I've previously posted accounts of my adventures building a very
bright wide-angle flashing red bikelight for my daughter who rides her
bike in NYC. BRBR

Reminds me of my old bike light from my college days, it too was brighter than
anything else around.
It was a generator unit with a 6" florescent tube and a regular bulb and a set
of three red bulbs on the rear. When you got up to speed and pushed the
starter button for the florescent, the world lit up!
Sadly over countless moves since then, it sort of dissappeared along the way
and as your daughter found, there is very little it seems available out there
for people who want to really see and be seen at night. Oh sure, the stuff is
better than an old flashlight taped to the handle bars, but with our high tech
world, you would think that there would be more out there for Bikes.