Review of OnGuard Brute LS 5000 Bike U-Lock

OnGuard Brute LS 5000 Bike U-Lock
By: OnGuard
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Excellent lock for all day parking

On: 2008-06-28

I purchased this u-lock to park my bike at the train station and it works great. I use it exactly as described in the user guide and its so strong that I leave my bike all day long there without worries. I didnt buy this lock to be carrying it around though, as it is kind of heavy (weights 4.52 lb) so I leave it locked to the bike rack overnight and I always carry on the bike a Kryptonite Coil Cable Bike Lock for short trips to the super market, etc. Using the locking technique described in the OnGuard users guide, the measures of this lock are just right to lock the bike to a standard bike rack however, there are alternative ways to lock the bike to the rack depending on what you are locking it to. As a general rule you should use a good u-lock to lock the back wheel and the frame to a rack and a lock cable to lock the front wheel to the rack and the frame. For what I read on the user reviews for other u-locks (i.e. Bell u-lock) its much more effective to have one single strong u-lock than 3 weak cheap u-locks.

safe but heavy/awkward...

On: 2008-04-17

I bought this lock based on a review Id read elsewhere saying it took over 3 hours to break through, and since I just bought a new bike, an expensive bike... I didnt want to take aaaaany chances of it getting stolen. The GOOD part about this lock is it IS wicked strong, durable, seems itd be a pain-in-the-behind to cut so I feel thieves would be deterred. The BAD parts are: 1. the base part only fits one way onto the U-bar (so use something to identify how it lines up!)... 2. the base part is hard to get back onto the U-bar, its finicky, to say the least... and 3. its wicked heavy!!! Dont expect to hang this on your handlebar and go for a ride. I have to carry it in a backpack, and after about 20 mins I start to feel it. :-( *Im only 54" and 106lbs.

tough, but fragile

On: 2007-06-27

This lock is strong and dependable- as long as you treat it gingerly. While the u-lock bar is thick enough to deter 95% of thefts, the plastic casing over the lock device very easily shatters. Im not sure whether this affects the integrity of the lock itself, but if I were to go back I would get a kryptonite instead.

Very strong but a bit narrow

On: 2007-05-15

The title to this review says it all. Its a bit heavy so when riding you may need to keep it in a backpack or something. Other than that, its a really good lock.