The Oxford Shackle14 Pro Duo U-Lock is a beefy bike lock with a Diamond Sold Secure rating. It’s functional and effective – any wannabe thieves will need some decent equipment to get their hands on your prized two-wheeled possession. However, you’ll want to factor in the weight and size, and the mount could be better.
> Buy now: Oxford Shackle14 Pro Duo U-Lock for £56.99 from AW Cycles
The Shackle14 Pro Duo, as the name suggests, comes in two parts: a U-shaped lock and extender cable.
As with most of these locks, the U (or D) section attaches to a large shackle containing the locking mechanism, which locks on both points of contact. It’s operated with a key lock in the centre, and this has a sliding cover to prevent dirt getting in.
The 1.2m cable is a good length for securing the front wheel. Just remember that the Sold Secure Diamond rating doesn’t cover the cable, so use that only to secure wheels and the like, to make sure your bike is covered by insurance.
The lock and cable together weigh in at just under 2kg, which is quite hefty. My commutes are pan flat and short, so it’s not been a problem carrying it, but if you’re taking this with you on any longer (and hillier) rides, it’s something to consider. The mount adds another 88g.
The lock comes with three keys, which is handy, but I did find the key operation rather fiddly – there’s certainly a knack to it. This is something mentioned in a lot of online reviews, and also reflects an experience I’ve had with another Oxford lock. It’s not something that should prevent you buying the lock, just something to be aware of when you first get your hands on it.
Mount
I tested the lock on my commuter bike, using the mount to attach it to the bike as I just don’t have the bag space for a large U-lock.
The mount is a plastic affair, with two cable-tie type straps that need to be cut off once you’ve fitted the mount, otherwise they would hit your legs while pedalling. This means if you wanted to use the mount on different bikes, you’d need more cable ties.
For me, the best location for the mount was my top tube – my sole bottle cage prevented mounting elsewhere. Once I’d cut the straps back, it was okay to ride with, but certainly not that aesthetically pleasing, and there was still a rattle from the lock when riding on rougher roads.
> How to lock your bike when you’re out and about so it’s there when you come back
I’ve not been able to confirm this, but any conventional frames smaller than 54cm might really struggle to mount this at all. Overall, mounting scores low for me.
Security
The most important feature is security, and my first impressions of this lock were really good here. It’s heavy, beefy, and the locking mechanism feels solid. I’d suggest that an opportunist thief would really struggle to budge this.
Luckily, road.cc has performed some more extensive testing on bike locks to see how better-equipped crims might fare. You can watch the video Dave made on this, to give a good idea of how these locks can cope against bolt cutters and angle grinders.
The results for the Oxford Shackle14 Pro Duo U-Lock are:
- Bolt cutters: Wouldn’t fit around the D-lock
- Angle grinder: 25secs
- Notes: The cable lasted 53secs with bolt croppers. With the angle grinder, we cut one side of the shackle and twisted it off
So basically, it’s not impenetrable, but a thief would need to come well equipped and have a decent amount of time before they could get away with a bike.
Value
If we compare that against other similarly priced locks, it could do a little better. The standout here is the £50 Halfords Advanced 23cm D Lock, which lasted over three times as long against the angle grinder, and comes with an almost identical frame mount – though no extender cable.
Another competitor at a similar price (£49.99) is the Master Lock U-Lock. This also performed better against Dodgy Dave’s attacks, but only scored 6/10 for other functional reasons.
On balance, the Shackle14 Pro Duo doesn’t perform quite as well against an angle grinder, but for your day-to-day use, the Sold Secure Diamond rating still adds reassurance – it’s still a really secure bike lock.
If you’re looking for even more security you can spend a lot more – £289.99 for the Squire Stronghold D16 Max, for example – but for me, the Oxford is about right for commuter use. I’m certainly happy leaving my £500 commuter bike locked up in bike-crime-ridden central Bristol with it.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s a good bike lock, with a Diamond rating, and a useful extender cable. My main niggle is the mounting system and slightly fiddly key lock, but functionally it does the job it’s meant to.
> Buy now: Oxford Shackle14 Pro Duo U-Lock for £56.99 from AW Cycles
Verdict
Good Diamond-rated lock with a handy cable and frame mounting
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Oxford Shackle14 Pro Duo U-Lock and cable
Size tested: n/a
Tell us what the product is for and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
From Oxford:
The Shackle 14 Pro U-Lock is a heavyweight security product awarded a DIAMOND rating by Sold Secure.
Available in long (LK322) and short (LK321) shackle lengths, with the Duo (LK323) having an additional extender cable.
Dimensions
LK321: 14mm shackle, 260(h) x 173(w)mm
LK322: 14mm shackle, 320(h) x 173(w)mm
LK323: 14mm shackle, 320(h) x 173(w)mm (+ 12mm x 1.2m cable)
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Oxford:
Sold Secure approved: Bicycle DIAMOND
14mm diameter shackle
Double locking mechanism
Includes carry bracket
3 high security keys
Extender cable included
Lock itself seems high quality; I’ve noticed no defects.
The mount could be better.
Performed well. Note the performance in our dedicated lock test: it took 25 seconds for an angle grinder to get through this.
The rubberised outer helps, and the main body of the shackle seems durable.
It’s almost 2kg if you include the cable (plus the mount, 88g), which is rather heavy.
It seems priced about right. The Diamond rating and cable extender warrant the price tag of just over £50.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It performed well, the locking did its job and I never doubted its level of security.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
I liked the sturdy construction of the main body, and the extender cable. Practically, I’d want this for securing my front wheel in public places.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The mounting options just didn’t work for me. I had to cut the cables of the mount to enable pedalling, and it rattled a bit.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It’s slightly more than the Halfords Advanced 23cm and the Master Lock U Lock, both around £50. The Halfords lock performed better against the angle grinder test, but the Oxford Shackle14 Pro does come with an extender cable. Bike mounting options are similar, although I didn’t love the functionality of the Oxford mount.
There’s more security on offer at higher prices – for example, the Kryptonite New York is very thief resistant, but would set you back a whopping £269.99.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
It has a few flaws, but overall this is a good lock. The Master Lock, priced similarly, scored 6, but this goes one better, think, with its extender cable being the kicker.
About the tester
Age: 34 Height: 182cm Weight: 69kg
I usually ride: S-Works Tarmac My best bike is:
I’ve been riding for: Under 5 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, Gravel on a CX bike
1 thought on “Oxford Shackle14 Pro Duo U-Lock and cable”
I have 2 of these both have
I have 2 of these both have the “key issue”. Except it’s not. It’s a tolerance issue. The head of the lock slips past the point the teeth should engage with the slot in the Dloop. You basically have to ease the head back a mm or so for the teeth to engage.
Sloppy tolerances.
Decent lock but annoyingly fiddly.
Hope this makes sense!