Posts Tagged ‘lights’

In short, save your money boys and girls.  While sleek and sexy, functional it is not.  While I took the Flea, its charger and instruction manual out and examined them thoroughly before my purchase, I missed several things that would have, in hindsight, kept me from purchasing the finicky little bug.    Here’s a list of the things that should have been included or were included and should have served as warning in the instructions:

1.  The ‘Charging’ section of the instructions use the words ‘carefully’ and ‘do not force.’  They should say, ‘Warning:  If you’re going to use this product on a regular basis, it’s doomed to fail shortly after you buy it.’

2.  It also says blinking will stop once charging is complete.  Great.  One time it stopped blinking during charging and the light and then, in blinking mode, it didn’t last the 35 minutes to work.  Thanks.

3.  No claims about runtime are provided.  Performancebike.com’s description says that the Flea will have 3-6 hours of runtime depending on the mode chosen.  These claims are bullshit.  I’ve never gotten more than 2 hours out of flashing mode.

4.  There are no instructions about what milliwatt output your battery should have in order to charge the light.  I use rechargeables for all my biking needs as its the right thing to do when you use batteries as much as I do.  How do I know they’re working correctly for this light? (Rechargeables typically have a lower milliwatt output than Lithium ion or other standard batteries.)

5.  No indication of charge time is given.  Typically, with something that has an internal chargeable battery, this information is provided.  Typically, batteries with shorter charge times have a shorter life than batteries which charge via a slower or trickle charge method. Maybe Blackburn should talk to SigmaSport about how to provide battery-related information.

When charged and flashing, this light is impressive.  Drivers of undesirable vehicles definitely notice you.  However, due to the unpredictable nature of the runtime, I had to attach a backup light which I use more than the Flea.

Pros: Great illumination for something so small

Cons:  See above, Dainty charger which does not lend itself to multiple uses or transport, poor instructions/product information

Overall Rating:  Two Broken-Down Undesirable Vehicles.

After moving to Memphis, TN from Warsaw, IN I discovered after a few rides that while traffic wasn’t too heavy, safety lights would probably be wise. I usually ride with two rear-facing LED flashers and one forward-facing safety LED white light. Not long after beginning this practice I noted how many batteries I was tossing in the trash. I know, I could have recycled them but finding a place in Memphis to recycle batteries is probably easier than I think but wasn’t on my agenda. Instead, I jumped unknowingly into the world of rechargeables with little knowledge of rechargeables. I bought an Energizer charger which accommodates both AA (2450mAh) and AAA (900 mAh). I needed this feature as my taillights used AAA while the headlight used AA.
At this point I should note that I still do not know much about rechargeable batteries and probably never will. If you see an error or would like to comment, please do so.
I have had few problems with these batteries. They run both the headlights and taillights equally well and none have failed (not able to be charged) after repeated use. I have only used some about a year and those probably only have 10-20 cycles on them. They do have an extended charge cycle so don’t think you’re going to charge these suckers while you’re gearing up for your ride. I’ve heard the long charge time (trickle charging or something like that) is good though because it allows for more charge cycles on the batteries. If you try to use these for any sort of mechanized electronic device, you will likely be disappointed. They don’t run my digital camera or run my son’s electronic cars very well. These are designed for lower output applications. I would like to know what’s designed for high output applications and whether they’ll charge on my current charger. Maybe one day I’ll look into it.
The Energizer batteries earn a 3 Broken Down Car Rating. (I don’t know enough about rechargeables to give them a better rating without looking more ignorant than I already look.)
Likes: Work well in LED lights.
Dislikes: Don’t run high input devices, pricey
Best Uses: LED lights and not much else.

Cateye changes the designs of their lights every year so this review is of Cateye lights equivalent to the models listed above. I would consider all of these lights safety headlights as they do not provide enough illumination by themselves to safely ride by their light. I have had three models of Cateye lights now. As you have probably already deduced, I don’t still have three models.

My favorite of the three was the 135 equivalent. It was lightweight, long battery life, highly visibly and a good flash mode. The model I bought had a major design flaw though. The light had the on/off button on the back of the light but also dismounted in the forward direction. Thus, one day while riding to work I realized I had not turned the light on. I pressed the on button which dismounted the light and again (see previous reviews of Planet Bike Superflash), in true safety light fashion, hit the ground and rapidly disassembled into countless pieces. Normally, I would stop and gather the pieces to determine if it was reparable but since I was in heavy traffic all I heard were the remnants of the light being crushed by the undesirables behind me. See picture:

Cateye did improve on the mounting system in subsequent models by adding a latch-type locking mechanism. However, on my 220-style model, while dropping of a curb it dismounted for unknown reasons and again, in true safety light fashion, rapidly disassembled. This time I had a friend right behind me (in an undesirable vehicle) stop traffic while I gathered the pieces. I was able to reassemble the light with a little soldering from a friend at work and the light was operational. The mounting bracket on the light was slightly damaged however and I had to strap it to the handlebar with an old tube. The light met its demise another morning when I hit one of those moving lamp posts. While the light did not dismount (due to it being strapped on) the lens, which also holds the LEDs came out and disappeared off of the bridge. While the light still worked, I could no longer use it. See picture:

I am still using a 500-style model and haven’t had any problems yet. It is big and heavy (takes 4 AA batteries) but has remained steadfast to my handlebar, no strapping. I don’t like that it does not have a flash mode as it is inadequate for anything other than a safety light. The best feature of this light is a housing that is secured with a thumb screw to dissuade rapid disassembly. This is a feature I would include on any commute-worthy headlight or taillight. See picture:

None of the three Cateye models I have used was very water resistant and after a commute in heavy rain all had moisture inside the housing. The moisture, however, has never caused any of the lights to fail permanently.

Best Uses: Light commutes, safety lights.
Likes: Flash mode
Dislikes: Mounting mechanism, poor durability.

Rating: 3 Broken-Down Cars