Description:These top of the line systems are made of anodized aluminum. They use the
same 12-watt low beam, which is bright enough to allow surprisingly brisk
riding. The difference in high beams is not so much in distance, but in
coverage. The S47 35-watt high beam is wider and therefore covers more area
than the S32's 20-watt high beam. All TurboCat dual beam systems allow you
to aim the lights independently - low beam in close, high beam further out -
for maximum benefit. Sleek, lightweight anodized aluminum housings and
cam-actuated CNC-machined quick release. Choose between Ni-Cad and Ni-MH
batteries for run time, weight, and price.
Retail prices range from $300 - $370.
Submitted by
Deserteagle99uzi
a Cross Country Rider
from st. louis, MO, USA Date Reviewed: September 30, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Berryman trail
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$330.00
Purchased At:
turbocatusa.com
Strengths:
Everything, durable, extremely bright right up untill the end of the battery life (which is longer than specified). Brights=daylight, excellent warranty and customer service
Weaknesses:
NiCad battery is a bit heavy although there are alternatives which are lighter available.
having demoed and borrowed many lights I feel confident saying that not only are these lights excellent value, they are also the best lights in terms of just about anything on the market. Turbocat is a smaller in house operation and has been for 20 years. The engineering background is apparent in the construction as the filaments are simple halogen high output with no BS lifetimes listed on bulbs. Fixtures are bombproof and lightweight. Light output outdoes all but the best HID and has a much more natural hue than HID. Warranty issues are handles in house and in person during all business hours and warranty itself is rock solid.
I will never buy another brand for bicycle light products.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from St. Louis Date Reviewed: November 25, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
Mitch, who has owned them forever.
Strengths:
Very simple, durable, insta-on, should last forever since it has already lasted forever.
Weaknesses:
Could use a smart charger since my memory to unplug the thing is questionable. Longer run times for the 12 and 24 hr races. Read on and you may just want to buy a second battery for the all-nighters.
Similar Products Used:
Nightrider enduro lith. It's run time is also low at 2:15 hrs.
Bike Setup:
Full squishy cross-country.
Bottom Line:
First and foremost, thanks a ton to the crew at Turbocat. My battery shot craps and I had sent it in for a possible repair but most likely a replacement. Sure enough, I did need a new battery. I asked them to hold off on sending a new battery since a was leering some HID's. I took the bait and bought the above mentioned Nightriders. On accident Turbocat had delivered a new battery and instead of going through the hassel of sending them back they had me pay $80.00 vs $155.00. Thanks again for the wicked good customer service! NOW FOR THE BOTTOM LINE: So as I said I purchased some HID's and now I also have my old school Turbocat system(geeze, I'm guessing these must be darn near 8-10 yrs old). I did a side-by-side test of the old school vs new school and found the turbocats(on its high setting)are brighter than the HID's. I really was ready to be blown away with HID's but I was not. They are good don't get me wrong but for the price, ability to blaze the trail, and the fact that they are about 90% bomb-proof I would go with the old school set-up if I was asked to choose all over again. I am going to keep the HID and run it on the helmet as designed, but I am going to also go Turbocat all over the bars. The combonation of the HID bright white and the yellow of halogen compliment one another for a very good trail blazen set-up. Check out the light review write up put on by this site and look at how bright and wide the Turbocats are. That picture is what I am talking about.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from Yucaipa Date Reviewed: November 19, 2006
Favorite Trail:
santa ana river
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$285.00
Purchased At:
Yucaipa Bike Center
Strengths:
Simple cnc aluminum construction, nice handlebar mount
Weaknesses:
On-off switch is on the water bottle battery, my water bottle cage in on the down tube, it is a stretch to turn it on.
Similar Products Used:
Nite rider HID Flamethrower, only briefly, it was bright, but it made me slower for some reason.
Bike Setup:
Specialized Enduro Pro
Bottom Line:
I've had this setup for about 10 years now, I have replace the battery once. It has always worked great, and the help I got when I called the manufacturer to get another battery was very professional. They seen like a small company that really pays attention to what they are doing....and how they treat their customers. The regular group of guys that I ride with have all gone through 2 to 3 Niterider systems, while I have only had to replace a battery...and their lites were not any brighter than mine. I decided to get a helmet light to help my aging eyes, so I will be getting a Turbocat Trailguide 15.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Hayden
a
from Melbourne, Australia Date Reviewed: October 31, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$500.00
Strengths:
Great quality. Extremely bright. On high beam they are more powerful than the stadium 3 that I also run.
Weaknesses:
Battery bit the dust after less than a year of use. Perhaps that's reasonable. Luckily I bought two. I long for a heavy duty battery that can run the high beam for more than half an hour.
Similar Products Used:
Cateye Stadium 3, Smart Light
Bike Setup:
Avanti Aggressor turned into commuter. Lit up like a Christmas tree.
Bottom Line:
I was run over once at dawn. With a HID and these lights combined, I am trying to minimise the likelihood of such an event recurring. These are fantastic lights but given the high beam does not last long it is often the Cateye that brings me home. The low beam doesn't really cut it (or at least, by itself, would not grab the attention of drivers). If they sold a heavy duty battery that made it last 90 minutes I would be perfectly satisfied as they are great quality lights. At least if the globes go it won't cost me $300AUD like it did with the Cateye.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Angwin, CA Date Reviewed: April 3, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Santa Ana River
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Purchased At:
Woodcrest Bicycle Center, Riverside CA
Strengths:
Crash proof!
Weaknesses:
NONE
Bottom Line:
With the exception of HID lights, these are the best and brightest for overall road and mountain use.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mitch J
a Weekend Warrior
from St.Louis,Mo. Date Reviewed: March 29, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Ranch
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Don't remember
Strengths:
Very light NiMH battery, clean light and after 7+ years of heavy use-no problems. Have yet to burn out a bulb or run the battery dead(I primarily use 12w setting).
Weaknesses:
Can only select 12w low or 32w blaze, would like to use 20w sometimes, this would increase burn time options. My one piece light head with QR's has trouble fitting on some rise bars, I think the new version is a two piece unit. A few times I've gone to charge the battery and forgotten to turn the swtich on. When this happens, no charge. The only way to be sure it's on is to plug the light in, turn it on, and unplug it.
Similar Products Used:
Nightsun, Niterider(several), Vista Light, Turbo Cat helmet light(still have-10years old!)
Bike Setup:
one gear
Bottom Line:
If you're not ready for the complexity of HID, Turbo Cat is still dedicated to halogen and it works. The light is simple, clean and durable. I'm a fan of water bottle batteries, I use a Camelbak for my water. Many light level options and battery options.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Garth
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada Date Reviewed: November 26, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
direct from Turbocat
Strengths:
I chose Turbocat after review on this site and after navigating their excellent, straightforeward website. The lights are fantastic and the service is impecible. Gimmick-free design, very user friendly quick release attachments, durable +++ (my reason for avoiding HID lights for now) and light that is phenomenal (obvious on MTBreview's recent light review where they are dramatically better than any other non-HID lights and as good as the HIDs from other manufacturers). I had a problem with a baterry and asked fop advice and the answer was "we'll send you a new one tomorrow and throw in a replacement bulb for your trouble". Brilliant.
Weaknesses:
Retro lack of LEDs, smart chargers etc. which I don't think of as a true weakness but a lack of unessesary gimmicks that are more potential trouble than benefit.
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Blur
Bottom Line:
superb. Any one riding through the cold dark winter will love them.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tero
a Weekend Warrior
from Espoo, Finland Date Reviewed: August 26, 2003
Since I posted the first review, now I think I should really tell you what I'm thinking of these lamps... Now I ran out of my spare bulbs and can't get them from Finland, so I contacted TurboCat. I also had one not so nice problem with the battery pack, there was a somekind of a loose connection in it, so the light went off every once in a while, dangerous, isn't it. (I have to blame myself, once I almost dropped the battery, and grabbed the cord). So next day I got an answer, and they told me how to open the battery pack, and offered to mail me replacement seals to get it back together. and of course how I could get replacement bulbs. Weird is that I was expecting answer like:"If your battery isn't working, you should buy a new one!" Battery still works fine, even though now it doesn't last as long as it used to. I definitely don´t regret the money I spent!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ivan
a
from Hong Kong Date Reviewed: August 19, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Any
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$340.00
Strengths:
The look ! The build ! The Quick Releases and of course it is bright as hell !! Ride intriguing !! Go out and ride and feel safe at night on bumpy road...
Weaknesses:
None so far.. I bought my first S47 in year 2000, and my S25 in year 2002 and now another S47 in year 2003.
Similar Products Used:
CatEye, Cateye Bottle, others. But I sold them all and keeping one for emergency at home (when lights are out and you need to go to the bathroom)
Bike Setup:
Used them on my 2003 GIANT, 2002 Tracer, 2003 Turner XCE..
Bottom Line:
I now own two systems, S25 and S47. Both are absolutely great. "Night Riders", "Cat Riders", "Risky Riders" and my buddies felt awe when seeing this beautiful and bright "sunlight". I get a sense of security when out riding at night and when there is a nice and supportive Elayne who helped me and keep her customer happy all the time. The bottom line; ride at night with amusement.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Luke T
a Cross Country Rider
from Laketown, CO, USA Date Reviewed: September 9, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Mountain Lion
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Manufacturer
Strengths:
Extreme brightness Beautiful billet construction Attention to detail great battery superb mounting system no vibration simple charging system
Weaknesses:
few distributors an auto charger would be nice.. ditto on the wall timer.
Whyte PRST-1 or on my road bike or on my commuter or on my head when I go caving.
Bottom Line:
The best lighting system I have found for any price. Top quality construction, superb attention to detail, best mounting system, excellent factory support The 47 watt bulb is so bright you MUST dim for oncoming traffic or BLIND somebody!! Absolutely dominating in 24-hour races and adventure races. I won't race with anything else, nothing comes close. A good value, too.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Galilao Shinnosuke
a Cross Country Rider
from Escondido, CA USA Date Reviewed: January 19, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Daly Ranch in Escondido
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$238.00
Purchased At:
Northeast Cyclery in Albuquerque
Strengths:
Well made, durable, easy to attach and remove from handlebar. Bright, can adjust the elevation between the low beam and high beam. The burn time is about 100 minutes on the 12 watt low beam only. Adding the 35 watt high beam gives a run time of about 35 minutes at a continuous 47 watts total.
Weaknesses:
Could have more run time at 47 watts. The switch must be on in order to charge the battery so a charge indicator would be useful, as occasionally, I didn't know that the switch was off and had the impression that the battery was charging when it wasn't. I use a wall plug timer to prevent overcharging.
Similar Products Used:
Nightrider Cyclops, still have it, also a good light.
Bike Setup:
2000 Santa Cruz Superlight with a 1999 Atom Bomb fork
Bottom Line:
An excellent light for the money, I'm glad I got it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from central Washington state Date Reviewed: January 18, 2002
Favorite Trail:
too many
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
direct
Strengths:
Nearly everything about the battery and lights is perfect
Weaknesses:
The Way it charges is limited, and Extremely important to have connected correctly.
Similar Products Used:
Night Rider
Bike Setup:
Rocky Mountain Element, 2.4" Motoraptors, Cane creek AD12, Terry seat, Avid Mechanical disc brakes,
Bottom Line:
Lights are perfect and a great value for the construction quality. Nothing better only possibly equal(remotely possible I guess)
The weak link is the charger. If the charger was as good as the lights nobody else would be selling bike lights!
The Battery has an on off switch which must be "on" for the battey to charge. Way to many times I have walked away after plugging the battery into the charger and come back later to realize I did not have the swith on the battery "on"
There is no indication that the battery is being charged when plugged in, I don't know about the rest of you but for me that's a problem. Everything I have with rechargable batteries, Motorola radios, CD player, Digital camera, video camera eveything indicates the battery is charging but the Turbocat lights. So I'm not satisfied with that feature.
Now when you use the lights for 30 minutes on Monday night, 25 minutes on wed night, 1 hour 10 minutes on Friday night how do you keep track of what amount of time you should charge the battery? I want it full but I don't want to over charge the battery and cook it. Again a charger that shuts off when the charge is complete would be a great feature.
I know the timer is a good idea but how long to you leave it on if the battery is not completely dead VS half used or 1/4 used???? The charger is without question the missing link. They need a charger like a Dewalt cordless drill has. You can leave the battery on that charger for ever with no problem and it's ready to go all the time. If they had this system nobody else would be in the light businss! Turbocat would own the bike light market!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John Uno
a Weekend Warrior
from Vienna, Va Date Reviewed: November 20, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Reston to Great Falls
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$335.00
Purchased At:
City Bikes in DC
Strengths:
EXTERMELY BRIGHT..Turns the darkest night into day. Easy to set up, looks gr8t. Quality of workmanship. Easy to switch from bike to bike.
Weaknesses:
None so far. A little expensive. Like the other guy said, buy a light timer and you have a smart charger.
I never rode at night before, but with these lights, I can ride off road, on road, and the W&OD trail with confidence. I would recommend these lights to anyone who can afford them. My friends have to have them after seeing them. Can't give 5 chilis for value because of the price, but you do get what you pay for.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin Lyons
a Cross Country Rider
from New York City Date Reviewed: March 3, 2001
Favorite Trail:
all cross country
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
$300
Strengths:
The brightest Light I have ever seen, cars planes, zenon included. I purchased the s32 for it's simple design and no plastic parts. Elaine and Tom have best personalized service I can probably call 3am in the morning an she'll answer the phone like it's 12 noon.I needed an extension cable an Elaine mailed one to me for free. I charge over night and ride before the sun comes up. Then ride at night on the same charge.
Weaknesses:
No quick charger or smart charge. I wounder how much charge is to much. I dont want to cook the nicmh battery so I plug it in before bed time.
Similar Products Used:
tried Night rider but didn't purchase it because it wasn't streamline enough.
I have never bought a product tha did so much more than you expect. CNC machined parts just like a custom car. people and passer by stare it the bike an ask me "How many watts is that 500?" I tell them only 12. I ride mostly in New York City and this light is so bright taxi drivers think an 18 wheeler is pulling up behind them. It's the respect you get from vehicles in traffic. Upper beam switch makes it easy to flash the brights without reaching down to battery switch. The look makes the bike, and the performance will save your life. I want to get the 20w bulb low beam and 40w high next, I want cars to give me the brights telling me down those high beams 5 flamin turds or what ever they are.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bob epley
a Downhiller
from peo Date Reviewed: February 15, 2001
Favorite Trail:
oregon
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
bobs
Strengths:
its about as bright as five of those flaming things that i am gonna give this light. what the hell are those?
Weaknesses:
if you are picky, its slightly bulky
Similar Products Used:
too many to list
Bike Setup:
massasuri gp890
Bottom Line:
brighter than the bat signal. thats a fact baby. i should write 50 words, but you probably get the picture even if it is hidden in the review. fish for it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Birmingham Date Reviewed: November 17, 2000
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$340.00
Purchased At:
from Trubo Cat
Strengths:
Top notch construction and materials (all machined aluminum, NO Plastic), amazingly bright light, independently adjustable
Weaknesses:
Does not come with a smart charger. (Buy a timer at the local hardware store for $5)
Similar Products Used:
NiteRider, Vista Light, Apex DLI
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Heckler, Z1, XTR, Raceface
Bottom Line:
By far, the best light I have EVER used! The S47 will outshine any Niterider or Vistalight system. Then I turn on the high beam. When I ride with friends...they don't need their lights! I'm not kidding.
Setup was easy, customer service was #1 (Elaine) and the $90 extra over the Apex DLI was well worth it!
I almost feel like I'm cheating.
It doesn't get any better than this
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jan-Marcel
a Weekend Warrior
from Utrecht, The Netherlands Date Reviewed: August 15, 2000
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Extremely bright, very solid and compact. Excellent service (thank you Elayne!!!)
Weaknesses:
Unfortunately no distributor or dealers in The Netherlands (but this is counterparted by their perfect service!). Product weaknesses: none, zip, zilch, zero
Similar Products Used:
Cateye, NightRider and some other overrated brands
Bike Setup:
Cannondale hardtail & recumbent
Bottom Line:
Having used several lighting systems and wasting a lot of money on overrated lights I finally dare to ride my bike all night long. In combination with a trailguide you could outspeed any daytime downhill-racer. Using only the high beam gives the impression of riding at daylight. No problem any more with cars; my low beam will blind them, my high beam will burn them. Service (especially by Elayne) is perfect. The best lighting system for sale at this plannet. Why can I only value this superb system with 5 chillies?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pat Jennings
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Fe, NM USA Date Reviewed: April 22, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Aspen Vista Radio Towers
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Support number with actual people for technical questions. Light weight. Dependable endurance. Simple mounts. Decent light.
Weaknesses:
Dimmer switch is a little tricky to work with winter weight gloves. I know I will forget and cook the expensive NMIH battery some day. It should have a timer or smart charger. Fewer dealers carry the product so replacement bulbs could be hard to find quickly.
Similar Products Used:
3 D cell MagLight. My friends mostly use NightRider.
Bike Setup:
A '96 Jamis Dakar dual suspension with obligatory leaky Noleen rear shock.
Bottom Line:
We rode twice a week all winter long in the dark and there were no problems with this light. It has the best mounting setup of the brands I have seen. The light can even be adjusted while on the bike to get the beam placement just right. An additional helmet mounted light to shine around corners and into drop offs would really improve things. My friends with the bar and helmet setups are faster in tricky terrain. Some of their helmet mount lights were tricky to adjust. A single beam bar mount light and 10 or 15 watt helmet light setup would be a good combination. Even with great lights, speed must be reduced at night. I failed to heed the warning and can now report that the TurboCat held up better in a crash than the rest of the bike. Night rides kept us in condition over the winter and were much more fun than spinning classes. It does cost quite a bit however no matter what brand is purchased.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from LA Date Reviewed: February 1, 2000
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Super bright, very compact, and solid construction
Weaknesses:
No leeway in wire length, so make sure you order with sufficient length or you'll have to pay even more! No smart charger for NiMH battery.
Similar Products Used:
Various overhyped brands
Bike Setup:
GT hardtail, Z2 Atom bomb
Bottom Line:
Of all the lights I read about and tried, the S47 seems to be the best. The 12W is surprisingly bright and when combined with the 35W, I put out more white light than most cars. Everything about the light is just beautiful. My only complaints were the wire length and lack of an auto charger. My NiMH battery came with a straight 18 gauge wire that measured 22" which was too short to reach my water cage on the seat tube of my 16" frame. My down tube has derailleur wires which would have been affected by the battery's velcro strap. (Did anybody else have this problem?) I ended up having to pay another five bucks to Elayne for an extension and this light wasn't cheap to begin with. So if you're going to get this awesome little light, make sure you order it with the appropriate wire length. And as for an auto charger, that would prevent the possibility of cooking very expensive NiMH batteries. Not perfect, but this came close.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Henrik
a Cross Country Rider
from Switzerland Date Reviewed: January 19, 2000
Favorite Trail:
country
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
quality, snow white light, beam pattern, support, price/performance
Weaknesses:
none, zero, zip
Similar Products Used:
TurboCat S25
Bike Setup:
fully
Bottom Line:
Having used a TurboCat S25 for one year, I was wondering how one could top that. The S47 was the answer. It's overall quality, sturdy design, this incredible white light and technical simplicity make this such an outstandig product. And, tech support from TurboCat is unmatched. I wonder if Elayne ever sleeps. I've always gotten extensive answers to all of my many questions within minutes. It's great to see a company making superior products with excellent service at a highly competitive price. I congratulate TurboCat on a timeless piece.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cooldaddy
a Cross-Country Rider
from OKC Date Reviewed: November 23, 1999
Favorite Trail:
South Boundry, Taos
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
overall quality, feels strong and well built. Brightness and shape of beams. Cool CNC look. adjustability. Excellent customer service.
Weaknesses:
kinda pricy.
Similar Products Used:
TurboCat S25. TurboCat S15 Flood.
Bike Setup:
Spot single speed with SID or Specialized M2 with Superfly
Bottom Line:
I bought the S32 system with 2 NMH batteries, I used the S25 and S15 at the time and wanted more power/light. I was also preparing for a 24 race in Austin and got the extra discout using their 24 hour discout program, also my LBS gave me an extra good deal. I purchased 2 spare bulbs, a 12w flood and a 20w flood. When I got the lights I switched out the low beam (12w flood) for the 20w flood, changing system into an S40 with 20w flood (low) and 20w spot (high). This change works perfect for the kind of riding I do. I hardly need the high beam which saves running time, I know for sure that if I had kept the 12w low beam I would be using the 20w high beam a bunch, decreasing the running time. The 20w flood low will run for an hour and 40 minutes at least while running both will cut it to 50-60 minutes. I used this set-up in the 24 hour race and with 2 batteries the system worked perfectly while not even using the high beam but a few times. 20w flood low rules! Elayne at TurboCat swapped my 12w spares for 20w spares for free. Awesome. I'll use these pupies allot this winter.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cdale
a Racer
from Dillsburg, PA Date Reviewed: October 12, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Stubbies Trail
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Service and quality
Weaknesses:
No 24 Hours of Canaan Support.
Similar Products Used:
Night rider- Vista Lite
Bike Setup:
CAAD4
Bottom Line:
This is the best light you can buy. This thing is well built and can take abuse. Plus it looks real cool. No one has a mounting bracket that even comes close.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Son Tran
a Weekend Warrior
from Northville, MI Date Reviewed: September 29, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Highland
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Clamps. Housing. Durability.
Weaknesses:
I wish I didn't have to carry the hex wrenches to do the adjustments. Very minor.
Bike Setup:
GT Ricochet, Marzocchi Bomber shocks
Bottom Line:
WOW! I have to give the people at Turbo Cat their due. I have to admit that I was skeptical at seeing all the 5 chilis this product has gotten. When I was shopping for lights, I looked at the Turbo Cats and the NiteRiders. Well, my first night out I rode with a fella that had the NiteRider and it really fell short in comparison.I really have to thank Elaine for walking me through the all options and helping me find out what setup would work for me. I ended up with the S32s and TG10 (originally I was going for the TG15 but Elaine told me that the 10 would be more complimentary; she was right!) Oh yeah, I endoed on a climb and crash right onto the lights. They are still shining bright!! I love the lights! A highly deserved 5 chilis.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Herman
a Cross-Country Rider
from Johannesburg South Africa Date Reviewed: May 27, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Sabie - Ceylon trail
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Amazing constuction and durability, as well as quality of light, and mounting mechanism.
Weaknesses:
Price
Similar Products Used:
Cateye, My own home made halogens made from mining helmet lamps
Bottom Line:
The best light out there. I took some time to decide, and have used other lights before. The last ones were my own home made efforts using mining helmet lamps, and these let me down when the high wattage bulbs melted their way through the reflector from behind. I did a lot of research before getting there babies, but it was worth it. I even did the National Championships Xcountry course at night. No problem!! The best lights out. I only wish I could give them 10 chillies !! You get what you pay for, and these are definately worth the price.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Snowpup
a Cross-Country Rider
from Boston, MA Date Reviewed: April 14, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:
This is an outstanding product! I got the S-32 setup & couldn't be happier. I have found that low beam is good enough for most riding conditions, and that high beam turns night into day. The workmanship is flawless, the clamp grips tight, & everything looks & feel sturdy.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kenji
a downhiller
from Australia Date Reviewed: March 7, 1999
Bottom Line:
Just received my S47's and let me assure you these are well worth the price payed. The finish, design and quality of these bad boys are second to none. but hey the real issue is; are they bright enough for all of the night riding you are likely to do? and the answer is a definite YES. I've ridden mine on rides through downhill singletrack in a pine forest and just general bike path riding and they are bright enough on low beam! I mean they are small and lite but they are as bright if not brighter than a car headlight. For really high speed runs through singletrack just click the high beam switch and it's like you've got daylight guiding your run, only it's better because you can see the contours of the track far better than in daylight with drop offs and jumps being highlighted with shadows and pure white light!. Anyway if you are considering getting the best lights for your hard earned dough then get S47's (you get what you pay for! top quality and performance). In regards to Dave's earlier problem of mounting the S47's on Azonic PDW riser bars. I have talked to him and Elayne and Tom(from Turbocat) extensively about this.(As I read Dave's review after ordering the lights!). Anyway I worked out a solution for my Azonic PDW riser (mine has 2.5inch rise) and the lights fit/grip perfectly. No cutting or gnarly mods all you need is a pair of parrallel pliers. Just email me or Turbocat and they'll be able to help you out! Oh yeah the other thing which impressed the hell out of me was their customer service. It is just as good as there products, really high quality! talk to Elayne she was most helpful with my problem and chased everthing up promptly. It's no wonder Turbocat has the best name in the business.
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Submitted by
Dave
a cross-country rider
from Hong Kong Date Reviewed: February 13, 1999
Bottom Line:
I recommend these excellent lights, and the helpful people down at Turbocat. Why? Well the lights WORK, they are a beautiful solid piece of equipment, dead lightweight, and really BRIGHT (just like those Turbocat folks). Own these lights and you'll understand. This is machined alloy, not plastic and certainly built to last. Its better made and a lot brighter than anything else I've seen, including my own homemade halogen efforts. We all instinctively know when something is right, right? I don't like to cut corners on basic safety equipment. I reckon I'll still have the good stuff long after I've forgotten how much it cost. Er, I hope so. This is one expensive set of front lights, my birthday present to myself. S47 are the business especially on those narrow overgrown single track trails, where you don't want to fall off into the sea in the middle of the night.
$ 300.00
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