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I don't think it's as much an output issue - round my way it's more the fact they're probably the cheapest billion-giga-candle efforts that spread the light in all directions, apart from the ground, and they're usually pointing forwards at fucking face height to begin with...
Last 10 or so miles of my commute is pretty much rural with no stray light coming in whatsoever, I deliberately use the lowest setting I can actually see with on my bar mounted light - pointed at the ground 15ft in front of me - and an exposure light mounted on my helmet to illuminate where i'm looking, there's a guy I pass regularly that I have to slow to a crawl to pass as I literally cannot see a fucking thing other than his bloody light for about 50ft until he passes me, it's like close encounters of the third fucking kind!
the amount of lumens some are using seems to be getting exponentially greater every year. it is only a matter of time before my retinas are scorched in richmond park. Who needs more than 200 lumens in london!