The S10 and S15 can be ordered with 5, 10 or 15 watt spot bulbs, or 10 or 15
watt flood bulbs. The S10 turns on from the battery switch; S15 has its own
thumb switch. Choose a water bottle Ni-cad or NiMH or Lead-acid frame mount
battery for run time, weight and cost. Two-year limited warranty on
batteries. Prices vary from $100 to $160. All parts of the system are quick
release. Add $18 for CNC-machined aluminum cam and lever quick release.
Submitted by
Aslan
a Cross Country Rider
from Chico, CA Date Reviewed: May 2, 2009
Favorite Trail:
So many trails, so little time...
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
can't remember...
Strengths:
Bright, durable, good mounting system, great customer service.
Weaknesses:
um... the batteries only lasted 9 years?
Similar Products Used:
Nite Rider, Night Sun
Bike Setup:
Moots Ybb, Moots Cinco
Bottom Line:
I purchased this light, along with a Turbocat Trail Guide helmet light, 9 years ago. I ride at night 10 - 20 times a year, plus a bunch of short 'bar commutes'. Finally, after 9 years, I had to send these lights in for battery replacement. Nine years! I have had frames that didn't last that long. I have used nite rider and nite sun lights as well. They are are good too but cost more, are less bright, the batteries wear out faster, and the mounting system is not as good, especially if you use multiple bikes. These guys are not wasting a bunch of cash on advertising, it is all product here. No hype. Also, when I sent them in for testing I had a tight time frame and they turned them around in a week. Nice people, great product.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
AustinShredman
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin Date Reviewed: February 12, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Barton Creek Greenbelt
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At:
Online
Strengths:
This light is great! Quality metal housing, tough lens, and a very bright light that holds the charge well. Remote switch helps power on or off without having to look for the switch.
Bike Setup:
Specialized FSR Ground Control
Bottom Line:
A great product that will never let you down.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
muddydc
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver, WA, USA Date Reviewed: November 16, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Gooseberry Mesa, UT
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$140.00
Purchased At:
Belmont Repair Colle
Strengths:
Very high quality machined and anodized light housing and mount bracket. Simple design. Easy user servicing. Light weight. Made in USA (rare these days. Great instructions brochure.
Weaknesses:
Connector could be higher quality.
Similar Products Used:
Cateeye cheapy, Princeton
Bike Setup:
02 Titus Switchblade & 02 Litespeed Tuscany
Bottom Line:
I would highly recommend Turbocat lights to anybody looking for an awesome and simple halogen light for night riding. For the price and quality, I don't think it can be beat. I just recently bought the Turbocat Trailguide helmet light but have not used it yet. I will report on that also.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ultimate Shredder
a
from SAC-TOWN Date Reviewed: December 29, 2007
Favorite Trail:
corey trail
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
turbo cat
Strengths:
All cnc aluminum, trick cnc quick release clamp, bright light, cheap (relativly), great customer service
Weaknesses:
wire connectors could be better quality
Similar Products Used:
nite rider, cheap rei light
Bike Setup:
nothin special. but its probably the best bike ever!
Bottom Line:
I bought the light directly from tom at turbo cat. For some reason my order did'nt ship when it was supposed to. So I called and told him I needed it for an upcoming ride and he overnighted it for free. After a full nights charge it was good to go. My friend bought a $650 night rider moab set-up the same weekend so I had a perfect side by side comparison. His was injection molded plastic mine is cnc aluminum, his has a cheap universal light nount, mine is quick release cnc aluminum, and I have probably 80-90% of the light he does with no with no annoying h.i.d. flickering, or blue and pink light from vibrations. It would have been nice if the wire connectors were a little higher quality but I haven't had any problems so far, they just look really cheap. Awesome light especially for the price
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mark
a Weekend Warrior
from chicago, illinois, usa Date Reviewed: April 25, 2007
Favorite Trail:
any and all
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$170.00
Purchased At:
turbocat
Strengths:
quality, very light, functional and simple (in a good way). Also, the systems are extremely flexible and can be upgraded, expanded, etc.
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
Sigma, Performance house brand, others
Bike Setup:
Ventana El Saltamontes - 6" custom rockers, fox dhx-c, bomber AM1, king headset, fsa carbon DH bar, magura louise brakes, xt/321 wheelset, WTB motoraptor tires, fsa team issue cranks, xtr cassete, sram x-9 shifers, derraillers, wtb saddle, etc.
Bottom Line:
Great company, talked to/ordered directly from owner (Tom), honest very high-quality (small) company, they stand behind their products. Since I purchased in winter, the light system was used in the harshest conditions (below freezing temps, wet cold rain/slush and snow) and the system never blinked. I finally have confidence in a light system, unlike others before. Will only buy from this company in future.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a
from Washington, DC, USA Date Reviewed: January 17, 2006
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
City Bikes
Strengths:
Simple, top-quality construction. Very reliable. Pleasant and responsive customer service.
Weaknesses:
Single source for bulbs.
Similar Products Used:
NiteRider Digital Evolution, original NiteRider Digital, Wonderlite, Union generator.
Bike Setup:
Urban all-weather commuter (Schwinn Cross-Fit).
Bottom Line:
The best light I've ever used, and I've used a few. For my purposes as a daily commuter this has been an ideal unit. I am not excessively hard on equipment but I do expect reliable performance on a day to day basis regardless of weather conditions. I have the NiCad version of this light.
Runtime is about 2.5 hours with the 10 watt bulb, more than OK for commuting. I've ordered the 5 watt bulb to try to squeeze 5 hours out of it for an upcoming tour.
I am very happy with this light!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
frank
a
from forest hill MD Date Reviewed: October 25, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At:
turbocat
Strengths:
Lightweight..well made..great customer service
Weaknesses:
NONE
Similar Products Used:
none
Bottom Line:
Tom at Turbocat was fantastic,he asked me questions about how i rode and sold me only what i needed. Plus i can still expand my system if i want to. I highly recommend this light and the turbocat company to everyone.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Karen Garrison
a Cross Country Rider
from Durham, NH, USA Date Reviewed: October 7, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Turbocat
Strengths:
Very well constructed; 15W spot bulb really lights up the road; excellent instructions; Tom's responses to my emails regarding this product very helpful and quick.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Bike Friday - road bike
Bottom Line:
An excellent product - it's exactly what I need for my early morning commute to work.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
joel
a Weekend Warrior
from Richmond, VA Date Reviewed: August 12, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Turbocat
Strengths:
Lightweight, clean design, durable, easy to mount and adjust, great natural-colored flood light.
Weaknesses:
They don't grow on trees
Similar Products Used:
cheapo lights, borrowed HIDs
Bottom Line:
Bottom line is these are great lights and very under-rated. I haven't had any problems w/ em - great light, burn time and customer service is very friendly. TurboCat is a great small company and will get my biz again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
cb
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas, Texas Date Reviewed: June 4, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$140.00
Purchased At:
www.turbocatusa.com
Strengths:
Great customer service. Thanks Elayne. The quick-release is great and the light works like a champ.
Weaknesses:
It would be nice to have an indicator that showed that the battery is fully charged, but it isn't a big deal.
Similar Products Used:
LED triple light (so weak compared to the turbocat that it is hard to compare them)
Bottom Line:
I have primarily used it on the road with a group that starts before the sun rises. I have the 15w spot on an S10 and it is like the headlight on a car. I can see and have confidence that the cars can see me. When I called to buy it, they were great. I appreciate that they talked thru how I would use it and did not try to sell me more than I needed. They are great to deal with. I would highly recommend the light and also highly recommend the quick-release.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris Ooms
a Cross Country Rider
from Dilbeek, Belgium Date Reviewed: December 21, 2002
Favorite Trail:
all of them!
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At:
Bikepoint, Schepdaal Belgium
Strengths:
very good manual, beautiful finish, takes almost no space on the handlebar (S10), velcro on battery and light holds very good, bright light, no plastic but aluminum
Weaknesses:
Bulb-life of 200 hours, bulbs only available at Turbocat?
Similar Products Used:
none worth mentioning
Bike Setup:
2002 Specialized Stumpjumer M4, Duke XC, Avid V-brakes, LX-shifters, XT rear derailleur, Sella Italia Flite, Specialized seatpost/stem/handlebar
Bottom Line:
I first planned to build a bike-light myself. There are lots of websites describing how to do that and I did a lot of reading and research. But to get all the parts & build it would have cost me a lot more. Just try to make the same light as Turbocat with the same finish plus the battery & charger => impossible! The S10 looked very nice and since I just started riding at night I din't go for the S15 or higher models. The light is awesome and I feel safer when I ride on the street (cars really notice you!). Riding off-road is OK, but a 2nd light would be better (one on the helmet). The S10 is not designed for high-speed off-road stuff, but that's not what it's designed for. The velcro on the light and the battery holds very well. I thought it would slip on the handlebar, but it stays in place. TurboCat makes great lights and the S10 is perfect for road and light/medium off-road. Buy a 2nd light or the dual-beams if you plan to ride fast off-road trails. The battery is good enough for 2 hours of light. The charger is a smart-charger, which means it will not destroy the battery when leaving it connected. Turbocat does a great job on building lights.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
CHUCK
a Weekend Warrior
from FINLEYVILLE, PA, USA Date Reviewed: November 17, 2002
Favorite Trail:
SOUTH PARK
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
WEST LIBERTY CYCLES
Strengths:
LIGHT WEIGHT LIGHT HEAD UNIT NICELY MACHINED.
Weaknesses:
LEAD ACID BATTERIES ARE HEAVY. THE CONNECTORS ARE CHEAP. HELMET MOUNT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR SOME HELMETS. CAN'T FIND THE ON OFF SWITCH EASILY ON THE HELMET MOUNT
Similar Products Used:
NITERIDER BLOWTORCH
Bike Setup:
CANNONDALE F700
Bottom Line:
I FELT SORT OF RIPPED OFF WHEN I OPENED THE BOX BUT THOUGHT TO MYSELF, WELL, WE'LL SEE WHAT THE RIDE IS LIKE. I WAS SATISFIED WITH THE 15W SPOT HELMET LIGHT BRIGHTNESS BUT NOT THE LOCATION OF THE ON/OFF SWITCH. SO I MODIFIED THE SWITCH. THE 15W FLOOD BAR MOUNTED LIGHT IS A JOKE. IT MOUNTS EASY, I LIKE THAT BUT I GOT A FLASHLIGHT THAT'S BRIGHTER. SO I'M DROPPING ANOTHER $25 BUCKS FOR A SPOT. I'M ALSO ORDERING SOME BETTER CONNECTORS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT MY LIGHTS TO QUIT DOWN THE ROAD ON A RIDE. I MACHINED MY OWN HELMET MOUNT AND TRUTHFULLY I SHOULD SELL IT TO TURBOCAT. YOU WANT TO SEE A QUALITY SYSTEM, LOOK AT HOW NITERIDER BUILDS THEIR SH*%.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
LSett
a Cross Country Rider
from Stamford, CT Date Reviewed: July 8, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
North East Bikes
Strengths:
Light weight, small size, battery size.
Bike Setup:
Klien Attitude XT/XTR
Bottom Line:
My second ride with this light was in the 24hrs of Adrenaline in MA. I only used the helmet light and it was VERY bright and worked flawlessly. The helmet light alone throws plenty of light however, I did experience minor shadow issues, however I got over it pretty quickly. I may get a 2nd turbo cat for my bar, but my guess is it will be more light than I will ever need (which is not necessarily a bad thing). Overall this has been a great product. I did contact Turbo Cat prior to purchasing the lights and they were VERY helpful and offered all kinds of assistance. Turbo Cat has my pick!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt Hancock
a Cross Country Rider
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: February 7, 2002
Favorite Trail:
all of them
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$140.00
Purchased At:
turbocat - internet order
Strengths:
Lightweight, powerful, easy to swap between bikes, remote switch, upgradable, many battery options, trick CNC mount, great service from Elayne @ Turbocat, no middlemen (shops) to get in the way when purchasing.
Weaknesses:
availability of replacement bulbs (from Turbocat only).
Similar Products Used:
Cateye Daylights, home made lights.
Bike Setup:
Marin Mt Vision Pro, Giant CFR2 roadbike
Bottom Line:
An amazing little light, exactly what you would build yourself if you had the time & tools. Remote handlebar switch keeps your hands on the bars. Nicad the best weight/cost option. Buy the CNC machined QR mount, it makes it easy to change between bikes and looks trick. An S15 and TG15 would be the ultimate affordable trail lightset. No gimmicks just great lights.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan Wright
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, OR USA Date Reviewed: December 4, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Sheepshead Mountains
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
Bike Gallery
Strengths:
Really nicely machined piece. No-nonsense functional design. Very bright. Solid battery. Nice no-bracket mounting system. Really lasts 2.5 hours on a charge as advertised.
Weaknesses:
Gotta crank down the velcro strap to keep it from tilting up, especially on smaller-diameter bars. Also, relatively short bulb life at 200 hours.
Similar Products Used:
NiteRider Trail Rat - also a good light, but not as nice as the TurboCat
Bike Setup:
'93 Fuji rigid 21sp, all DX components, non-compact crankset, 13x28 cassette w/ 1.5" Nimbus EX slicks for commuting, 13x30 w/ 2.0" Hutch Alligator Golds for adventure riding and 2.1" studded IRC Blizzard studded for snow/ice riding
Bottom Line:
Best value for the money. Most elegant design. You can't go wrong with TurboCat - just buy a couple of spare bulbs. I believe this is my 4th winter with this thing, and 2nd winter with heavy (3-5 hours/week) use. Have never had a problem and the SLA bottle battery is still going strong. 5 Habaneros.
I have the 10W, but am thinking of upgrading to 15W (only requires changing out the bulb!) for more light, and I only need about 1.5 hrs battery life so shouldn't be a problem.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean
a
from Danville, CA, USA Date Reviewed: November 13, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
TurboCat
Strengths:
Well thought-out and well manufactured design.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
None - This was my first light
Bike Setup:
Road - Trek 5200
Bottom Line:
Five flamin' chilis all around for both product and customer service. I used this light set-up for road double century and it worked like a charm. The light itself is compact on the bars and even at 10 watts, puts out plenty of bright white light. The low wattage requirement to generate so much light translates into long burn times. Elayne was great with information and advice prior to purchase. If you are looking for a light for endurance cycling, this is it!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
AK
a Cross Country Rider
from Folsom, CA USA Date Reviewed: September 26, 2001
Favorite Trail:
All
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
The Rest Stop
Strengths:
Light weight, strength, quality of craftmanship, trouble free use
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
None - first light
Bike Setup:
2001 Rocky Mountain Element Race
Bottom Line:
This is the first light I have ever purchased for off roading at night (what a thrill it is to ride singletrack at night!). At first I thought the light might get bounced out of position, but the light nor battery doesn't budge. The light seems much brighter than the others I see people using made by Nite Rider, etc. It's small, light, very well built, super bright. For the price, it seems like you get a lot more than compared to what other manufacturers offer. What more can you ask for?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Racer
from Appleton Date Reviewed: June 28, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
shop
Strengths:
Fantastic brightness. No-nonsense design...absolutely the best machining and finishing I've seen. Best customer service in the world!
Weaknesses:
ZERO!
Similar Products Used:
(awful!) VistaLight. (fair)Niterider
Bike Setup:
Fisher Cronus. Ready for anything...
Bottom Line:
The best and highest quality lights on the market. I've ridden with others and have had terrible results. The true bottom line is if the light is bright enough...it is AWESOME! If it's durable...machined like a tank! If the battery will last...the burn times are listed and CORRECT!!!!! If you are going to ride a 24-hour event, I would reconmmend no other. Call Elaine, then you'll know what there is to know!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick Jordan
a Weekend Warrior
from Aptos,CA,USA Date Reviewed: December 31, 2000
Favorite Trail:
West Ridge Nisene Marks
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
Mailorder
Strengths:
Clean simple design. CNC machined aluminum housing is strong and light. Mount works great. Thumbswitch is easy to mount with a piece of velcro right where you need it. 17 degree flood is very bright with a good pattern.
Weaknesses:
Lead acid batteries are heavy. Ni-Mh is much better if you,ve got the coin.
Similar Products Used:
Vistalite
Bike Setup:
Fisher Sugar 3
Bottom Line:
If you like simple clean designs without a bunch of extra junk that usually breaks this is for you.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Todd Adams
a Cross Country Rider
from Murfreesboro, TN, USA Date Reviewed: October 5, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Sali, NC
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
Turbo Cat
Strengths:
Great wide light pattern. Well complimented with a helmet light. The easiest and best mount I have seen.
Weaknesses:
I have not found one yet.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Klein, Attitude Comp
Bottom Line:
Well, I did the big no no of night riding. I received my S10 (with a 15w spot) in the mail on a Thursday and did a 12 hour race on Saturday. I had never riden at night on the trail so I might say it was an experience. The Turbo Cat carried me all the way and was as solid as I anticipated. The mount is the easiest and most reliable I have seen. I will be adding a Turbo Cat helmet light soon and this will be an ultimate setup.
If you want solid craftmanship, performance, and the best customer service this side of the mountain, look no further.
Elayne, your the best, thanks for all your time and help.
Buy it folks!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel
a Cross-Country Rider
from Hoofddorp, the Netherlands Date Reviewed: January 6, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Dunes
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
The have Elayne! (super customer service) Pretty machined parts All alloy, great review Great base to build on further (add a helmet light)
Weaknesses:
Don't know yet, but am not expecting.
Similar Products Used:
None worthy of mentioning.
Bike Setup:
Trek Y-11 and Mountain Cycle San Andreas
Bottom Line:
Looking for a company that builds a great light and super service,take a look a turbocat! I had trouble with the postal service, but had great support of Elayne. Why I choose for the S15 is simple, I wanted a light that I can extend it with a helmet mounted light (in the future) and have decent battery life. Also the great reviews on the net tell one storty; quality. I will keep you updated on how the S15 performs.I will post another review on how this system works.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lowell
a Cross-Country Rider
from Los Gatos, CA Date Reviewed: November 24, 1999
Duration Product Used:
tested or demo'ed only
Similar Products Used:
Home made lights
Bottom Line:
I tried this light for one ride. I liked the simple, lightweight design but the beam pattern was too wide and too dim for fast descents. It worked fine for climbing and medium speed riding though. I just prefer a brighter, narrower spot.
Overall Rating:
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