Must be a very personal thing. Bright enough for me is apparently a lot less than most people. I don't use a headlight for commuting since there is enough light for me to see where I'm going, and I honestly don't understand the need for a "be seen" headlight. I figure it's my job to avoid running into things. For road riding I have ridden thousands of miles in the dark with an Ixon IQ on low and have never really felt the need for anything brighter.