Blackburn Flea 2.0 Front Headlight with USB Charger

Update after two years of ownership: this light is still going strong and seems to hold a charge well.I purchased this light recently after acquiring a Bell Muni Bicycle Road Helmet in Geeky Hi-Visibility Yellow -- and noticing that the helmet has a bracket on the front for the Flea. I find that in flashing-mode, the Flea's battery indicator light is on the yellow setting, which means it still has between 25% and 75% life left, after two 90-minute bicycle outings.I haven't tried this yet at night, but can't really imagine using the Flea as a see-where-you're going light if you travel at any decent speed; it's much more in the hey-look-out-for-me family, in my opinion. But I have headlamps to illuminate the path at night, and this is a handy, wonderfully easy to charge, lightweight and surprisingly bright flasher even in full daylight.If you believe that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, this makes a great enhancement to your visibility in traffic.So, the positives:* Practically weightless* Easy to charge from a USB port* Easy to mount on the right Bell helmet* Battery charge is sufficient for long rides, at least in flashing mode* Quite alarmingly bright, which of course is what you want when you're riding in trafficAs for durability and longevity of this light, I don't have enough time with the Flea yet to comment.

I was impressed with the design of this little light and appreciate the small form factor, ease of mounting, and USB charging. It worked okay for one ride. Now it will not accept a charge so won't work. For my experience with it the one time that it did work, I can tell you it would not be sufficient for a night ride. Too bad it doesn't work because it is a good idea for a backup light.

As other reviews have mentioned, this little light does an awesome job of heightening rider visibility. I use it with the Blackburn helmet mount/strap, which allows granular control of elevation relative to the helmet surface: once you adjust it properly, you can flash obnoxiously in any direction you happen to look. Its particularly helpful at feeder road intersections to discourage motorists from popping out in front of you as you pass. Unfortunately, my light no longer wishes to function, instead automatically shutting off after three seconds regardless of charge level or light mode. I have contacted the warranty department at Blackburn and am currently awaiting a response. The light lasted from June 2011 through February of 2012.

I got this on Amazon when it was cheaper than it is now, and I am happy with it. I use this light to be seen when I ride in the daylight, on flashing mode. For this purpose, it is excellent. In fact, if it were the same price, I would buy another and stick it in my bag and be done and would have at least 4 hrs of flashing light).pros:- great visibility - on blinking, it is hard to be missed from the front, which I love for cars on side streets, etc - this is most important to me for safety, and it hits the mark really really well (better than my cheap cateye)- really small .. I love the low profile of this light -it is tiny- velco strap - not really a positive but no complaints at all - works finecons:- charger adapter -works fine, don't misplace it (could be redesigned w/ standard USB but would not be as waterproof)- battery - on flashing, lasts 3 hours - would love a longer life (edited - let it run dry on a recent ride and got 3 hours even out of it)for this purpose, I have no complaints at all after a few months of using this light for daylight safety !

Pros: It's very bright in the High ("overdrive") setting - enough to light your way in the dark. The Low setting is also adequate for lighting your way as long as you're not going too fast, and is a good option for preserving the battery life. The blink mode will make the LED's flash at full brightness, which is very effective. The button automatically glows red when the battery is low, which is a nice indicator.Cons: Battery life. After a full charge, the battery lasts about 40 minutes in High, and 2.5 hours in Low before it starts to dim. I didn't test how long the blinking mode lasts yet, but with these kinds of battery life, you better be sure to charge the thing every time between a ride.Charger. I really don't think having a separate piece was the best solution. It's just another thing to lose and you need to remember to take it with you unless you're coming straight home after your ride. Maybe it was necessary to separate the charger in order to keep the light compact, but I think I would prefer a slightly beefier version of the light with a USB plug built in.Mounting strap. I think the strap is okay and it gets the job done. What I don't like, however, is that you need to completely remove the strap in order to charge the light because the strap gets in the way. How annoying.In the end, this is a pretty cool light. The angular form is nice and the product feels good in the hand (if you care about those kinds of things). The amount of light that gets produced from the small body is impressive. If you can live with the short battery life and the burden of having a separate USB charger, try it out. I currently use it as a second light source on my handle bar (the other light is a regular blinking safety light) and switch between low/high settings on the Flea depending on what I need. Seems to work for me.