Originally Posted by
agarose2000
Strongly disagree with the notion that head-mounted lights are "inconsiderate." You can easily glance off-center to direct the main beam away from the oncoming pedestrian or car. Car headlights are WAYYY worse than bike lights unless you specifically point the bike light directly into the eyes.
From my direct experience, head-mount lights are extremely useful, and ALWAYS improve your view of the road, whether you be on or off road. Even if you just use a "to-be-seen" head-mount, the ability to shine it in a certain direction to get the attention of cars who don't see you is invaluable. The notion that a head-mount light makes for inferior visualization on the road is not true at all, shadows or no shadows.
If I had a choice of single mount light, I'd choose the head over the bars. It doesn't matter if you've got 10,000 lumens - if those lumens are pointing in the wrong place, it'll do you no good and also increase blinding of oncoming peds/cars. 200 lumens (one Fenix flashlight) pointed in the CORRECT location will suffice for the VAST majority of realistic night riding situations up to 20mph, and even off-road.
Of course you
can "glance away", but many many don't, and have their head mounted lights pointed high (as the "mad scientist"). My description of "inconsiderate" is from the perspective of an oncomming driver or other cyclist for the many like him. Bike hgeadlights are very quickly overcomming car headlights.
The notion that size of shadows doesn't affect depth perception at night is absolutely ridiculous. Sorry, but that's just a fact. And sorry if I didn't mix it into a little apple sauce for you, but it's true. And how do YOU know what tan oncomming driver has seen before you decide to shine your headlight into their eyes "to get their attention"? What if you're wrong? YOU want a temporarily blinded driver comming around the corner behind YOU? I don't.