Kevin, IL -- These light systems rock!! The machined handlebar release is the simplest, fastest design on the market - Great R&D - keep it up!

Meghan, CA -- After using the system once, I knew it was a great investment. I love my TurboCat! I recommend it to anyone who rides at night!!

The "S-15" handlebar-mounted beam is a hot-burning, 15-watt lamp that uses either a standard plastic clamp or (for 15 bucks extra) a trick, aluminum quick-release mount. The "TrailGuide" helmet light is available with a 5-, 10- or 15-watt lamp. Its padded aluminum platform cinches to the helmet with a hook-and-loop band through the vent slots. The two lights have separate power sources and individual waterproof switches that allow you to choose one or both units to conserve battery running time on the fly. As usual, TurboCat offers slight variations on the DualSource system so you can tailor your system to maximize candlepower or extend its burn time.

The lightest DualSource system (with the nickel/metal-hydride battery headlamp) costs $304.95; the NiCad battery version runs $299.95; and the more-economical, lead/acid battery unit is $229.95. Call TurboCat at (800) 869-7618 or visit their informative web site at: www.turbocatusa.com.

WHAT'S ON THE HELMET

Helmet-mounted lamps are essential for singletrack and technical riding. A bike-mounted lamp can't see around tight corners and can't warn you about objects that are peripheral, or beyond the fringes of where the beam is focused. The TrailGuide follows your every move, helping you to intuitively pick out lines, read trail signs and quickly identify potential dangers on the trail ahead. The TrailGuide's hot, focused spotlight beam can sharply define items fifty feet ahead that are only fuzzy shapes with the most powerful handlebar-mounted flood lamps.

These are the ins and outs of the TrailGuide light:

Easy mounting: just slip the hook-and-loop strap through your helmet's vent slots and tighten it securely. Use the second band to loop the power cord to the back of the helmet and slip the battery pack into your jersey pocket. You can fit up a TrailGuide in three minutes. The lamp unit won't budge once it's buckled up. Snug your helmet up, though; if it wiggles, so will your head-lamp.

Light weight: TrailGuide's lamp fixture weighs in at only three and a half ounces. You can barely tell it's up there, even when you are pounding down hill. Our lamp and 12-ounce nickel/metal hydride battery pack combined weighed 16 ounces. The NiCad pack weighs 25 ounces and the value-priced lead/acid power pack weighs 34 ounces.

Strong run times: If you are not weight conscious, you'll get 2.1 hours of burn time with the NiCad battery option. The lightest (nickel/metal hydride) battery burns 1.5 hours and the big, lead/acid battery burns 1.7 hours with some extra time available in an emergency.

Quick Switch: On top of the helmet lamp is a rubber-sealed on/off switch. It can be flicked on and off relatively easily, with or without gloves. Operating the switch requires a firm touch. We usually chose the head lamp when we were only using a single light.

WHAT'S ON THE HANDLEBAR

A bike-mounted beam is necessary because it casts shadows that give the rider a critical sense of the depth and texture of the terrain ahead. This is not possible with a helmet mounted lamp because it reflects back at your exact angle of vision, thus concealing all shadows. TurboCat's S-15 has a 15-watt beam that puts out a generous amount of seamless illumination in a wide flood pattern. It is attached with a small, plastic saddle that clamps to the handlebar with a hook and loop buckle. The S-15 is the lowest priced bar-mounted lamp in TurboCat's line-up to feature a remote on/off switch.

These are the ins and outs of the S-15 handlebar light:

Bottle-mount battery: The S-15's NiCad power pack is hidden inside a water-bottle-shaped container. A short pigtail wire allows it to be recharged on the bike if necessary. Hook-and-loop strips are used to route the power cable to the lamp to ease installation. The 6-volt battery will run the S-15 for a tad over two hours. A top-mounted switch prevents the system from being switched on accidentally at the handlebar.

Quick release mounts: You won't need a dedicated gizmo attached to your mountain bike. The S-15 has a quick detachable mounting system, so you can can use any bicycle you want. The S-15's hook-and-loop strap buckles the lamp firmly to the bar and a grippy, rubberlike pad keeps the lamp from vibrating out of position. The optional aluminum Q.R. mount for the S-model handlebar unit has a tiny cam lock that can be adjusted for different handlebar diameters with an Allen key. It protrudes forward about two inches more than the stock mount and helps eliminate glare when you are leaning over the bars uphill.

Remote switch: A small waterproof switch extends ftom the S-15's lamp to a hook-and-loop patch near the right hand grip, This feature encourages you to conserve power and makes it possible to flick on the brightness in a millisecond without losing control.

Big beam: A wide flood beam is perfect for the TurboCat DualSource system because it gives you the fullest view of the trail ahead. The more you see, the better your options are when choosing a line. The beam is useful for about thirty feet ahead by itself, and perfectly complements the far-reaching but narrow spot of the TrailGuide.

HOW DUALSOURCE PERFORMS

While TurboCat's diminutive helmet and handlebar lamps may not excite you in the dealer's showcase when lined up against all those heavy-hitting 50 watt laser-beams, you will be impressed by its effectiveness on the dirt. On lightning fast fireroads, you could use a bit more candlepower, but our DualSource system outperformed the best twinbeam megalamps the moment we hit the singletrack. Here, the handlebar-lamps could only peer to the next bend in the trail. The long-reaching TrailGuide could search ahead, checking and reconfirming all your options well before you were forced to make a decision. Switchbacks, a plague for night riders, were no problem. The wide S-15 let us know that the trail had come to an end, and the helmet spot let us follow the switchback right around.

The DualSource was perfect up to 20 miles an hour. Past that, the moving earth ahead would begin to "gray out" (the sensation of speed blur). Training the TrailGuide's bright spot in fron the S-15's beam helped, but it wasn't enough to match bar-mounted super systems like TurboCat's twin-lamp S47. With practice, however, you could still roost the downhills. in an impressive fashion - and at full power, the DualSource runs for almost an hour longer than all those big boy battery burners. Also, switching one light off occasionally can dramatically extend your riding time. Additionally, you can use the two lamps individually for road training or as a hail-out lamp to get you back from afternoon rides.

DUAL SYSTEM BOTTOM LINE

The DualSource performs exactly as advertised: It gives you the widest range of nighttime performance without weighing much and, although it's not chump change, doesn't cost an arm and a leg. The DualSource, is very popular among 24-hour and endurance racers because of its long burn time, effective light pattern and versatility. Its only glitch was that the helmet lamp's topmounted switch had an indistinct feeling when we were wearing gloves, and took some getting used to when switching on in a pinch. If you are in the market for a lighting system, you would do well to consider the DualSource. It demonstrates that the effectiveness of a head and handlebar lamp combined is greater than the same wattage in a single fixture. It's built like a fighter jet and won't leave you wanting anywhere in the back country.