Originally Posted by
RubeRad
I use a generic CREE led flashlight instead of a purpose-made bike-branded one, if yours has a zooming head, narrow the beam, and point it downwards so (almost) all the light is usable for you, not wasted up in the air. Try blink mode, riding down the street -- if all the street signs are flashing back at you, you've got it pointed up too high. Also try a lower power mode. I run mine on medium, it's still plenty of bright, and the battery lasts longer.
Morning darkness has caught up to me and I've been riding with my headlight lately. I've noticed that with my current zoom setting, I get a spot centered maybe 8 feet in front of me, about 6ft wide, and maybe 12-15 feet long. The full ellipse of light is on the ground. My light does not cause the tail lights of parked cars to shine back at me. So I think I actually need to angle it up a tad -- I can see the street just fine, but it would be good to get a little more warning of parked cars for those sections of the residential streets that are between street lights.