Originally Posted by no1mad

Part of the problem is the beam pattern. Those designed for the North American market tend to be symmetrical, while those meant for the EU tend to be asymmetrical. The asymmetrical feature a cut off light automotive lights- which work best on the road, but not so much off road.

Maybe the best scenario would be a bright asymmetrical light on the bike and a symmetrical mounted on the helmet- preferably with a less intense light. Of course, I don't go riding through the woods at night, so I may be talking out of my arse.

Originally Posted by Leisesturm

There isn't usually much difference in the power of the low beam of a car headlight and the high beam. In many cases there is no difference at all in the power of the LB vs. the HB. The difference in luminous flux when you are traveling towards a vehicle whose operator is ignorant of the proper operation of the dipping switch is considerable. I don't mount my MagicShine on my helmet for that reason. There simply is no way to avoid blinding drivers with it mounted up so high. Unless I looked into the ditch everytime I met oncoming traffic. Splat! Based on my observation of the lights of other cyclists going opposite me on the road at night, bicycle headlights, even the flamethrowers are of little consequence to motorists. Come on... you all drive. I don't, but even I know that the biggest problem you have isn't bike riders with MagicShines, its lifted pick-up trucks with HID lowbeams that are at head height or older cars with headlights that haven't been aimed since dinosaurs roamed the MidWest. When it gets dark the solid wall of headlights coming at me completely kills my night vision. A bright headlight becomes as imperative as it becomes for a motorist in the same situation. My MagicShine barely cuts it. Cars have dip switches and some people actually use them. Many don't. What do you do? Look at the fog stripe is what I was told. On an MUP if someone is coming at you with a flame thrower, I don't ride MUP's so I don't know what that's like... since its a pet peeve of so many, I'll take it as a given that it isn't pleasant. Interesting though that any number of inconsiderate drivers do the same thing with headlights that throw the equivalent of four MagicShines into your eyeballs to very little public outrage, but a single cylist does it and s/he becomes a 'lit up moron'. Anyway, MUP's don't have fog stripes but they must have grass verges or some other feature to focus on for the momentary loss of forward vision. Really, I can't see it as a significant problem.