rated, are designed for efficient heat dissipation and are either USB or USB-C compatible.
As well as lights, Lezyne make a huge range of other products – what are your personal favourites?
Some of our personal favourites are the RAP II 19 Multi tool, The Road Caddy Saddle bag, The Pro Tubeless Kit and last but not least, the Alloy HV Digital Drive Floor Pump.
What are Lezyne’s plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us to look out for in the coming months?
We are particularly excited about our Ai Alert light range- The future of bicycle light technology! Combining Artificial Intelligence with our advanced ALERT rear taillights to bring you the most accurate cycling brake lights on the market.
Mark, great to catch up with you and thanks for the very detailed information!
Shop all Lezyne products available at Merlin Cycles here
