Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to REVIEWS
review
Locks
OnGuard Brute U-lockOnGuad Brute U lock

OnGuard Brute U-lock

9
by dave atkinson
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Jan 31, 2010

0
£41.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Good level of security from a mid-price lock, really good value
Weight: 
2,042g
Contact: 
www.todayscyclist.co.uk
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

At just over £40 (less online) you'd expect mid-range performance from a U-lock but the Brute proved itself to be a tough cookie and it's a great lock to sling in your bag for the daily commute. You'll need a bag, as there's no bracket supplied, although one is available.

The Brute mates a 16mm hardened shackle with a bar made from a single piece of steel, and the locking mechanism is protected against drilling and picking. The whole lock is rubberised to protect your paintwork and you get five keys (one with an LED light) to open it with. Like we said above, there's no bracket.

We attacked our sample with our standard armoury - 3ft bolt croppers, persuader, hammer, cold chisel, screwdriver and hacksaw. The 16mm shackle was too big for the jaws of our croppers so we went after it with the persuader and hammer but after five minutes the damage was pretty cosmetic, and the lock – with a slightly bent shackle – still worked fine. Onguard claim that the lock can cope with 10 tons of pulling force. It's a fairly beefy lock and you'll certainly feel the weight carrying it around, it's even heavier then the Kryptonite New York 3000, but then it is also substantially cheaper which means that in terms of bangs for buck it's a solid choice.

Verdict

Good level of security from a mid-price lock, really good value

road.cc test report

Make and model: OnGuard Brute U-lock

Size tested: 178mm

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 190cm  Weight: 98kg

I usually ride: whatever I\'m testing...  My best bike is: Trek 1.5 with Ultegra 6700

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

U-lock
OnGuard Brute U-lock
D-Lock
Cycle security
Cycle lock
Bicycle security
Dave Atkinson

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

Latest Comments