LEZYNE MEGA XL LOADED GPS
£270 › The largest Lezyne targets long distance fans
LEZYNE HAS BEEN GRADUALLY upscaling its GPS range in size and capability. As you’d expect, the Mega XL is its largest GPS yet.
At 79x57x27mm and 80g (without mount) it’s only slightly bigger than its competitors, the Garmin Edge 520 Plus and the Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt. The ‘childlock’-style, springloaded 1/8th turn connection is impressively secure and the Loaded version comes supplied with the £40 Direct X-Lock system. This is a collection of mount or blanking plate options that sandwich together over two forward-facing prongs that fit into the face of any four-bolt stem using M5 bolts to sit the Mega ‘out front’ with your GoPro or Lezyne lights underneath.
The Mega can be set up landscape or portrait, and the multiple cells and their comprehensive options lists can be managed onboard or through the Lezyne Ally V2 app. It syncs to Strava, Training Peaks and Today’s Plan and you can set up mail, message and phone call alerts.
Setting up routes and navigation is very slow through the app, though,
Slightly bulky but a battery life that makes it a sound choice for big ride fans
and it’s slightly laborious via the GPS Root web page compared to similar processes on Garmin and Wahoo. The mapping and turn-by-turn or breadcrumb nav works fine once everything is installed; black and white, backlit, zoomable screen clarity is good. The Loaded package also includes a heart-rate strap and speed/ cadence sensor. Like other Lezyne computers we’ve used, it regularly struggles to re-find sensors/phones it was working fine with even if you just stop for a few minutes mid-ride, or nip back inside to grab something you forgot before setting off. This can be really frustrating and despite ‘better connection’ claims the latest software update hasn’t noticeably improved things. The small, stiff buttons can also be awkward to press. While often futile reconnection fights can stretch patience, the Mega XL really scores with battery life. While sensor and smartphone syncing mean you’re unlikely to see the claimed 48-hour run time in real life, we never needed to worry about whether it would last to the end of the most epic days, or a week of commuting.
HIGHS
Excellent battery life, secure mount options and a decent price
LOWS
Glitchy syncing to other devices and convoluted set-up/ mapping process