Just about everyone needs to have an alarm to get their bike insured, but we all know how bad these are at stopping theft. Most bikes are stolen by lifting them into the back of a van, so any alarm is useless to stop this. The best way to defeat this is to lock your bike to something immovable - that way the locks must be defeated to move the bike. 

A ground anchor is just that - a very solid piece of metal which you can either concrete into or bolt onto the ground and loop your lock through. This will stop the bike from being lifted into the back of a van. You can install these just about anywhere, even in your garage. 

When selecting an anchor, you first want to check what sort of ground you will be attaching it to. If you have a thick concrete floor, you will probably be better off with a bolt-down version. If, like me, you have a layer of tarmac/concrete with earth underneath then you're better off with an anchor you have to concrete into the ground. 

Another thing to consider when buying an anchor is what sort of clearance you need. If you share the area with a car or it is near a walkway, you may need an anchor that can retract or has a very low profile to save constantly tripping over it. 

Finally, and most importantly, you need to ensure that it is a Sold Secure approved anchor. There is no point in buying a (usually cheap) anchor that can easily be defeated in some way. Ensure that both the packaging has the Sold-Secure seal of approval and that it is listed on the Sold Secure website. 

You will also want to check that you can get your lock through the anchor, but most are designed to fit all sizes of locks. Don't forget that you should also be using a Sold-Secure lock too - otherwise it defeats the object of using a ground anchor when the lock is easy to break, cut or pick! 

Once you've finally chosen the right anchor, the fun begins in installing it. Here we show you how to install the Oxford Products Terra Force ground anchor, which is a Sold-Secure cement-in anchor. You will need: 

• hammer     
• chisel     
• gloves     
• goggles     
• cement mix     
• tape measure     
• odd pieces of wood     
• plenty of time!

The first step is to measure up where the anchor needs to be installed. With the bike in your preferred parking position - which should ideally be as close to a wall as possible as this makes the lock harder to attack - lock your bike as normal and loop your lock through the ground anchor as it lays on the ground. This helps position where to start digging. 

 

For this particular ground anchor, it is recommended that you install it between 6 and 8 inches away from a wall and dig a hole 120mm square and 270mm deep. Mark this out so you know where to dig. I've marked the area using an old aerosol paint. 

 

Using the chisel and hammer, not forgetting to wear gloves and goggles, you need to clear out the top layer. You will need plenty of time to do this as you won't know at this point how deep the layer of tarmac or concrete is. 

Once you're through the base layer, you should get through to the earth underneath. All you now need to do is dig out the hole so that the anchor will fit inside. Don't forget that you need to dig out enough so that you have a couple of inches of concrete below the bottom of the ground anchor. 

You will also want to under cut the base of the hole by digging out and under the base to make the bottom of the hole wider than the top. This makes the concrete much harder to pull out of the ground. 

Once you've dug out enough to fit the anchor, you will need to use some pieces of wood to prop the anchor in the hole as it should be deeper that the anchor itself. This will help to keep the anchor in place while the concrete sets. 

Now you will need a 3-2-1 mix of concrete: 3 parts shingle/stones, 2 parts sand and 1 part cement. Mix the concrete very loose as the hole itself is quite small and you will need to "pour" it in. It will also help to give you a nice smooth finish on the surface. 

Pour a layer of concrete into the hole so that it just starts to cover the anchor when you put it in the hole. The design of the Oxford anchor means that it is a hollow tube, so you will want to turn the anchor upside-down and fill it with concrete too. Now put the anchor into the hole and fill the gaps around it. 

Use some more wood to pack down the concrete into the hole and ensure there is no air trapped. Smooth over the top of the concrete and use your wooden blocks to keep the anchor in place while it sets. 

All you need to do now is wait for the concrete to fully harden. This can take between 10 hours and a few days depending on the mix and conditions, although once the anchor feels solid it is probably good enough to start using it. 

Don't forget to tell your insurance company that you have fitted a Sold Secure anchor as you may get a discount, but the best bit is knowing that your bike is now more likely to stay where you left it!