# Blackburn Flea front & rear lights



## lawrence (May 17, 2005)

Has anyone used the Blackburn Flea lights?

Are there any others similar to these?

I've never used them, only saw them in a bike store. They are a light, very small, little light that you recharge from a AA battery. Front light is 17 grams weight, 40 lumens, 3 hours running time, 6 hours flashing, has an Internal Lithium Ion Rechargeable battery The rear light is similar, 17 grams, 6 hours steady run time, 12 hours flashing.

The front light doesn't seem very powerful and the rear light doesn't have the 50 hour or 100 hour running time that other lights do. There are several things I like about these lights. If you are concerned about weight. Next if you don't ride in the dark regularly but occasionally get caught in the dark coming back from a ride or to use in an emergency, these seem to be great because they are small and light.


----------



## z rocks (Sep 9, 2007)

I use them on my commuter in the dark morn. The headlight is good up to about 18mph thats it. Taillight is very bright for its size.

The easy recharge is cool w/ AA's. They weigh nothing so thats nice. I am glad to have them and am thinking of buying another set.


----------



## Rubber Lizard (May 10, 2007)

I think they are pretty lame. On my commuter rig I don't want to worry about recharging batteries. The little batteries just don't last that long before they need to be recharged. 
I'd much rather just throw some standard AAAs in and go. To be environmentally friendly rechargeable are used. 
It's just another solution that a manufacturer creates for a problem that never existed in the first place. Why not just use a small coin cell light? More powerful and longer lasting.


----------



## david462 (Jan 3, 2008)

I use the frog lights. I forget exactly what they are called or who makes them, but its frog or something.

They are less than $20 for the pair, lasts something like 60000 hrs. They flash and stay full on. They are plenty bright and they basically just wrap around the handlebar and seatpost with a rubber band type thing. Very easy to use and are small/light and can be taken off and put on in seconds.

I mostly use them for commuting to/from my late night lab, but I also like to take the rear light in my jersey pocket if I think I might run out of light on a ride.


----------



## uber-stupid (Apr 9, 2002)

*Ye Gads, why bother.*

Look, I get that this is a roadie website. I get that everyone's worried about weight. 

If you need a light, you need a LIGHT. And a good light will weigh less than whatever you put in your water bottle anyway. It's a basic safety issue... when you need one, you need one. It's like a helmet. 

You do have a helmet, don't you?


----------



## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

uber-stupid said:


> Look, I get that this is a roadie website. I get that everyone's worried about weight.
> 
> If you need a light, you need a LIGHT. And a good light will weigh less than whatever you put in your water bottle anyway. It's a basic safety issue... when you need one, you need one. It's like a helmet.
> 
> You do have a helmet, don't you?


THANK YOU. I was thinking the same thing.


----------



## RichL87 (Sep 23, 2008)

Leopold Porkstacker said:


> THANK YOU. I was thinking the same thing.



True that. Commuting isn't a race. lol

I bought a Blaze Superflash Stealth this week and it's so bright. Well spent 19 dollars.

-Rich L.


----------



## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

I have been looking at these small lights for my commute. With the time change, my commute is in the dark in both directions for a round trip time of 2:40. My NR battery is good for around 3 hours powering my HID headlight and universal taillight. My thoughts are to use a Gnog or Flea light for the urban and otherwise lit streets that make up the first five miles of my return trip. This will allow me to save the HID for the remainder of the ride. I want to have some safety margin on my battery in case I have a bad day or bad weather forces me to slow down. I don't care about weight, I care more about how much space it will take on my bars and how bright it is.


----------



## Gerhardt (Nov 16, 2008)

*Flea to be seen*

Maybe it was a weak momont at the local bike store but I bought the Flea combo. I commute 15 miles (1 way) and love to be seen and to see. The Flea set is great to be seen. This tiny but mighty pair may just be the best combo on the market. The dual level plus flash white light is great in twilight and after dark as a close flood light and the flash is great to mark my position in daylight (it is that bright) and the flashing tail light is just as good. The battery to battery recharger is remarkable and with a solar charger on the window sill, it is a no-cost recharge. If you want to be seen with no weight at all, this is a great $50 investment.


----------



## teoteoteo (Sep 8, 2002)

Rubber Lizard said:


> It's just another solution that a manufacturer creates for a problem that never existed in the first place. Why not just use a small coin cell light? More powerful and longer lasting.



Bingo. 

Adding this, that the device you use to charge from another battery is a tiny piece. Without it you can't recharge. A blackburn guy and he said you could get many charges out of a d cell, but how can you tell when your d cell is dead.


----------



## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

For the past year I've been struggling with lighting for my commute. The lights you use up front serve a different purpose than the lights you use everywhere else. For the rear I currently run three tail lights: two mounted on the seatpost and one on the strap of my backpack pointing back and up. The lower light on the seatpost and the identical one on the backpack strap (Planet Bike Blinkie 3) are constantly on while the upper light on the seatpost is blinking (PB SuperFlash). The one on the backpack is there for SUV drivers who are sitting higher who might miss the two on the seatpost (almost got ran over by one despite having the two on the seatpost so I added the third light on the backpack).

The front lights serve a dual purpose: to see and to be seen. Being seen is easy as any white light will be seen. My first headlight was an anemic 2-cell incandescent thing. That was clearly a light that helps you be seen but it doesn't put out enough light to see the road, even at a leisurely 8 mph. The light that I bought to replace that one was a Viewpoint Flash 5 headlight (5 small LEDs, 4XAAA). It was an improvement but not the solution I was looking for. I then bought a Cateye HL-EL510 (1 LED, 4XAA) and it was much better. It wasn't good enough for more than about 12 MPH but it was a major improvement. This year I decided to buy a proper headlight. I decided that the NiteRider Minewt Mini-USB was the solution. I bought that light because it is rated at 110 lumens, can be charged from any live USB source (work computer, USB wallwart at home, I'm screwed out on the open road, though), is relatively light weight, has a few different mounting options, and the price is right.

Out on the open road, I've found that the Mini-USB is just adequate for a commuter handlebar mount headlight. On an unlit road it lights up your path nicely but on lit streets or with car's headlights shining at you from different directions you can barely see the hotspot. I've added a second headlight on my helmet to allow me to point the light in different directions as I turn my head and to augment the Mini-USB but these lights are just barely enough light up to about 15 MPH. I'm now looking for 200+ lumens for a handlebar mount system and the Mini-USB is going on my helmet to replace the anemic 50 lumen headlight I'm using now. I also have the option of replacing the LED in the Mini-USB with a more efficient (brighter) Seoul SSC P4 that might get me to 200 lumens.

My point in all this? Save your money and get a proper light to begin with. I lucked out with my tail lights as the four that I have are nice ones but the headlights have been an expensive road that I've travelled and I'm not there, yet.


----------



## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

I’ve pretty much addressed the lighting issue in the commuting topic area. No stone left unturned.


----------



## mrhippe (Dec 10, 2009)

*DIY USB Charger*

Does anyone know, or have the ability to find out, what the voltage is at the point where the USB charger connects to the flea? Based on the minimalist design of the charger, I'm guessing that it provides 5V to the flea, and that the flea "bleeds" off the excess while charging its 1.5V battery. If that's the case, then a USB charger could easily be made from an old USB cable. However, it sure would be nice to know before risking damage to the light.


----------



## Love Commander (Aug 20, 2009)

Squidward said:


> Save your money and get a proper light to begin with.


And who are you to decide what is a proper light for anyone but yourself?

I have the flea combo. Impulse buy at a new LBS. It has the USB charger (though the solar charger is a really cool idea).

What I like:
-the rear is small and can easily be transfered from bike to bike, whether strapped to a seat post or clipped to a saddle bag, backpack, or pants/belt.
-can be quickly installed and removed which is nice when locking up at the grocery store or bar or anywhere it's going to be out of sight. Tiny so your pockets aren't crammed with lights when you take them off.
-recharge time is pretty minimal.
-bright _for what they are_, which are small lights. I only use the front on flash mode since I have other lights that fulfill the visibility department better, but they're fine used alone when riding somewhere through well-lit city streets - which is what I mainly bought them for.

What I don't like:
-the rubber gripping on the straps detaches very easily. This kind of sucks since you have to remove the straps in order to recharge the light. I've glued mine back on, but that only lasts so long. Not really an issue on the rear light since I mainly clip it on my saddle bag or backpack and the wire clip is very sturdy.
-I would like more flash options.

I like them. They fill a niche my brighter lights don't. But it was an impulse buy when what I really wanted was a set of Knog Bullfrogs, but the shop didn't have them and I am instant-gratification kind of guy so mail order is usually the last resort. If they vanished into thin air, I would probably replace them with the Bullfrogs, but that's because the Bullfrogs suit my needs better and not because I think the Fleas are inferior products.


----------



## jlwdm (Nov 7, 2009)

I don't commute but I do a lot of night riding. I use brighter lights than the fleas and they are easily removable from the bike.

But I have a set of fleas to carry in a seat bag when I am going out and plan to be home by dark. They are great to have just in case I get held up and end up in the dark.

Jeff


----------



## Wildtype1969 (Apr 24, 2008)

*Flea*

I bought these for the same reason as Jeff; I leave them on my road bike when training in winter months just in case I get caught out after dark (happens quickly). The only issue I've had is the rear flea got moisture in it on a long ride (it wasn't raining but there was water on the road). Afterward, the light would just stay on, and it has acted funny ever since (coming on automatically, changing modes and not blinking while charging. I'll probably end up acting on the B'burn warranty.


----------



## The Weasel (Jul 20, 2006)

uber-stupid said:


> Look, I get that this is a roadie website. I get that everyone's worried about weight.
> 
> If you need a light, you need a LIGHT. And a good light will weigh less than whatever you put in your water bottle anyway. It's a basic safety issue... when you need one, you need one. It's like a helmet.
> 
> You do have a helmet, don't you?


Totally agree. I'd rather have the Exposure Spark for almost double the price, but nearly six times the lumens (same run time). Also can be used with regular or rechargable batteries. Sure, it's bit bigger, but there's no cable to mess with either, and made of aluminum, not plastic.

http://www.exposurelightsusa.com/

I have the MaxxD and it is a quality unit! I bought it for mountain biking really, but we do do (ha ha I said doo doo) a few night road rides over the winter, and I expect it to be sweet for that application.

BTW - David462 it's the Knog Frog you are thinking of. I keep one on the road bars too for those rides when you are cutting daylight short. They alos have a 3 LED version, the Bullfrog or something. They make nice stuff too.


----------



## Wildtype1969 (Apr 24, 2008)

*There is this to consider...*

I just had a warranty discussion with Blackburn. They replaced the light no problem. Probably the easiest warranty discussion I've ever had. I still say the Flea is worth it as good backup training light. I agree with others that if you want a light for riding in the dark you need a "real" light, but this is something I don't really consider doing in my home area as safe (and I tend to avoid it). However, for 15min before sunup or an early sundown to get you home, this does the trick.


----------



## ColoradoVeloDude (Oct 7, 2005)

mrhippe said:


> Does anyone know, or have the ability to find out, what the voltage is at the point where the USB charger connects to the flea? Based on the minimalist design of the charger, I'm guessing that it provides 5V to the flea, and that the flea "bleeds" off the excess while charging its 1.5V battery. If that's the case, then a USB charger could easily be made from an old USB cable. However, it sure would be nice to know before risking damage to the light.



USB Standard is 5V at a maximum of 500ma current - that's what you get through the wire. One AA battery is supplying 1.5V at some lower current. Is there a USB flea charger available? I think if you hook up your flea to a USB charger there will be damage....


----------



## C130 (Oct 10, 2008)

I bought the Flea headlight for my son's bike and it's pretty bright for the size. It has the USB charger plus the solar charger, so far only used the USB but it worked very well. I haven't seen anything much brighter for the size.


----------



## ColoradoVeloDude (Oct 7, 2005)

mrhippe said:


> Does anyone know, or have the ability to find out, what the voltage is at the point where the USB charger connects to the flea? Based on the minimalist design of the charger, I'm guessing that it provides 5V to the flea, and that the flea "bleeds" off the excess while charging its 1.5V battery. If that's the case, then a USB charger could easily be made from an old USB cable. However, it sure would be nice to know before risking damage to the light.



I just saw the updated version of this - Solar and USB charger - looks cool! 

I think the USB charger that comes with the light has the necessary circuitry in it to drop the voltage down to the 1.5V required. I'm not electrical engineer, but it seems to me if you take a run-of-the-mill USB cable and plug inn your flea into it you'll burn up something in the flea pumping in 5V instead of 1.5V. I always though the magnets on the flea to a battery were a little wonky. 

I never expected any bright light out of this lamp. The rear lamp can be seen quite a ways away, but the front lamp is pretty weak. More like in the category to make you be seen and fill in the dark places in a street lamp environment. I use mine to start in the dark on long rides where they make you have lights - these are light and small enough to just take off the bike and put into your pockets once you don't need them any longer.


----------



## brock (Sep 8, 2005)

Found this thread searching for rechargable battery ideas for my other lights...

I have the fleas and while they are not my primary light source, they are great for mounting to your helmet (front and back). Super light, and a great backup to the on-the-bike lights. I've even used the headlight when I got stuck out a little late on the mountain bike which doesn't have lights.

I keep the recharger and a battery at work on my desk and leave it plugged in every few days while I work.


----------



## fogdog (Jan 27, 2008)

weight matters on your head. the flea is a great helmet light. i have big loud nite riders front and back on the frame though.i leave the solar charger taped to my window and leave it plugged in on the weekends.


----------

