Robert, CA - I love your brochure - excellent tech explanations.

David, ME - This light kicks ass!

Roy, GA - Works great. Very good engineering.

Steve, WA - I like the way you do business. Personal. Quality product.

Pete, WA - Great instructions. Really like simplicity of the unit.

Andrew, MI - A fantastic light, easy ‘n’ convenient, everything I’d hoped.

David, OH - As an engineer, I appreciate the technical info on your web page.

William, MA - Thanks for using environmentally friendly packing materials. Longtime customer; bought first system in 1992.

SINGLETRACK, UK Spring, 2002 TurboCat QR10

Light brackets are always one of the first topics of conversation when a new light comes our way. Many companies in the past have got it badly wrong forcing new designs on the public year after year. At one end of the spectrum there is the utter simplicity of the Lumicycle zip ties. At the other end there are the TurboCats. A standard set of TurboCats comes with a plastic bracket and strap arrangement that works very well, but for a little extra you can specify these wonderful CNC aluminum brackets with quick release cam. After the initial fiddling to get the right tension they become one of the easiest lamps to attach and remove we have come across. But besides that they look and feel sexy. The 10 degree beam pattern was ideal for a single unit, being part way between a flood and a spot. The reach of the beam was good, allowing plenty of speed on fast flowing singletrack and the even halo around the main beam gave reasonable peripheral vision - very useful when riding through trees.

The burn time with our NiCad pack was 2.1 hours, which barring any nasty mechanicals, should get you two Red Bull laps off a full charge. Unfortunately the supplied charger requires at least 12 hours to get you up and running again.

Ordering direct from TurboCat in the USA is the only way to get hold of these lights at the moment since there is no UK distributor. As a price guide, though, you can convert directly dollar for pound once VAT and import duty have been paid, which we reckon makes them a very good value. Overall we reckon other manufacturers could learn a lot from the TurboCat brackets. The run time and beam pattern make this light a good general night riding option, but we would be looking to upgrade to a NiMH battery and smart charger for endurance riding.

TURBOCAT comments: Actually, the unit Chipps used had a 15 watt flood beam. Our standard StrapLock mount uses a metal bracket with rubber pad and hook & loop strap. For endurance racing we offer extra batteries at 60% below retail, which cost about the same as one "smart" charger. We think that's a better solution. Also, except for size and weight, we don't consider the NiMH an upgrade. See the FAQ section.

Back to Reviews Page