Lezyne teased their Smart Connect light concept earlier this year when they called out new connectivity functions in a revamped line-up of affordable GPS cycling computers. But while little detailed information had been available, we now had a chance to play with the Smart Connectivity to see how & why you might want to control a set of bike lights from either your GPS or a mobile phone.
Plus, Lezyne’s original compact little Femto front & rear lights get a much needed USB-rechargeable update…
Lezyne Smart Connect customizable LED bike lights
The most obvious benefit of Smart Connect is customization. With six or more steady & flash modes available with most of Lezyne’s bike lights, it can just be nice to pare down to the three or so that you might actually want to regularly use.
Smart Connect also lets you connect multiple lights together. The typical setup allows you to pair a front & rear light together, then you can actually operate both in sync by only using one set of controls. That means you can use the button on the front light to turn both front & rear on or off, and to cycle through their modes together. Or of course you can use the Lezyne Ally mobile app, or one of their latest cycling computers.
More than just pairing & simplifying steady or flashing modes, the mobile app allows you to create up to four light pair modes, so you can mix & match for your ideal setup.
For example, preconfigure: 1. a daytime riding mode with bright daytime flash (DTF), 2. a morning/evening commute mode with daytime flash up front & pulse in the rear for low light visibility, and 3. a night mode with full-power Blast up front & fast flash in the rear for optimal visibility riding in the dark. You can make whatever combination you think works best.
Then you can quickly cycle through your custom preset modes via the buttons on your connected cycling computer or either of the lights themselves. (The mode control on the mobile phone app is mostly intended for easy customization, but you can cycle through modes there too.)
Smart Connect availability
So far, we’ve seen four Smart Connect capable front lights – the Mega Drive 1800i, Super Drive 1600XXL, new Connect Smart 1000XL, & new KTV Pro Smart Connect Front.
The 206g Mega Drive 1800i is the next generation of the Deca Drive, ratcheting up power output another 300 lumens to 1800 lumens max with additional cooling fins. The 3-LED light features a brighter spot in the center of the beam pattern, supported by wide angle lighting to the sides. the 1800i is the most advanced light that Lezyne sells, with auto Day/Night modes controlled by an ambient light sensor, remote switch & external extra battery pack compatible, and now with Smart Connect. It is available on its own, or in a Loaded Kit with the smart taillight, the extra Infinite Light power pack, extra direct/bar mounts & a storage case.
The 193g SuperDrive 1600XXL is a similar update with a slightly higher power output than before up a hundred lumens to 1600 lumens max, and improved CNC alloy cooling fins. Like the Mega, it also gets Tri-Focus Optics, auto Day/Night control, the ability to run an external remote switch, and up to 148 hour burn time in the lowest power setting. It also is available on its own, or in a simpler Loaded Kit with the smart taillight.
The 152g Connect Smart 1000XL is a connected update of the Lite Drive with a max 1000 lumen output in DTF and max 87 hour runtime in the low-power Femto mode. It will be available as a set, paired with the KTV Pro Smart Connect Rear taillight.
The new 47.5g KTV Pro Smart Connect Front is designed to be a compact, lightweight front light to pair with a KTV rear in the new KTV Pro Smart Pair combo kit. It puts out a max 200 lumen output in DTF, or a max 20 hour Flash runtime.
For rear lights, there looks to be just one option – the new 45g KTV Pro Smart Connect Rear. It puts out a mac 75 lumens with a 19.5 hour Flash runtime, uses a wide angle lens for 270° visibility. Both KTV Pro lights are rechargeable with a built-in USB plug so no cables are needed, just stick it directly into a USB port for 3hr charge.
New 2020 Smart Connect pricing & availability hasn’t been announced yet, but we expect to hear more in the next week or two.
Lezyne Femto USB Drive, rechargeable mini blinkie light refresh
Tiny Femto LEDs have been in the Lezyne line-up almost from their first bike lights. The idea was always small & simple – a tiny, low-cost light that would strap around your bar or seatpost to make you more visible.
Now, a refresh brings the Femto USB Drive – 15lumen front/5 lumen rear light output, five light modes, Wide Angle Optics for greater than 180° visibility, and long battery life (22hr front/15hr rear) with easy micro-USB cable recharging (2.5hr charge time.)
The new Femto USB lights are IPX7 water resistant, easy to install with rubber strap mount, and use a lightweight (22g front/23g rear) cast alloy body. They are available in four colors (black, white, red & blue) and separately for 16€ each or 30€ for a pair.
