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. Mtbr Bike Lights Shootout - over 50 bike lights reviewed, photographed and measured here.
Submitted by
Aslan
a Cross Country Rider
from Chico, CA
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2009
Strengths: Bright, durable, good mounting system, great customer service.
Weaknesses: um... the batteries only lasted 9 years?
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.
Submitted by
AustinShredman
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2009
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.
Submitted by
muddydc
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2008
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.
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.
Strengths: All cnc aluminum, trick cnc quick release clamp, bright light, cheap (relativly), great customer service
Weaknesses: wire connectors could be better quality
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
Similar Products Used: nite rider, cheap rei light
Bike Setup: nothin special. but its probably the best bike ever!
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
mark
a Weekend Warrior
from chicago, illinois, usa
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2007
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
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.
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.
Strengths: Simple, top-quality construction. Very reliable. Pleasant and responsive customer service.
Weaknesses: Single source for bulbs.
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.
Strengths: Lightweight..well made..great customer service
Weaknesses: 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.
Submitted by
Karen Garrison
a Cross Country Rider
from Durham, NH, USA
Date Reviewed: October 7, 2005
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
Bottom Line:
An excellent product - it's exactly what I need for my early morning commute to work.
Submitted by
joel
a Weekend Warrior
from Richmond, VA
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2005
Strengths: Lightweight, clean design, durable, easy to mount and adjust, great natural-colored flood light.
Weaknesses: They don't grow on trees
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.
Similar Products Used: cheapo lights, borrowed HIDs
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
cb
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas, Texas
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2004
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.
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.
Similar Products Used: LED triple light (so weak compared to the turbocat that it is hard to compare them)
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Chris Ooms
a Cross Country Rider
from Dilbeek, Belgium
Date Reviewed: December 21, 2002
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?
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.
Bike Setup: 2002 Specialized Stumpjumer M4, Duke XC, Avid V-brakes, LX-shifters, XT rear derailleur, Sella Italia Flite, Specialized seatpost/stem/handlebar
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Submitted by
CHUCK
a Weekend Warrior
from FINLEYVILLE, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2002
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
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*%.
Submitted by
LSett
a Cross Country Rider
from Stamford, CT
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2002
Strengths: Light weight, small size, battery size.
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!
Submitted by
Matt Hancock
a Cross Country Rider
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2002
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).
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.
Similar Products Used: Cateye Daylights, home made lights.
Bike Setup: Marin Mt Vision Pro, Giant CFR2 roadbike
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dan Wright
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, OR USA
Date Reviewed: December 4, 2001
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.
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.
