Oxford Lock-On Grips

Despite what looks like a decent shape, on the road these budget Oxford Lock-On Grips have too much give in the palm section, not enough grip comfort round the front of the bar, and minor build imperfections.

• Pros: Cheap, palm rest is decent shape
• Cons: Support is too soft towards the rear and not soft enough at the front, very average build quality

I was trying to think about a suitable metaphor for Oxford's products. It had to be something workaday, non-flashy, but also with the potential to be a secret gem. Then it hit me: Primark. Its cut-price jeans might not wow anybody on a special night out, but when you need something familiar, reliable and comfy, sometimes Primark manages to make a garment that becomes a true personal favourite.

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Oxford's massive range of cycling accessories is very much of the same ilk. They're never going to win bragging rights and some of its products do the job but little more, but sometimes it also manages to market something surprisingly impressive that becomes a staple part of your cycling life. It's fair to say, though, these lock-on grips are probably not one such product.

Performance

But let's start with the good. Fitting is a very straightforward affair – in truth, taking off my old rubber grips was far harder than fixing the new Oxfords in place. You simply slide the grip onto the end of your handlebar, then secure with two tiny bolted collars at either end. Because the grips are open-ended, two bar plugs are also provided, which you tap into the end of the bar.

During fitting the grips looked sturdy enough to supply good support, so I had high hopes for their performance. However, out on the road, with your full weight resting on the rear wings, it quickly becomes apparent there is too much give and the very back section of the palm rests have a tendency to bend over slightly. Meanwhile, the front section of the grips, where your fingers curl over the bars when they're not covering the brakes, remains rock solid when you would be quite happy for a bit of squidge.

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Build quality

There are also some minor construction blemishes to the Oxford grips' copybook. Aesthetically, there is no chance you could confuse these lock-ons with more premium products. The connection between the metal clamp ends and main rubber section of grip isn't particularly neat, with the rubber slightly overlapping the clamp bolt head. This means you have to peel the rubber back just a tad to access the tightening bolt.

Another small annoyance for fastidious cyclists is the orientation of those clamp bolt heads. If you lay both grips down side by side in the same way, all four bolt heads would point either up or down. But because one grip needs to be flipped to be a mirror image of the other when fitted to the bike, one grip's tightening bolt heads are pointing up, while the other's are pointing down. It's a small consideration, but I'd like the bolt heads on one grip to be reversed so they're all pointing the same way when fitted.

Value

Maybe I'm being a bit picky with build issues – after all, what can you expect for £11.99? Essentially, I was expecting better than mediocre performance. Of course, other riders might put far less pressure on their handlebar then I do, in which case you could buy them without particularly high hopes and might find yourself pleasantly surprised. For commuting and leisure duties they might offer lighter riders, or those with smaller hands whose palms don't rest so far back, a more passable ride experience. But for riders with any kind of demanding expectations, I'd give them a miss.

Verdict

Budget lock-on grips whose cheap price can't make up for less-than-sturdy palm rests and minor build imperfections