Bike security: Chains & locks

Chain and Locks Gear Gremlin Nimrod lock and chain combos £54.99 www.thekeycollection.co.uk

Secured by a padlock that has a hardened steel body with double ball bearing anti-pick/anti-drill locking system. The padlock’s 11mm diameter shackle is also manufactured from hardened chromoly steel. Approved by Sold Secure to silver standard.

English Chain Co Chain and Padlock £115.80 www.bumpstop.co.uk

A high quality Thatcham approved chain and padlock, Bumpstop supply these for use with their own ground anchor, or any other. You won’t be popping this in your pocket, but it’s a solid and reliable piece of kit.

Oxford Nemesis chain and padlock £149.99 www.oxprod.com

Complete with a huge 16mm CroMo hardened steel round link chain, the lock features an anti-pick double locking mechanism. It can also be used as a disc lock. The Nemesis is Sold Secure approved to gold standard.

Know this…

• Check your insurance documents – often insurance companies will set out the ways in which your bike needs to be protected in order for them to pay out.
• Look for ‘Thatcham Approved’ or ‘Sold Secure’ ratings when choosing security products.
• When chaining up your bike, keep slack out of the chain to keep it (and the lock) off the ground – this makes it a lot harder for thieves to attack it.
• Parking your bike in a public place can help, but don’t rely on harassed shoppers to take much notice of a bike alarm, or even a balaclava-wearing hoodlum wheeling a bike into onto a trailer.
• A disk-lock is a handy deterrent, but a thief can always pop the wheel on a skateboard to make it easier to roll your bike into a van.
• Always use the best possible security you can, but a massive chain will only secure your bike if you actually use it.