Greg, via e-mail -- This will be year #4 these lights have been to 24 hours of Canaan/ Snowshoe. They have been great. I love em. Lighting is something I don¹t have to worry about.

Jim, CA -- “This is a sweet system. Easy hook up, bright lights, happy nights.”

William, AZ -- “When I was first shown your system, I thought it was too expensive. After setting it up, I have changed my opinion. Excellent system.”

Steve, MI -- “Your willingness to help with personal service over the phone, topnotch quality, and fair price, again - thank you. Remember. Rubber Side Down.”

Matt, NM -- “This is the best, brightest, and most versatile light I have ever used! Keep up the good work!”

Rob, MA -- “Beautiful machining!”

John, VA -- “My rescue squad uses the S25 system on our bikes, and they are nothing shy of incredible. Most public safety organizations that I know use the same lighting system. I liked them so much I bought a set for my personal bike. Thanks for a great system.”

Bruce, CA -- “Hot stuff, look forward to using it hard. Keep up the current company culture. It reflects in products & literature.”

Mark, CA -- “Beautifully made!! I went in to buy Nite Rider and came out with yours because of craftsmanship.”

Alex, OR -- “I just wanted to let you guys know you built a great website...it was very helpful when it came time to buy.”

Mark, OH -- “My job takes me across this great country of ours. Thanks TurboCat for lighting up the nights of America.”

Warren, CANADA -- “This light is everything you said it would be – bright, solid & functional. The ni-cad batteries work well down to – so far – minus 20° F.”

RECUMBENT & TANDEM
August, 2002

TurboCat S25 Lighting System

A hundred mile jaunt through the Mojave Desert, in the middle of the night, seemed like a good way to try out a set of lights from TurboCat Lighting Systems. About halfway through, it no longer seemed like such a swell idea. Not that the lights were failing, quite the contrary. If our team's energy levels stayed as high as the TurboCat's, we'd have been read to go for a double century.

We had naturally waited until the last minute to install the lights before the ride started, and our Trek 2000's handlebars were a little larger diameter than the TurboCat's beautifully made quick release on the spot light. Oops. With some quick zip-lock engineering, we were off to the desert. The TurboCat flocks had set us up with an S25 dual beam unit, rigged with 5 and 15 watt bulbs (rather than the standard 10 watt flood and 15 watt spot). Since the ride takes place under the full June moon, we were looking for longevity, not maximum intensity.

We conserved the water bottle cage mounted Ni-Cad battery as long as possible, even running dark on the long, slow climbs. Downhill, at speeds approaching 50 mph, the 15 watt spot easily produced enough light to run such speeds safely, with the road surface nicely illuminated well ahead of the speeding Trek. Most times we merely needed the 5 watt flood in order to be seen by what little traffic appears in the middle of the night in the Mojave Desert.

We liked that each of the beams can be aimed independently of each other, and really liked the simple thumb button for switching the high beam. The low beam stays on all the time, switchable by a push button on top of the battery.

The black anodized, CNC-machined 6061 T-6 aluminum lights look like precision instruments, not mass produced products, and seemed quite sturdy. TurboCat uses Silicone O-rings and grommets with stainless steel hardware to insure weatherproof lights. We liked the cam-actuated quick release once we fitted it on a Santana's handlebars, and the light system was supplied with enough lengths and pieces of Velcro and rubbing shim material to make any installation easy enough. The wiring is 18-gauge, straight wiring - enough to make a clean install and heavy enough to let the electrons flow without excess resistance.

TurboCat has been making lights since 1988, and offer a wide range of lights, both handlebar and helmet-mounted. Their batteries come with a 2 year warranty and they have a special "crash warranty" to boot. The company has proven their customer service with us, and they care enough about the individual that they have designed special systems just for recumbent riders.

The suggested retail cost of our test unit is $219.95, which includes the lights, battery, wiring, switch and charger. For the quality of the components and the functionality of the complete system, it's a tremendous value.

TURBOCAT comments: Charles might have made the QR fit his Trek 2000 perfectly by replacing one screw, which is supplied with the light set. (If it was a 31.8mm bar, our standard - and less expensive - mount would have worked fine.) But that's something to do before the ride, not during! That's why we always recommend a shakedown ride before a big event. The 5 watt is a spot beam. Our warranty is now 3 years, pro-rated. Current price of S25 is $235; with aluminum QRs, $276.

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