You have it exactly backwards. Yes, you want to see potholes before you hit them in the city but that isn't usually much of a problem. The real issue is "being seen". 150 lumen lights like Robert P is shilling are lost in ocean of lights that you find in any urban and most suburban areas. In other words, a cyclist with "be seen" lights isn't. They are lost in the background. You need much more light to "be seen".

On unlighted roads, you don't really need as much light to be seen because the ambient light is almost nonexistent. An observer can see even a dim light from quite a distance.