Emma’s first encounters with a road bike were in between swimming and running. Soon after competing for GB in the World Age Group Triathlon Championships in Edmonton in 2001 she saw the light and decided to focus on cycling. In terms of the beam pattern, it doesn't differ much from its predecessor, the Lite Drive 800XL: a decent central spot with fading edges. On the road, I had absolutely no issue seeing what was coming up, obstacles, potholes and gutter dwelling objects. The lateral cutouts really help here. There are eight settings in total, which gives you plenty of versatility for balancing battery life against output, and I wouldn't real cull any of them – well, maybe the Pulse – but I would definitely change the way you access them to make the light more user-friendly. The CNC machined aluminium body looks quality and makes the light look way more expensive then it actually is. It's available in a range of anodised colours too, so you can achieve a bit of coordination with your bike. With up to 800 lumens of output and a powerful Daytime Flash mode this cycling LED light is impressive day or night. It features a lightweight, durable machined aluminum body with integrated cooling fins and cutouts for 180° of front visibility. The micro-USB rechargeable design boasts an impressive 87-hour max runtime (15 hour increase) and eight unique output modes.

The Lezyne Macro Drive 800XL is a decent-enough, all-in-one light with significant runtimes, but it's let down by poor beam focus and a wobbly mounting system. Lezyne's Smart Technology works in conjunction with an app on your smartphone to avoid all this faff, but it's only available with the more expensive, powerful models.The housing unit itself feels and looks solid and has enjoyed and survived the recent barrage of showers. I still took it into the shower with me to test, and it continues to function without fault. The USB port cover is pretty hefty and needs a firm push to ensure that the seal is engaged. It clearly does its job well. Mounting Lezyne was started in 2007 and over the years, they have produced a wide range of high-quality, affordable cycling accessories. Lezyne's goal was to engineer and produce premium quality accessories that meet the same high standards as high-end bicycle components. Their world famous Lezyne lights and pumps are extremely popular, with the LED lights, floor pumps, hand pumps, CO2 systems, bottle cages, multi-tools, shop tools and tyre repair tools all testimony to the Lezyne ethos of Engineered Design. Lezyne is a cycling accessories industry leader with award winning products worldwide. The button has an LED beneath it which moves from green to red through amber, allowing you to keep an eye on how much juice you have left, and a full recharge will take between four and five hours depending on where the power is coming from. The one exception I'd make are German lights manufactured to throw a shaped beam that cannot dazzle oncoming road users. In that case you can just use them on full all the time. But then on paths where you wand uniform coverage, for example to get even left-right cornering coverage, they don't work.

Although I like the idea of having two separate cycles available, I'm not sure the combination of modes is right. I'll explain... Cons: Could do with better mode grouping; I prefer a proper handlebar clamp to keep the light secure The next setting is Blast (500lm/3hrs), then Enduro (250lm/5.5hrs), Economy (150lm/19hrs) and Femto (15ml/87hrs), which finishes off the solid options. It's worth pointing out that the light can be twisted on its mount; it's a very stiff movement, no float whatsoever. It means you can mount it on certain helmets if you wish.

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For me personally, I wouldn't choose any light that scrolls through flashing as it just annoys me, but I certainly can't fault its quality and beam for the money. Verdict Overdrive is the Micro Drive Pro 800XL operating at its full capacity, 800 lumens (who'd have guessed); this will burn for 1 hour 45 minutes, a whopping 30 per cent increase on its predecessor's run-time in the same mode. I've made use of this for the darkest of lanes but rarely had it on for the duration of a ride. I prefer the 400-lumen Blast mode, which is enough on familiar roads (plus, knowing I have four hours to play with is more comforting).