Brighter headlight bulb before the clocks go back

Clocks go back in a fortnight, and from then until March the after-work spin is a ride in the dark. The stock bulb does grand in town where the streetlights do most of the work. Out the coast road past Clontarf on Thursday evening it was more of a suggestion than a beam.

So, yesterday afternoon job. Philips X-tremeVision Moto from the motor factors, nineteen quid. Getting at the back of the headlight takes a bit of patience with the visor in the way, but it's not hard. Unclip the plug, swap the bulb without touching the glass, bit of dielectric grease on the connector because from October on everything in this country is damp.

Aimed it against the wall at the back of the house, strip of tape at bulb height and the cut-off set a touch under it, so I'm not blinding anyone coming the other way.

Took it out the same road last night once it was properly dark. Whiter light, reaches a good bit further, and I could actually see the edge of the cycle track out past Dollymount. Twenty-seven euro well spent.