Observations

Earlier this year I reviewed a bunch of new designs.  Blackburn, a favorite of mine for years, was one of the first places I checked.  Having owned other Blackburn products before I have always been happy with the performance. The design and price point had been the motivating factors in my previous purchase of the Blackburn Quadrant and Mars 3.0 two years ago.

Since then two of my friends purchased the Cateye HL-EL220 and in a side by side comparison appeared to be a bit brighter than my Quadrant.  I figured it is time for something new.  I began the day going to 3 local bike shops and checking out the selection of lights.  I was determined to buy the Cateye my friends had, when I saw the Flea on the shelf.  They had one set up on a display as well, and I was immediately shocked by the small size of the light.  It was unbelievably small.  Literally smaller in size, than my Cyclometer.

The design was amazingly simple and efficient; it resembled a miniaturized hood scoop on a mustang and looked badass, in an all black.  The brightness of this tiny light was just incredible.  I really expected it to be a bit dimmer than my Quadrant, but it was actually, BRIGHTER!

The size of this light and the amount of brightness they pack into it made it a great design in my book, and it immediately became a contender.

Traditionally the downside to small lights is the price and life of the battery inside it.  Watch batteries can be about $5 dollars a piece and don’t last as long as typical AA and AAA batteries.  But since it is rechargeable that isn’t a problem, and it comes with a charger.  The charger is even smaller than the light itself, and comes in a little rubber pouch.

The manual says you can charge the internal battery on the Flea using any alkaline, NiCad, or Lithium Ion battery (except 9V).  Depending on the battery you are using you can charge the Flea up to 30 times off of a single D cell battery!

That can be really handy especially since the charger is so small you can keep it in your bike pack, and literally recharge it in while on the trail during the day.

It’s also handy while traveling I don’t have to carry a large 4 battery charger with me, and have to carry a cigarette adapter with me as well.

I love that 1 tiny rechargeable lithium ion watch battery is all the weight you carry with the light.  My old Blackburn Quadrant uses 4 AA’s which makes it clunky and a bit in the way.  The Flea being so small and having no removable parts on it makes it feel more robust.  In the way solid state hardrives are more robust than their disc counterparts.  Being incredibly light weight, it doesn’t move around as you hit bumps in the road, or pot holes.

The Flea also uses a Velcro band to attach it to the bike which cuts weight even more, and won’t break over time, like plastic clips can.  The rubberized plastic strip on one side keeps it from sliding around once attached to the handlebars or seat post.

Now for the cons.  I had only 2 issues with this design.  First, the tail light is hard to point in the direction you want and has a tendency to point more at the ground than behind you do to the angle of the seat-post.  I would still recommend the Mars 3.0 tail ahead of the Flea, even though the Flea is brighter.  Second, it took about 4 hours to charge each light.  In the past I was ready to go in a half an hour, with a charger that charges 4 batteries at a time in just 15mins.   But if you’re smart and plan ahead this shouldn’t cause much of a problem.

All in all it is a great design, its extremely low profile, makes it remarkably portable and convenient,   It’s brightness rivals or beats, comparable AA or AAA powered LED lights.  I would highly recommend this light for people who bike at dawn or dusk, or who want the added visibility a light draws during the daytime.  However if you are a person who rides quickly, in or near blackout conditions, or off road, I would suggest something a little more powerful.
Purchased @ Local Bike Shop

Flea Headlight: $32.99
Flea Taillight: $32.99
Pair: $59.99