What is the best ground anchor?

[Chisurz]

I'm looking to install a ground anchor in the garage to lock down the bike. I need to put the anchor in the middle of the space, so it has to be one that can be flush with the surface when it is not in use. Digging a hole and cementing it in seems to be the likely option...

I've found the Autolok one, though nothing else useful having searched the site, but what others can people recommend??? Pros / cons??? And how much dosh?

Thanks

 

[Alte Wolf]

Anchor ...

If all else fails, one of these

Saved my bacon more times than I care to remember

You could check this lot out though

 

[Chisurz]

Like the look of the ice axe... I guess the local Cotswolds branch could supply. Only of much use if you happen to come across the thieving blaggers with it in your hands...

Anyone tried www.yanchor.com ??

 

[2 wheel humvee]

I read that wrong

I thought it said boat anchor,I was gonna suggest any Harley Davidson

Probably a bit too big to concrete into your garage floor,it'd work though

 

[Chisurz]

H-D concreted into the floor of the garage... Mmmmnnn... Would look very arty...

How does it achieve the 'flush to floor when not in use' criteria? Don't you think it would be a bit of trip hazard? And perhaps a little expensive...

Come on... does nobody tie their bike down when they are not using it??

 

[trotsky]

In a rash attempt at a sensible reply - take a look at MPS. Go to "Shop" and "Visit MPS" (unless you have the urge to register) and select "Department" as "Security" and "Product Type" as "Garage Security" - no I don't get that either...

There are any number of possibilities there and your selection depends on how much you want to spend and how big a hole you are willing to dig. Me, I have a £10 bolt on Oxford thing which you can just see in this picture:

I did think of something better but the ground there is gravel - I once dug a one foot cube of earth out to put in a small post and it took a pickaxe, mattock, shovel and twenty minutes so I thought burying a ground anchor at 18 inches was a bit adventurous.

 

[Mouse]

I use an Oxford "Ground Force", but it doesn't sit flush to the floor. Seems secure though, it's bolted into concrete with four expanding bolts, and once it's in you hammer ball bearings into the heads of the allen bolts (to prevent drilling) and then hammer some more hardened steel caps over those.

 

[trotsky]

I use an Oxford "Ground Force", but it doesn't sit flush to the floor. Seems secure though, it's bolted into concrete with four expanding bolts, and once it's in you hammer ball bearings into the heads of the allen bolts (to prevent drilling) and then hammer some more hardened steel caps over those.

Yeah, dat's what I've got, one of dem bash in de ball bearing fings like he says. But no caps, must be because I'm a cheapskate.

 

[Chisurz]

Thanks - already have one of those 'ball bearings in the heads of the allen bolts' locks. That is off to one side of the garage and (hopefully) secures the other GS.

We want one that fits flush to the floor as it will be at the front in the middle of the garage and I don't want my wife to trip over it every time she rolls her bike back into the space.

So far, the options are either the static type (e.g. yanchor) or the rising / retractable type. Any view as to which is better???

 

[Dick Dastardly]

What i use is the towing eye off a very big truck

It must be best part of an inch thick steel, all i did was to go to a local tool shop , purchased a nut to take the threaded end of the towing eye and got a mate to weld it to a length of angle iron........

This was the concreted into the ground leaving the nut flush to the floor

When i need to chain the steed up, i screw the eye into the nut, feed chain thru.........Hey presto!!

There's no weay the eye can be unscrewed due to the chain being thru, and if they hacksaw thru the eye, bloody good luck to 'em

hope this helps. towing eyes must be available from scrappers etc....

 

[Chisurz]

Truck towing eye... That would be substantial and inexpensive, so a good idea. Thanks. As I picture the description, the eye sits above floor level at all times, so I'm still likely to trip over it.

Is there no innovation out there to protect the GS that is completely flush to the floor when not in use??

 

[PW Cymru]

Try this for size

Its produced by a company called Rotalock. Haven't got round to cutting into the concrete yet.

 

[(RIP) sherpa]

Ground Anchors

Just don't do what I heard of once!

Someone was having a brand new house built so he took the new ground anchor to the builders and asked them to concrete it into the garage base when they laid it.
Went back a couple of weeks later to check on build progress and found that the builders had concreted the anchor into the garage base of the adjoining plot!!!!

 

[Dick Dastardly]

Chisurz, it is indeed a good idea, and to 'not trip up over it' one can simply unscrew it from the nut and store it on a shelf, until you need to tie the beast up again...

 

[Chisurz]

Aaaaaaahhhh, I see..... (Sound of dawning realisation...)...

 

[norseman]

Hello Chisurz!
Check out ABUS, www.abus.de. They have an anchor called WBA 100 Granit. Maybe that`s what you want? I don`t have any experience with it, but I use a Granit Chain as a lock and is very pleased with it. I am builing a garage this spring and belive I will install one of these.