Blackburn Flea 2.0 USB Front Light

I needed a compact headlight to get home by when caught out after dark. Bright enough to illuminate road obstacles in total darkness for a couple of hours, with a flash mode to use during the day when conditions are overcast or foggy. Price was a consideration too. After shopping and reading reviews I settled on the Blackburn Flea 2.0 USB. Battery life and the convenience of USB charging sealed the deal. The light works as advertised, it charges reasonably quickly and is plenty bright enough especially at this price. The highlow intensity is a nice touch and the flash mode is visible in broad daylight.

The only thing I don't like about it is the mounting provision...if you call a strap of Velcro a mount. I don't. It will not stay put on the taped handlebar of my road bike. It either gradually slides forward and points at the pavement or falls backward to aim at the sky. I fashioned something much better out of an old taillight mount I had laying around (and who doesn't have half a dozen old mounts?) Future upgrades to the product should make the mount-guide on the underside wider and taller, corresponding to one of the standard mount sizes. It took some serious work with a mini-tool to get the old mount blade smallened sufficiently to fit the receptacle on the underside of the Flea. Were it not for this flaw, the product would have gotten fives across the board from me.

I wish the mini-USB were directly in the light, rather than having to use an attachment, but otherwise, great light.

This is a nice little light if you just need a bit extra light for your ride, though it's much brighter than I thought it would be. Good battery life and simple to use. Small enough to stay out of my way on the handlebars.

Lights are very nice - if you could actually use them.

The straps are too long for the Velcro to connect and the lights fall off (on the front) and will never stay put. Unusable.

I have called on this issue many times and they were nice about it but the production person apparently will not recognize this as an issue. I have a Raleigh with regular drop bars and they are not skinny at all. I have talked with the local bike shop and the guy working said he lost his due to the straps. Also the straps crack and break. They sent me new straps today but they are the same length. So now after months of talking waiting I have to return and ship them the lights just because of the straps. It is a very proprietary thing and I cant find anything I could fashion the would slip under the light through the tiny slit. It's a shame companies don't look at what they are making. Very poor design.