DualSource systems offer the best of both worlds for serious off-road riders or racers: A 10 or 15 watt TrailGuide helmet light lets you see into corners and down drop-offs. A wide-angle 15 watt S10 handlebar light illuminates the trail and creates the shadows that are necessary for depth perception. For some endurance racing, consider optional 5-watt spot and 10-watt flood beams. Battery choices: Ni-Cad, Ni-MH, and Lead-Acid. Choose one type or another - or mix them - for run time, weight, and price.
Submitted by
knobbydawg72
a Weekend Warrior
from Watkinsville GA
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2009
Strengths: Easy setup, lights are bright, simple design, and great customer service
Weaknesses: none yet
Bottom Line:
If you are looking at getting lights, spend the money and buy quality lights. I made the mistake of buying inexpensive lights and then did a 24 hour race. Big mistake.
I couldn't be happier with the TurboCats. If you don't know what setup you want just call and they will help you with everything.
Submitted by
wtraber
a Cross Country Rider
from Geneva Switzerland
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2008
Strengths: I have been riding with the Turbocat S47 for more than 10 years. It's a great light, I never had to regret to have bought it. Unfortunately the batterie died, if anyone knows how I can get a new package, it would be great.
Any rider who won't live the bike in the garage over the Winter but have fun on the trails with as much light as needed would enjoy it.
Bottom Line:
Any rider who won't live the bike in the garage over the Winter but have fun on the trails with as much light as needed would enjoy it.
Submitted by
jason willaford
a Weekend Warrior
from Woodinville,Wa USA
Date Reviewed: March 13, 2008
Strengths: Simple design. Great looking. Tom. He is the man.
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
If I had a nickle for everytime I had to let my friends borrow my helmet light so the could get out of the woods with their Cygo light, Topeak or whatever light they have, I could have paid these off. I bought two sets of these lights last year and they are awsome. They dont have that funky blue look that you get from a $500 helmet mount HID, just gobs of bright white light. Go to the Turbo Cats web sight and check them out. Everything they say about their lights is true. Buy these lights and you feel like a freight train rollin through the woods. Oh yeah, after one full year of wet, muddy use, these lights still hold a 2 hour charge no problem. And dont forget to get the quick release for the handle bar mount, it is the coolest part on my bike.
Strengths: lamps are great quality good old school system (not HID, not LED) for a reasonable price good support (mail, phone) before AND after purchasing
Weaknesses: 220 V charger and cable connections look a bit cheap for a 400 US light. How good they hold up is to be seen...
Bottom Line:
Buy these lights if you are looking for 2-3 hours night riding time on trails. They work and are good quality. If you need the newest fun parts go to Lupine or others and spend 4 times as much on LED and HID, Xenon or other. I guess these costly lights are even better but will cost your buck (bulbs are as much as this set). The Dual Source Kit will allow you to ride like in daylight. So why spend more?!
Similar Products Used: Tried the Sigma Mirage Evo kit before which is OK as long as you stay on roads - but not useful for trail riding.
Bike Setup: Scott genius custom (XTR, Spinergy, etc.)
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Robert
a Weekend Warrior
from La Habra, CA USA
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2006
Strengths: Reliable, Bright and Simple. Great customer service.
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
These lights are great, I love the dual source system, 10w helmet mount spotlight and 15w handlebar mount flood. The 10w helmet mount spotlight really puts the light where you need it most. One of the guys I ride with has a handle bar mounted hid light and it is not nearly as effective through switchbacks. The NiCd batteries work great, after each ride I plug them in to charge over night and they are ready to go for the next ride. Our night rides are generally 1 1/2 to 2 hours and I have not had either battery fail.
Similar Products Used: None-Product was recommended through Ask RC on mbaction.com
Bike Setup: Giant Trance 3 - Stock set up
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Brian Rooney
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond, VA
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2006
Strengths: Solid construction, phenominal customer service, Dual source turns night into day!
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
The folks at TurboCat couldn't be more helpful. I had a rush order for an 18 hour race that was in 3 days and talked to Tom who went out of his way to stop the UPS guy from leaving his building so he could package up the lights and send them overnight. These lights blow away any HID out there. Great buy.
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Los ANgeles, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2005
Strengths: solid construction, easy to mount, lightweight lights, good directions, reliable, bright as hell, easily adjustable
Weaknesses: none yet
Bottom Line:
I tried out other lights before using the Turbocats. I tested handlebar mount only and helmet only. The DUal Source is the way to go for sure. These Turbocat lights are brighter than any other light I have tested. The helmet mount is easily adjustable on the fly (tilt) and the bar mount one is as well. Any time I ride at night with others my lights are the brightest. These lights are reliable. Sure a fuel gauge would be great or a light on the charger indicating a complete charge or active charge would be nice. But you can use a watch to tell how much longer you have on the lights when youre out riding and you can time the charging also. These lights are low tech but are true workhorses. The simpler the better! I think they represent a great value. Also, the folks at Turbocat were a pleasure to deal with.
Strengths: Everything about it the system is great. You will not find a more durable and affordable light system on the planet. I have put these lights through several 24 hours races over several years and not once did the lights even show signs of weakening. Nothing has ever broken on the lights nor has any bulbs burnt out. They are frankly bullet proof. I will never ride another light system; none will ever top the durability or performance of TurboCat. We trust TurboCat so much that every Year my entire 24-hour racing team races on Turbo Cat lighting systems. We trust TurboCat's products so much that any and all new 24-hour team memebers MUST use a TurboCat lighting system.
Bottom Line:
Buy a TurboCat lighting System. You won't be sorry you did.
Strengths: Very bright! Great visibility on the trail.
Weaknesses: Wish run time could be longer
Bottom Line:
Turbocat offers a great warranty, and very good customer service. Elayne at turbocat was very helpful and instrumental in my decision making process. She said that their system would blow away Nightriders system and she didn't lie, my friend just bought a Digital Pro Dual lite system and mine blows it away in the brightness category. It might not run as long and have a gazillion adjustments and LCD display, but who needs that gadgetry anyways. Turbocat put its technology into the light and it shows!
Submitted by
Russ W
a Cross Country Rider
from Owatonna
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2001
Strengths: Solid construction - Simple setup & use - Durability - Reliability - Customer Service - CNC'd quick release bar mount
Weaknesses: They're expensive, but worth it in the long run.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line? They just plain work. A basic system for a basic task. The construction is top notch and they also happen to look fantastic. I've used em' for over a year in all types of weather and have had zero problems. Run times are over 2 hours. Turbocat's warranty policy seems very straight forward. Customer service has been excellent. Certainly a good choice if you're in the market for some night time fun.
Strengths: Bright light. Good Construction. Quality everything.
Weaknesses: None that I've found.
Bottom Line:
I ride at night during the week. This light is awesome. It's so bright, cars slow down either because they're blinded, or they wonder what the heck that is. I ride on trail or road at night without fear now, and much faster. Everything about this setup is quality. I have the Nicad water bottle for the handlebar light, and the NiMH battery for the helmet light. The light this puts out is unbelieveable, especially for such small lights. Buy this setup and you won't be disappointed. It's worth the money.
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Fayetteville, AR
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2001
Strengths: Everything
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
TurboCats just plain rock. No other lighting system I have seen comes remotely close. No funky mounts to break, just a rubber block with a velcro strap and the light stays put, easy on/off.
After six months of use, I can say that the dual source set up is on of the few purchases I have made that have totally met and exceeded my expectations. The quality of light is the best, and with lead acid batteries I get 1:30 of bright run time, plug them in upon return and leave them plugged in, no need to remove from charger, a big bonus for me. Run times have stayed consitant. Crashed a few times, have scratch the finish of the bar light barely. TurboCats are the way to go if you are serious about riding. Nothing comes close. I know why no shop stocks both nite rider and Turbocat, the niteriders would NEVER sell. Five flaming grenades.
Submitted by
Don
a Cross Country Rider
from Northern NJ
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2000
Strengths: CNC machined alum housings, stainless steel hardware, heavy duty 18 gauge wiring and waterproof. All of their systems are modular for easy add ons and upgrades within 6v or 13.2v systems(not between 6v and 13.2v). I like that the switching only cycles hi beam to low beam bypassing off.
Weaknesses: Need more local dealers in the NY/NJ area so I don't have to explain where to buy them.
Bottom Line:
I needed a quality light setup for winter night riding. I did alot of internet research and some field testing. I set my sights on a dual light source system. Turbocat's Dual Source systems stood out as the most viable option. I found an excellent value at price that I paid (retail $305 w/nicads-paid $180). The Handle bar 15 watt flood is bright, white and very even. The helmet mounted 15 watt spot also throws off excellent quality light. Combined battery weight is about 40 ounces. I have experienced run times of over two hours. Both helmet and bar mounts are rock solid. At this point the quick release is not essential. They also have excellent customer service (Elayne). They have a crash warranty that looks great...I hope I never need it. I have used these lights in several small group rides and on each occasion my lights attracted the most interest. They were brighter than the Niteriders and also ran longer. I would recommend these lights to anyone looking for a quality setup at a reasonable price that can be easily upraded. Great job Turbocat!
Bike Setup: Mongoose Pro XT, XTR, Avid, Cane Creek wheels
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Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Fayetteville, AR
Date Reviewed: October 15, 2000
Strengths: CNC'd housings, no plastic. All parts of easily replaceable. Hey, the most car like lighting system I've used, meaning that you turn it on and does what its supposed to light up the trail.
Weaknesses: Ahh, none so far, but after one ride, who can really tell.
Bottom Line:
Researched Turbocat and they seemed to offer the best, no frills, modular light system. All metal here, no plastic to crack when the temperature goes down. Perhaps most importantly, no digital crap. I know of a few people who have newer NiteRider lights that have a tendency to run through all the power settings. Do you really need your light to be able to signal SOS via morse code? Not when riding downhill, no thanks.
Dual source 30 is upgradable, either batteries or additional lights. A second handlebar light runs 60 bucks! What other brand offers that? Not that you really need more than the 15 on the bar, but from my experience you can never have too much light.
My Niteriding experience is limited, but can't imagine riding without a helmet light, it really makes a tremendous difference.
I'm a picky guy and the dual source satisfies. Mmm, lets see, two batteries, two chargers, 15 watt helmet mounted light, 15 watt bar mounted light, for 220 bucks. Same setup would cost over 350 with any other brand. Oh, and they're plenty bright.
