I’ve two bikes that are going to be stored away from home in a garage (a trusted friends’ garage!) and I’m in need of a very good (ideally the best) lock for security, insurance & peace of mind (mine & theirs!). At the moment there’s nothing structural in the garage to lock the bikes to however. No limit on weight as the lock will only be used in the garage.

kryptonite ground anchor and abus granite chain.

19mm chain, through a ground anchor.

security for bikes

2metre long should be long enough to ‘do’ 2 bikes at the same time.

Torc ground anchors (if youre allowed to drill his bricks or floor) and chains and squires locks.

Fixing a ground anchor to blocks as per the photo on the Torc link is a but odd for a publicity shot.

Block is very likely to split on drilling, and unlesd the bolts are deep enough to pass through the block and and bedding material in to something solid, then the whole thing could just be lifted up.

one that the internet doesnt know you have.

16 or 19mm chain, decent ground anchor, closed shackle squire padlock.
Don’t forget proper insurance and beef up the garage door if its an up and over.

First priority is to check the insurance status of your bikes at this temporary location (either under your policy or under your friends).

First priority is to check the insurance status of your bikes at this temporary location (either under your policy or under your friends).

I don’t have them yet as they’re new & not long been ordered. I’m unsure whether to use my house insurance or a specific bike insurance e.g. CyclePlan, ETA etc. Any thoughts?

I’d call your current home insurance provider and explain – and see what they’ll offer, and what security they insist on. I know my home policy was simple enough to extend to my own garage for the only bike we have which is >£1000 value, at very little cost and with very little requirement for specific security. But we live in a low crime postcode, not everyone has that luxury.

Every security tool known to man can be overcome by a criminal with the right tools, so I’d be making sure that in the worst case scenario you get your money back.

Bike specific policies will probably cover the bike away from the insured location (i.e. at a friend’s house) provided it is secured to an immovable object with an approved lock.

So I’d start with the insurance side first, and then address whatever physical security you need to comply with their requriements.

I’d call your current home insurance provider and explain – and see what they’ll offer

Thanks. Just off the phone with them (esure) and its a no-go as the bikes need to be stored at the insured location i.e. my house (btw the garage is actually attached to ex-wife’s house. Life’s complicated!). Guess its either a dedicated policy or subsidise her house policy.

Almax – Accept no substitutes.

Throw an Abus Bordo in there too to make it awkward.

secured to an immovable object

Anyone know what counts as an ‘immovable object’ to ensure cover is provided?

http://securityforbikes.com/security-chains.php
Great guy to deal with, very helpful
I got one of the 11mm for when i’m out with the family on a pub ride (my lad carries it !!) and a 13mm for when its in the garage.
Get the chain and padlock as high as possible when locking it up so they can’t use bolt croppers effectively.

http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/Default.aspx
ones are as good but at the time they didn’t do an 11mm one and the 13mm is too heavy to carry

The so called gold sold secure ones from Kryptonite and Abus don’t fair well at all !

Almax 19mm or Pragmasis version as recommended repeatedly above, with torc ground anchor or the like, Small not of warning 19mm chains won’t fit thru the kyptonite ground anchor. Also I get two chains (a smaller one to feed thru the other) so you can lock forks/wheels, not just the easily sliced thru frames

I’d say mount the “ground anchor” to a roof beam or similar – much harder to mess with something 7ft off the ground and harder to steady the chain enough to cut easily

Is the only entrance an up and over door? Or is there a side door?

qwertyuiop7 – Member

Get the chain and padlock as high as possible when locking it up so they can’t use bolt croppers effectively.

Mostly a myth, this- if the chain comes within a couple of feet of the ground then it makes little difference, you only need to get the tip of the cropper handle on the ground, and a bit of angle- and croppers that’ll break a quality chain are big, you’re talking 3 foot handles or more. And it’s pretty simple for them to raise the “floor” with something solid too. It’s not pointless, but it’s not something you want to put any faith in.

Secure chains are massive, it’s just inherent. Unless things have come on a lot since i last paid attention, there’s no chain under 13mm that’ll stop a big boltcutter and that’s really what you’re shooting for, it’s the professional thief’s tool of choice. But these big chains are useless for anything else bar home security, they’re just too heavy.

Anything less is for stopping amateurs and kids, which is fine but at the end of the day you end up with a chain that a thief can remove with boltcutters faster than you can remove it with the key (and can be cut with boltcutters that cost less than the chain)

And remember, Sold Secure, Thatcham etc have only 2 purposes- 1, sell chains and 2, satisfy insurers. They’re completely meaningless in terms of real security.

Almax chain and an Abloy 362.

qwertyuiop7

The ‘Various Sold Secure and Thatcham chains chopped’ vid is sobering. And kind of funny too.
Gone for the 19mm Pragmasis with torc ground anchor.
Nothing is totally secure I realise, but short of being chained to the bikes in bed or having them locked in a nuclear bunker, as long as they are properly covered by the (weazly) insurance then that’s the most I can do at this point.

I’d advise getting more than one lock. An additional one that perhaps requires a different tool or approach to get through.
Pound for pound, I reckon it will buy you more time than spending more on a better chain/ anchor.
And don’t be lazy…. it may take you an extra few minutes to unlock the bikes but making access to them and the locks awkward can also buy you time. That’s my excuse for a messy shed anyway…