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review

Master Lock Street Fortum U-lock

9
£29.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Great value cycle lock that's well worth considering
Weight: 
1,084g
Contact: 
www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

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.

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The entry price point for proper U-locks seems to get lower every year, and this unit from Master Lock at £30 (less online) is a great piece of entry level security, resisting attack with the tenacity of steel costing twice as much.

The Street Fortum is well constructed from hardened steel, with a shackle that goes right through the locking bar helping to anchor it in place. It's finished in orange plastic and frame-friendly rubber, and you get four keys and a fairly bog-standard frame mount that does the job without any fuss.

We attacked the lock with our usual crop of thieves' tools starting with the bolt croppers which didn't make much of an impression. next up was the persuader which was equally ineffective, and the well-protected lock barrel survived some abuse too; the lock was still fully functional after five minutes with only minimal cosmetic damage.

All in all the Street Fortum passed with flying colours and at thirty quid – twenty if you shop around – it's excellent value to boot. Okay the mount could be better but hey, it works, and you can't have everything for this kind of money.

Verdict

Great value security solution that's well worth considering. Why spend £20-£30 on a cable lock when you could be packing this?

road.cc test report

Make and model: Master Lock Street Fortum U-lock

Size tested: n/a

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
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: 37  Height: 190cm  Weight: 96kg

I usually ride: whatever I\\\'m testing...  My best bike is: Genesis Equilibrium 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, cyclo cross, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

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.

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