SHOP LEZYNE
Lezyne was founded by Micki Kozuschek, who had previously made his name in his native Germany as a professional triathlete with an engineering background. He then moved to the USA where he founded Truvativ. This component manufacturer became so admired for the quality and strength of their cranks, SRAM gave Micki an offer he couldn’t refuse so he sold Travativ to them in 2003.
After a sabbatical, Micki returned to manufacturing with the launch of Lezyne in 2007. His goal: to engineer quality accessories built to the same standards as the best bicycle components.
He insisted that anything with the Lezyne – Engineered Design logo had to be exquisitely designed, intelligently engineered and functionally complete.
To this end, Lezyne built their own HQ and test lab in California and opened their own factory in Taichung – a city which Micki regards as ‘bike city Taiwan’ in the way that Detroit was ‘motor city USA’ in the 1960s.
We discovered that quality control is king with Lezyne in 2008 when we received our first delivery of their innovative pumps. One glance revealed that the pump’s alloy piston and body were machined to perfection. Even more intriguing, the pump came with the best-made hose we had ever seen. This robust but flexible rubber hose featured a machined threaded alloy Presta connector on one end and a Schrader connector on the other. Thanks to its secure connection, its valve-friendly design and its overall build quality, the Lezyne Alloy Drive was one of the best mini pumps we had ever tested. It also answered a real need if you were one of the fair few cyclists who never got on with push-fit pumps.
Lezyne introduced their first lights in winter 2008/2009. As with their pumps, you only had to pick up a Lezyne lamp to appreciate its design elegance and its user-friendly functionality.
In line with their original commitment to build bicycle accessories to the same standards as the hardest worked bicycle components, every light in Lezyne range boasted a machined alloy body to ensure strength and longevity. For all that engineered-in quality, a Lezyne full metal light would often be no more expensive than its plastic rivals.
Every year since their launch, Lezyne have upped the lumen output and/or dropped the price of their lights to make them even more competitive and desirable.
To further ensure quality control, Lezyne sponsor a select group of cyclists including Danny MacAskill and Remy Absalon. That way, you can be sure that if it’s labelled Lezyne – Engineered Design, you can be sure that your pump, light or whatever will have been torture tested to the max.