Sheffield Stand or Ground Anchor in a garage?

DanielCoffey

This summer I will be moving from the city to a rural property with a large garage and am thinking ahead about security for a single high value bike.

The garage will be 3m x 6m, concrete floor, timber framed with weather-boards, no windows plus a tiled roof. The twin "country style" timber doors at the front will be secured with the usual 5-lever mortise lock. The bike itself will be worth in the region of £5k and will of course be insured.

My feelings are that while the garage is locked, the insurers would be satisfied with the lock on the structure but if I am nearby using, say, the lawnmower from the garage and it is unlocked, I should treat the bike as though it was in a public place and it should have some form of restraint in case of passing ne'er-do-wells.

This is where I was wondering about a ground anchor or a Sheffield Stand. We do not own a car and there is ample space for either.

Given the bike will be used roughly every other day as a commuter/cargo bike with panniers, which of the two would you advise and why?

I am wanting to consider convenience of use rather than space efficiency. There is just the one bike.

netwiz

I can't comment on the Sheffield Stand, but I do have one of these
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/kryp ... prod147262
It was a bugger drilling the holes in the garage floor (had to buy a new drill), but no-one's taking the bike when it's attached. I use an Abus Gold D lock to secure the bike to the ground anchor - it couldn't really be any more convenient.

My thought would be that even if you don't have a car, on some occasions you may need some space in the garage, or may be shifting things in and out, and the stand may be more likely to be in the way.
Nick

Man Of Lard

Ground anchor - for the reasons outlined above by @netwiz - I don't have one myself, but my bikes are all chained to a rather large generator...

The Rookie

I use a ground anchor let into the concrete base under my shed and then have a small hole cut in the floor so it comes up through.

Ideally you embed it in concrete but drilling and bolting works OK.

DanielCoffey

Thanks for the thoughts - I can see the merit of the anchor over the stand in terms of flexibility.

I have the opportunity to have the anchor embedded in the concrete as the base of the new garage is poured which eliminates that awkward drilling.

Out of interest, what thickness chains do you tend to use on the anchor and do you have any risk of damage to spokes of the rear wheel and also the chain when passing through the main triangle?

vinnymarsden

Ground anchor every time.. mine is bolted to the floor with the blind unremovable bolts..its's going nowhere.
As for the chain scratching frame etc...my solution.. an old towel, rolled around the chain and cable tied at every 4 inch point...keeps the towel secured to chain and provides soft contact point for frame etc..

As for the lock..Squire Stronghold 5 number combi..recodable.. about £75 rrp... DON'T skimp on the lock...

My bike is same as yours...high value..and I, and most importantly my insurers are more than happy with that combination of security equipment....

The Rookie

I use a Nylon sheathed Motorbike chain so it doesn't damage the frame and the link shapes don't snag, chain through the main triangle and a thick cable round through the wheels.

Pufftmw

Abus Granite Motorbike Chain to a ground anchor. If you get the opportunity (and it looks like the concrete is yet to be poured?) then get a length of RSJ, bolt the ground lock to that, then bury RSJ under/in the concrete. An SDS hammer drill can take out bolts from concrete relatively simply, so what you're doing is adding unexpected/unwanted extra time to removing the bike and its all about time/effort/risk vs reward when it comes to stealing things.
Also, highly recommended, is to get an alarm in the garage. You only really need a couple of door sensors and a movement sensor plus a really loud bell & strobe. Depending on neighbours, consider an SMS alerter as well & if the alarm will take it, a smoke/rising heat detector in case of fire.

wolfsbane2k

I'd second the alarm, even it's a cheapish unit that alerts inside the house rather than an external sounder, given that most bike break ins are overnight.
But dont' go for a standard PIR, get a dual tech.

cougie

You're talking a lot about security but you've advertised that you have a 5k bike and used your real name and given enough clues to locate the bike.

We know that crooks have used strava etc to locate targets. Its not unlikely that they may look here. Theyll now be armed with lots of info on your intentions.

If i were you I'd be a little more guarded on line.

DanielCoffey

Thank you all again for the advice on the anchor. It is much appreciated.

We will certainly be putting it in at the wet pour stage and it is a good tip about extra metal under the bolts to bind it all together. There will also be a linked alarm system on the structure with more than one type of sensor.

Out of interest, how far from the wall do you tend to put the anchor if it is to serve a single bike? I assume either directly underneath or slightly behind the bike to prevent direct access with hammers is usual?

thistle_

I have a Sheffield stand for mine, but it's in the porch so there's no space for a car anyway.

The plus for a Sheffield stand is that you can lean your bike against it, but if you put your ground anchor near a wall you can lean your bike on that (or one of these http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-ma ... bike-stand ).