Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - L&M ARC too bright for city streets?

I bought the Light & Motion ARC mostly because I wanted a to-see light that would allow me to ride as fast as I wanted and avoid or bunny hop road defects that would otherwise damage one of my tires or wheels. I was leary of buying a lesser product which would leave me wanting more light, resulting in my buying the high-powered light I should've bought in the first place..

Well, the ARC doesn't leave me wanting for light!!! The problem, as it may be, is that it casts so much of it everywhere. It reflects light off of street signs attached to stoplights hanging like 20 feet above the intersection. It reflects light off of street signs on the side of the road until the light head is at around a 70 degree angle to the light pole (horizontal plane). I don't keep the light pointed straight ahead, of course, but rather, I keep it pointed just far enough ahead of me to allow me to ride as fast as I want to, including speeding downhill and I am learning to reserve the high setting for when I'm on an unlit section of roadway.

Even with the above being the case, I think I've got just too much light! I probably just should've gotten the L&M Stella :( Does anyone else who has a 500-600 lumen light have this concern? And thanks for reading my novel :o

Set the light on the lower setting.. Once you double click to fire up the light, push it 1 more time and it is now in the low setting.. You will see the green light on the back flash which signifies the low setting. This will also give you a little more runtime..

I think I've got just too much light!

what-cha talking about, Willis?

Your light is about half as strong as a car light, so I don't think you bought too much light

There is no such thing as too much light mate. I use a helmet light as well as bar lights. I have noticed with my helmet light lights up the overhead signs I've seen some drivers that just turned out of the street look up at the sign lit up then quickly look for source which ends up being me that lit it up so it's another thing that keeps them knowing you're on the road and alert. If you thinkt he light is too bright I tell you what, I'll trade you my 1W helmet light for your L&M Arc for a week. What do you say? :)

All of you posting that you have "too much light" need to either put down the crack pipe or get off of your bike and into your car. Go park your illuminated bike in various situations all over town and outside of it, and then approach from lots of different angles so you can REALLY see how you look. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the replies, people. I am indeed developing the habit of running it in "low" mode most of the time and reserving the high mode for unlit backstreets or if I approach a busy intersection or interchange. Further I aimed the light head down a little bit which I feel leaves less risk of projecting light into a motorist's eyes. Even with it aimed down a bit, though, I have enough spill to see my periphery and motorists still see me just fine.

I think I will take Portis' advice and just see how the bike looks from various angles. Should've done that in the first place.

I wear my HID on my helmet. That way if motorists are near I can make sure I'm
aiming it at the road rather than straight ahead at them...

That being said I had the same thoughts as you did - I had motorists literally slowing
and stopping not quite sure where the immense light was coming from..