[pleonasticity]

These cyclists unfortunately need to just point their headlight downward--included in the installation instructions for almost all bike headlights is the direction to point the light below horizontal. That is also the only difference between automotive high and low-beams: the angle at which they are directed.

[jandrese]

You would think that, but most bike headlights are just throwing as much light as possible in a 180 degree arc so the rider can spot drop bears and other related hazards. It is so rare for someone to have a light that directs the photons downward like an automotive headlight. When I was looking for a headlight my local bike shop didn't sell a single model that had that feature, in fact they made a big deal about having 180 degrees of illumination and 1000 lumen output and an oncoming traffic blinding strobe mode. Also, the bike shop stock was hilariously overpriced for what it was. $5 of flashlight components in a plastic case and they wanted $80. It felt like the entire industry was being grossly overcharged and underserved.

I had to construct my own headlight out of a flashlight and a homemade deflector.

For example:

https://www.planetbike.com/products/beamer-700-bike-headligh...

[ssl-3]

The shape of the beam is important, not just the angle of it. Part of what differentiates a low-beam headlamp from a high-beam headlamp is the shape of the beam.

Bike lights, at least as-sold here in the States, seem to generally be built from flashlight parts. And unlike car low beams, flashlights project a circular beam.

With a circular beam, it is really hard to illuminate the path ahead with any meaningful brightness without blinding others.

A better beam pattern, ideally with sharp cutoffs, can illuminate a pathway and the obstacles that may be on it without unduly blinding others.

---

I happened to buy one such light, just by chance, several years ago. It's a "Schwinn Intensa 100" from Wal-Mart, part number SW80251WM. It kind of sucks in terms of overall illumination and is no good for high-speed rides at night, but it does light up the path ahead and provides a sharp beam cutoff to avoid blinding others. (So actually, it's pretty excellent for casual riding.)

[throw0101b]

> These cyclists unfortunately need to just point their headlight downward […]

On well-lit urban streets, you probably don't need more than ~500 lumens, as the road is already illuminated and the light is mostly about other people seeing you.

Also, having it flash in a consistent manner (and not some kind of "random" cycle) is best, as it's easier to track a simple on-off pattern with a deterministic frequency.

(If you're riding on non-lit roads or trails, then certainly more lumens and further throw is useful.)