Ground anchors

[Dadam]

I now have 2 ebikes and looking to beef up security at home, so investigating installing a ground anchor in the garage.
https://thebestbikelock.com/ground-anchor/
It's a sectional concrete garage with a poured concrete floor. I'm wondering if it's better to mount the anchor on the wall or the floor. On the wall keeps the chain off the floor to make it harder to use long handled bolt croppers, but how easy would it be to drill into the concrete sections? I have an SDS drill so it should get through but the concern is the panel might crack.

 

[davidphilips]

If a thief really wants to take your bikes they may use a battery powered angle grinder and could cut through any chain or lock in a minute, With your sds drill you should not have any problem drilling the floor or wall, if you are concerned about cracking the wall if drilling, use a small drill bit, drill slowly and change to a slightly larger size until you get the correct size, only other thing perhaps use a locking nut and large washer outside and inside of the garage rather than an expanding fitting?

 

[numbnuts]

Never done it, but I won't risk drilling the walls, it may crack, I'd go for the floor

 

[Deleted User]

Floor, those concrete sections are too brittle in my opinion.

As already said battery angle grinder will have them away in minutes anyway but at least it should deter the casual scrote looking to make a quick buck.

 

[Drago]

Floor.

But I'd also concentrate on defence-in-depth. Good locks on the door, passive IR liked to your smart phone so you'll be instantly alerted if anyone even approaches the building.

The ground anchors should be a measure of last resort in case other measures fail, not the primary means Of security.

 

[Dadam]

Yes if pros turn up with the tools and intent, they'll likely take them, but I'm not going to make it easy. A 14-16mm link chain lock won't be easy to grind if they can't immobilise a link. I'm currently looking at the Pragmasis range.

Floor.

But I'd also concentrate on defence-in-depth. Good locks on the door, passive IR liked to your smart phone so you'll be instantly alerted if anyone even approaches the building.

The ground anchors should be a measure of last resort in case other measures fail, not the primary means Of security.

Problem with passive IR is false alarms, we get foxes and cats in our garden all the time. If I'm getting pinged 3 or 4 times in a night I'll be turning the damn thing off before long.

 

[Drago]

Perhaps mount it higher than ankle height. You want the beam type, not the area sort.

We have foxes, deer, wallabies and even a big cat - frit the life out of me - and none of them set mine off, but the post lady or my neighbour popping round to return book do activate it, exactly as an intruder would.

 

[chris667]

Definitely the floor. You will need to break a good bit of the floor of the garage and relay in fresh concrete for a really secure job.

 

[Cycleops]

Nah, 240v running through the lock on the doors is preferable.

 

[Dadam]

Definitely the floor. You will need to break a good bit of the floor of the garage and relay in fresh concrete for a really secure job.

That comes under "too big a job" for me. The concrete floor where I want to put it seems in good condition with no cracks. I think the concrete bed is thick enough, I was here when they installed it. What I'm aiming for is (a) being covered for insurance having taking enough precautions, and (b) if they break in and see it they are more likely to think sod that and take some other stuff.

 

[numbnuts]

As you say it is only for the insurance company to say “you tried to stop them”, in reality we can only slow them down all because of the cordless angle grinder.
I have this setup in my garage
https://www.ultrasecuredirect.com/w...attery-ultrapir-gsm-alarm-007-1150-p1167.html

 

[Pale Rider]

If no one knows you have a nickable bike the chances of your garage being broken into are lessened.

Never leave the garage door open for a second longer than you have to - the fewer people who see what you have the better.

In terms of cycling, I make sure I'm ready to go before opening the door, and always cycle away briskly, at least for the first quarter mile or so.

The same routine applies on return, cycle directly to the house, pop the garage door, get the bike in, then close the door immediately.

I never ride up and down the front street or tinker with the bike in plain sight of anyone, unless I'm well away from the house.

Still no harm in your ground anchor idea, but the key word here is 'ground', which means the garage floor is the only choice.

Just do the best you can with your SDS drill, and be prepared to pay good money for a quality lock and chain.

 

[Sterlo]

If no one knows you have a nickable bike the chances of your garage being broken into are lessened.

Never leave the garage door open for a second longer than you have to - the fewer people who see what you have the better.

In terms of cycling, I make sure I'm ready to go before opening the door, and always cycle away briskly, at least for the first quarter mile or so.

The same routine applies on return, cycle directly to the house, pop the garage door, get the bike in, then close the door immediately.

I never ride up and down the front street or tinker with the bike in plain sight of anyone, unless I'm well away from the house.

Still no harm in your ground anchor idea, but the key word here is 'ground', which means the garage floor is the only choice.

Just do the best you can with your SDS drill, and be prepared to pay good money for a quality lock and chain.

I'd second this. When I had my first one nicked, someone must have been watching me or seen the bike in the garage as no-one else in the area was targeted that night. I've now gone overboard on security. As well as ground anchors and wall anchors (bike is double chain locked now), I've also got an external garage door lock. You'll never stop anyone who really wants to be in but the majority are sneak thieves who want to be in and out so all you can do is make it as awkward as poss as a deterrent.
In answer to your question, ground anchors are more secure as the fixings are heavier duty, a basic brick wall won't take the same level of fixing.

 

[Pale Rider]

I'd second this. When I had my first one nicked, someone must have been watching me or seen the bike in the garage as no-one else in the area was targeted that night. I've now gone overboard on security. As well as ground anchors and wall anchors (bike is double chain locked now), I've also got an external garage door lock. You'll never stop anyone who really wants to be in but the majority are sneak thieves who want to be in and out so all you can do is make it as awkward as poss as a deterrent.
In answer to your question, ground anchors are more secure as the fixings are heavier duty, a basic brick wall won't take the same level of fixing.

I'm fortunate in that living in the frozen north east, I have an enclosed rear yard leading on to a back lane, which is typical of the region.

No more secure than a garage, but it does make sneaking in and out much easier.

 

[Dadam]

If no one knows you have a nickable bike the chances of your garage being broken into are lessened.

Never leave the garage door open for a second longer than you have to - the fewer people who see what you have the better.

In terms of cycling, I make sure I'm ready to go before opening the door, and always cycle away briskly, at least for the first quarter mile or so.

The same routine applies on return, cycle directly to the house, pop the garage door, get the bike in, then close the door immediately.

I never ride up and down the front street or tinker with the bike in plain sight of anyone, unless I'm well away from the house.

Still no harm in your ground anchor idea, but the key word here is 'ground', which means the garage floor is the only choice.

Just do the best you can with your SDS drill, and be prepared to pay good money for a quality lock and chain.

Indeed. I'm fortunate that my garage is 20y from the road and behind 6 ft solid wooden gates at the side of the house, which are kept locked except when I'm out on the bike. Only people upstairs in the houses opposite can see the garage, or if I have the gates open such as filling the car to go to the tip.

I'm usually in a hurry to get out and especially back in. The main concern (valid or not) has been if some driver takes umbrage for no particular reason with my presence on the road and follows me home, but having a fancy looking ebike is now an extra reason.