Lezyne’s KTV Pro Drive is bright enough to be seen from far and wide without costing a fortune. Cable-free charging, near-universal seatpost fit and next-level waterproofing make it a user-friendly winner too
Pros
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Affordable
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Powerful enough
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Proper wide-angle visibility
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Excellent waterproofing
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Built-in USB charge tongue
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Easy charge level checking
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Fits most seat post shapes
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Improved run times
Cons
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Fat seatposts need a longer strap
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Battery life is still limited
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Steady modes are relatively dim
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Warning light is a last-gasp alert
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Lezyne produces a huge range of rear bike lights now, and the KTV Pro Drive is one of its latest and most affordable. Lower cost doesn’t have to mean lower performance and less convenience though, which is why we’ve dedicated some time to testing it out to see how it fares against the best bike lights on the market. Read on for our thoughts on whether it’s value for money or a false economy.
It's affordable and offers decent power and wide-angle visibility (Image credit: Guy Kesteven)
Design and aesthetics
The KTV Pro Drive uses a moulded plastic body with a rubber skin over the top and then a chunky lower block that slides over the built-in USB recharging tongue. This slides into place with a satisfyingly snug feel and the fully submersible IPX7 rating of the KTV is the highest of any of Lezyne’s rear lights.
The small power button is moulded into the top, just proud enough to be findable with gloved fingertips. The hold-down power-up means it's hard to switch on accidentally too. Twin LEDs sit behind a smaller version of the velodrome-shaped prismatic lens. The same red plastic forms the two arms that the rubber ladder strap hooks onto.
The rear of the light uses a moulded trough with a deep groove for an aero blade seat post, but the thick lips on either side will give a reasonable stable footing on any shape of post. You will need a longer rubber strap (or a zip-tie hack) to reach around large diameter posts, however, and Lezyne provides an extra slotted shoe that fits into the first if you need a shallower contact. While battery capacity has been boosted by around 40 per cent in this latest version, it’s still relatively light at just under 50g.
The KTV Pro Drive is secured in place with a robust rubberised strap (Image credit: Guy Kesteven)
Performance
While it maxes out at 75 lumens in just one ‘Day Bright’ setting, the reality is that the two LEDs are more than powerful enough to poke drivers in the optical nerve even in busy, backlit traffic. There are five different modes to add variety, which again is less than some more expensive Lezyne lights, but it’s more selection than most people will really need. More importantly, the prismatic lens does a great job of directing plenty of that power through a wide arc rather than just relying on some stray lumens leaking out of the side too. The bigger battery gives a much more usable life span than the previously limited KTV, but you’ll still need to recharge regularly.
The built-in USB tongue makes charging simple and eradicates rummaging around for a spare cable if you need to power up away from home.
The power switch also triggers a small battery check LED that will let you know the state of charge in a traffic light colour change system. You’ve not got long left once it drops to 10 per cent though, so keep a run-time ready-reckoner in your head rather than totally relying on the warning lights. Otherwise, our test sample has been flawlessly tough and it’s rated waterproof enough to get dropped and left for a while in a metre-deep puddle and still work.
While the Pro Drive 75 is definitely stripped down to keep the price reasonable, there's also a ‘Smart’ version for £37.00 / $39.99 which you can switch on and off and change the menu options via a free app. There’s also a £32.00 / $34.99 ‘Alert’ version which gets brighter when it senses hard braking and then flashes more frequently while you’re stopped.
The built-in USB charger means you don't have to worry about cables (Image credit: Guy Kesteven)
Verdict
Lezyne’s KTV Pro Drive 75 drops power to decent rather than dazzling levels but it’s tough, very weatherproof, wide-angle visible, easy to recharge and a bargain too.
