I used to think if the light worked well in a dark garage it was good enough for the road. And it might be on a poorly lit road with no traffic. But on well lit busy road I see we need much more. Dusk and dawn are by far the worst time for visibility from a car drivers perspective. I don't know what's better in that situation, a very bright light that blends in with the sun making the cyclist invisible, Or no light at all wearing dark clothes to contrast with a blinding sun.

Either way I'm going to get myself a brighter light then one of those tiny lights with the button batteries I use up front now. The plan is to use the little one in stobe mode and a brighter one on low for general night riding. I'll use the brighter one on high in heavy traffic or on dark roads. They need not be blindingly bright. Perhaps in the 200 - 600 lumen range for most roads. Some 200 lumen lights are still reasonably priced. IMO. Keep the light aimed away from car drivers eyes. If you want they're/our respect, You have to show a little consideration yourself. Also I'm going to use a brighter back light too, probably set to flash.

For extreme conditions like riding at dusk or dawn with the sun I assume that I can't be seen by cars and ride accordingly.

It might be worth considering a good light, Not for the max brightness, But for long battery life on a lower setting which is still much brighter then those little cheap ones. At full power many higher intensity lights have a very short battery life.