TrailGuide uses the same and 10 and 15 watt spot beam bulbs as the TurboCat S10 and S15. The waterproof power switch is on the light and is easy to reach, even with gloves on. The light can be adjusted up and down over a range of 120 degrees plus 10 degrees side to side, so you can get the beam exactly where you want it. A Velcro® strap feeds through the vent holes. When it's pulled tight to compress the rubber pads, there's no chance of the light bouncing around. A special strap holds the wire in place at the rear of the helmet. The entire light is CNC machined and weighs only 3.5 ounces. Battery choices: Ni-Cad, Ni-MH, and Lead-Acid. Decide on battery for the combination of run time, weight, and price that suits your needs best. An optional headband lets you use the light for lots of other activities that don't require a helmet.
Submitted by
pauljolly65Q
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Rosa, CA
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2009
Strengths: Very bright, high reflectivity, nearly indesctructible.
Weaknesses: None. Seriously...none!
Bottom Line:
I added this to the S15 handlebar light I already had; the benefit of being able to flash the light in the faces of unattentive motorists is incalculable. My morning commute is in the dark for half the year--40 min., 3x/week. TurboCat lights simply rock. They are very bright with a warm beam that reflects surfaces very well (unlike the dim blue tint of LEDs). I've ridden with this light for five years and have yet to replace the battery. Customer service is impeccable.
Submitted by
Night commuter
a Weekend Warrior
from Bethesda
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2009
Strengths: Great light (best light I've seen in the Capital Crescent Trail riding at night for many years -just now I'm starting to see lights that compare to this one).
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
Great product and GREAT customer service. When i originally purchased the light, they guided me through the selection process and gave me lots of information to make my decision (much more information than Niterider). Recently, I decided i wanted to transform my helmet light into a handlebar-mounted light. The Turbo Cat guys did that for me and even adapted my pouch batteries to a water bottle. I'm sure you can't find anywhere else this type of customer service.
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 S-10 bar 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
robpen
a Weekend Warrior
from Olympia, WA
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2009
Strengths: I am a year-round bike commuter in Olympia, Washington, where it gets fairly dark and rainy for half the year, and I am convinced that this rock-solid helmet-mounted light has saved by bacon more than once--and at my age one small interaction with a car could be live-changing. The performance is phenominal; I recently noticably lit up the top half of a nine-story building downtown from half a block away--so I can surely get the attention of some distracted driver racing through a roundabout during rush-hour. The reliability is also supurb; I'm not careless with my equipment, but in the process of commuting every day I'm sure my helmet has dropped a dozen times or more with the light on it and the light has never been affected. The mounting system is well designed; it's pretty quick to install and very easy to redirect. Finally, the batteries last a long time. After five years of heavy use with weekly charges it still holds a charge just fine. I use the large and heavy lead-acid for day-to-day commuting and the small and light NMH batter for occasional distance or trail riding--and even caving. I believe in investing in quality equipment and getting the best long-term value, and that's been the case with my Turbo Cat light.
Weaknesses: The down-side to any helmet-mounted light is being coupled to the bike. The long Velcro straps made it easy to lash the lead-acid battery under the center of my handlebars, which gives me just enough slack to ride and stand next to my bike comfortably without excess slack. But if you're not used to it, you may be feel like you're on a leash. The alternative is slipping the NMH battery into your pocket, but I like using the bigger, longer-lasting and durable battery day-to-day.
Bottom Line:
You may flinch at the up-front cost of a top lighting system and balk at having a cord between your helmet and your bike, but if it keeps you out of the soup (and keeps the bumbers away from your legs) and lasts for 5-10 years it's one of the best investments you can make.
Similar Products Used: Night Rider also makes a very durable helmet-mounted light, but the mounting and aiming aspects were clearly not as good.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
cackalacky
a Weekend Warrior
from Winston, NC
Date Reviewed: December 27, 2008
Strengths: Simple, reliable, waterproof.
All aluminum construction is very nice.
Bottom Line:
This review is for the S15 bar light and TG15 helmet light.
One of those "set and forget" items. No problems with these. I got them used for next to nothing (no batteries) and then called them up to order some. Since I was riding in a 24hr race the next weekend, they gave me a discount. I also was able to buy a crimp-on connector end from them to replace one that was frayed/broken. Added a couple of extra bulbs and I was ready to go.
As far as light output, I can't give a comparison because I haven't had any other light. They seem bright enough to me, with the 15 watt spot helmet lamp VERY bright. Found myself riding way faster than I thought I could at night. On the road they will light up street signs very well at 100 yards plus.
Buy this if you want a solid reliable light that is serviceable down the road.
Bike Setup: S15 handlebar light with 15 watt flood, TG15 helmet light with 15 watt spot.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Jody Jernigan
a Cross Country Rider
from South Bend In
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2005
Strengths: Great light pattern. NIcve white light durability.
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
Great durable no frills light. Simple operation built to withstand impacts burntime already exceeding what the man. stated etc... Couldn't be happier to throw the junk Niterider light I have in the trash..Was going to use the Niterider for a bar mount light but IO can't stand looking at the yellow tint of the bulb besides the fact the niterider light gets lost in the beam of the Turbo cat!! Great customer Service at Turbocat from Both people I talked to.
Strengths: Lightweight, very bright, great burn time.
Weaknesses: Haven't found any yet....
Bottom Line:
Again, a great product, simple, durable, bright -does the job its supposed to. I'm glad I bought these. Granted these are halogen lights, much lighter than helmet mounted HIDs which is good since my helmet is better on top of my head than down in my face. I use Nicad batteries for both my TG and S10 for the durability and burn time benefits. Also halogen lights are cheaper to maintain (bulbs, etc).
Strengths: Nice machine work, seems to be crashworthy. Great dual source package. Must get the CNC QR for handle bar mount, its extra but very nice. I think they are well priced based on what else is out there. TurboCats dual source systems provide good white light with very little shadows. I love the twisty, tight, wet & steep Northwest trails; these light have served me well.
Weaknesses: I wont complain about the lack of a smart or fast charger. As a friend pointed out, its not hard to plug the light in before bed or after a ride and unplug it in the morning - just put the coffee near the charger... I think the recharge times are 12 to 18 hours for the NiCad water & 5cell pack with the 450 mA charger - or at least I hope. This is a long time; but, by planning ahead (what a concept!) it is not hard to have them fully charged before your next ride.
Bottom Line:
These are high quality but simple lights. The NiCad packs are a reasonable weight. There are no power saving switches, just the on/off buttons. It would be nice to have a power save mode, but, one could just get an extra NiMH pack. My friend had the NiHM packs for his helmet mount and they are very light. They do have a much shorter run time but are great for to have as a backup - if you think your Petzel wont cut it. I think I would have liked a 10w flood on the handle bars to have a better run time on the bottle - but only if I could have the thumb switch. It is hard to reach down and turn the frame mount light off (switch on top of bottle battery) while riding twisty trails - but maybe not hard on the flat. I am considering getting another pair for my girlfriend, and I have looked at other brands and think I will most likely get the same system I have, I really love it. When ordering, think about the bulb wattage, battery, and bulb housing separately. Although they want you to go through a dealer I didn't because my friend who recommended them, didn't. They were nice to me and hooked me up with what I really needed.
Similar Products Used: None, but Ive seen others. I love those HID lights, let's me know who has got beer money.
Bike Setup: I have the 15w flood handle bar mount light with a NiCad water bottle. And I have the 10w spot on the helment mount with the NiCad pack. I run these lights on a muddy rooted trails. My bikes seem to be on the heavy side, and I tend to carry to much wieght (tools + water) so the battery wieght is not my biggest concern.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
joe sacco
a Cross Country Rider
from hibbing, mn. usa
Date Reviewed: May 30, 2002
Strengths: everything about this light rocks!!!
it can take a beating. i've crashed a couple times where i thought............oh no... my light is going to be toast, but no way it takes everything i dish out. it works great in the winter, easy to operate the button with gloves on.
Weaknesses: none some will say a smart charger, but come on, if you can't figure it out........your vcr clock must still be blinking??!!
Bottom Line:
before you buy any other light system, give TurboCat a try!!! you will not be disappionted. TurboCat's custumer service is way ahead of the game!! way to go TurboCat, you a life long custumer!!!
Submitted by
Pat Jennngs
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Fe, NM USA
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2001
Strengths: This is a simple solid design that is easy to set up and works quite well. Turbocat customer support is great.
Weaknesses: None noticed so far.
Bottom Line:
We mostly ride singletrack at night in the winter and it is nice to be able to switch the lights on and off while wearing heavy gloves. I rode two seasons with a Turbocat S-32 dual beam light on the handlebar and found it worked quite well. The addition of the helmet mount Trailguide this year was better than I thought it would be. I immediately felt more secure and rode faster. It allows the rider to scan ahead and pick a line into corners and dropoffs. The NiMH battery pack is light and tucks into my Camelbak. The light is very bright and provides useful light quite a way down the trail. The handlebar lights compliment the system by providing enough shadows to enhance perception of rocks and other surface variations. Helmet lights alone are too close to the eyes to cast shadows. Any decent light system is going to cost some money. Turbocats may cost a little more than other comparable brands, but are well worth a few dollars more to get the best. The lights are constructed of first rate materials. The instructions are thorough and understandable. Customer support features a real person who knows all about the product if there are questions. It comes with an ac recharger that probably should be controlled with a timer by those of us who tend to forget stuff. (It would really be slick to have a dc recharger to run off my car battery when we go camping.) This light setup is great for singletrack and technical trails. It probably would serve commuters well with the addition of a suitable tail light.
Similar Products Used: S-32 bar mount lights were used for 3 seasons so far.
Bike Setup: 2000 Cannondale Jekyl. Continental tires. Turbocat S-32 dual beam on handlebar, Trailguide 10 on helmet.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Don
a Cross Country Rider
from Corvallis, OR
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2000
Strengths: simple contstruction, very bright
Weaknesses: no smart charger. come on turbocat spend a little extra on a smart charger design. I would pay the difference.
Bottom Line:
awesome light. I don't know how anyone can ride without a helmet light. If you ride at night (commuter or offroad fun) this is an awesome light.
I commute everyday and ride offroad with this light. For commuting it matches and in many cases exceeds the brightness of any car. If you think someone does not notice and might pull out in front of you, run this light across their face and they will see you! When commuting on the bike paths pedestrians get confused and think I am a car sometimes because of the brightness of the light.
On trails I can bomb almost as fast as a daytime ride. I am going to trade in my vista lite handlebar mount for a turbocat s15 or s25 and that will be very nice. I would recommend a good flood light on your handlebars combined with the TG15 and you will be set.
I got the 10.5oz NiMH battery with the TG-15. It goes 1.5 hours consistently. I just about trashed the battery though because I let it charge for a couple of days. If you overcharge too much the battery is history. Turbocat should sell this with a smart charger. Turbocat should at least make that an option. I guess I need to go out and buy a timer switch so I don't make that mistake again.
Overall, awesome white light, easy to hook up to the helmet, easy adjustment, reliable. Almost 5 flaming burritos but I will give it a 4 because of the charger. A cheap hit but a hit none the less.
Very stable and easy ajustable helmet mounts. In combination width my TurboCat S47 it's more fun riding at night than at daytime. Actually I never ride in the dark ;-) Fast turns are no longer a problem and you can see wherever your head turns. Excellent customer support. highly recomended. Looking for a helmet mount? Buy a Trailguide! It deserves a lot more then 5 chillies!
Strengths: Beautiful and bright with a spot that really carries in the darkness
Weaknesses: It's a 6V system, making replacement bulbs very difficult to find. (Who makes 5.4V MR-11 bulbs?)
Bottom Line:
If you want a light that goes where you point your head, than this is it. I have the 15W bulb which means you get a very nice 2 hours with the NiCad battery. Along with my Turbocat S47, I can go as fast as I dare on the downhills and make fast turns with confidence since I can clearly see what's coming ahead. In fact, the 15W spot seems to carry as far as my 35W high beam on the S47. This is a really, really nice helmet mounted light.
Submitted by
Lowell
a Cross-Country Rider
from Los Gatos, CA
Date Reviewed: November 22, 1999
Bottom Line:
I tried this light for one night and really like it. The beam is bright and has a good pattern/distribution. The battery is small and lightweight. My only minor complaint is that i found the switch a little awkward to use, but that would probably get easier with practice.
