Originally Posted by yairi
yup got one of those. be-seen-light is the key phrase here. They don't actually light up the road much at all. In town they're fine though.
I agree under street lights, they don't light up the road much at all, but I was pleasantly surprised the other morning when I got out onto unlit sections of road to discover that in full darkness they shed a very useful light. I don't feel the need for light to see by under streetlights. SO the brightness of the Topeak Whitelite is about perfect for a small portable. Mostly a "be seen light" but useful in a pinch. For a daily commute along unlit roads I'd probably want something brighter, but I would still use the Whitelite as an additional blinky to supplement my conspicuity. On the open road in the dark I'm much more concerned with being seen than I am with seeing where I'm going. At 5:30 in the morning that underly caffeinated zombie behind the wheel of that SUV hurtling by at 65 is much more likely to notice a blinking light than a solid one.