About to move into rented house. I probably shouldn't drill into the garage floor to put in proper ground anchors. Thought I might make a couple of large concrete blocks with something set into them. What have others used, and where did you get the materials, esp the chain or loop?
builders bucket, some Postcrete and a d-lock
A big bucket or barrel with chains hanging out, fill with concrete which weighs a ton, hey presto a bike with a very heavy thing attached to it.
Bald tyre for free from local car mechanics, some concrete inside it. So then you can loop chain for padlock inside it.
Cool, cheers. Thought about silicone buckets and postcrete....it's just the chain or loop that I was struggling with as I don't really want to write off a u lock or hardened chain. The tyre idea might help though. How do you fill it...in sections?
Yep, make it up not very wet and I got it done in 3 goes. I used 3 bags of premixed stuff from B&Q for a fairly standard tyre.
I just drilled a hole in the floor of my (rented) garage to put a ground anchor in. I convinced the landlord that it added value and he didn't mind (as long as it was somewhere near the corner).
I drilled the garage floor in my last rented house, didn't even consider any other options as i was locking my motor trials bike to it, I also drilled the walls and fitted bike hooks and anchors to the walls to lock those too, when I left I cut them off with the grinder and ground them flat, they were barely noticeable then!
I don't really want to write off a u lock or hardened chain.
Isn't a U lock much cheaper than buying a proper ground anchor ?
Nope, ground anchors 10 - 15 quid from Screwfix. Decent u-lock 30 plus....
Have a look in your local Yellow Pages for a "Concrete Reinforcement" supplier - they'll often have a waste skip of offcuts - look for a bent loop of thick rebar that you can set into a concrete-filled 40 litre flexi tub (which will weigh about 80 kg if you fill it to the brim).
Landlord would probably be happier to see a nice security anchor smartly bolted to his garage floor when you've left than an 80kg block of concrete, plastic and re-bar for him to deal with!