Torc Ground Anchor Series II

It's all very well locking your bikes up in the shed, but much better if you've got something secure to lock them to. The Torc Ground anchor has been around for a while and gained high praise; the new Series II is a simpler design that's easy to fit with standard DIY tools, and will make the basis of an excellent shed or garage security system. It's a bit cheaper than the last one as well!

The ground anchor comes in two parts: a base plate and a 20mm semicircular shackle, both made from hardened steel, zinc treated and powder coated. Along with this you get a fixing kit from a choice of three. We used the concrete floor kit but there's a brick wall one too, and even a kit to fix the anchor to the floor of your van.

The hoop is large enough to take a fairly beefy chain. We've shown it with a cable here better to see the anchor, but remember that your security is only as good as the weakest link, and for maximum security you really want to use the biggest chain you can afford, after all you don't have to cart it around. Pragmasis also supply the Protector range of chains, we'll have a review here soon. The anchor folds down when not in use so it's pretty unobtrusive, which will be welcome if it's in the middle of your garage, or the floor of your van.

Proper fitting is crucial and thankfully the Torc comes with both excellent instructions and everything, bar a drill, that you need for the job – even a bit of plastic tube to clean the dust out of the holes. The step by step fitting directions talk you through the process and make it very straightforward. In concrete mode the Ground Anchor is secured by four M10 bolts anchored to the concrete with a chemical resin. Once the resin has set the bolts are impossible to move, especially once you've hammered the supplied ball bearings into the heads. The concrete fixing kit is rated Sold Secure Caravan Gold – the highest Sold Secure rating – and the brick and van kits have a Motorcycle Gold rating.

Once it's in, it's in. The only way to remove it is to cut out the section of concrete it's anchored to with an angle grinder, so it's important to put it in the right place. The shackle hoop is big enough to get a (smallish) persuader through but no amount of twisting would get it to budge an inch. Given it'll most likely be in your shed or garage it's important to make sure that thieves don't have access to anything they could attack the Ground Anchor with, such as a high powered angle grinder. Or a sledgehammer.

If you're worried about the security of your bikes then the Torc Ground Anchor is certainly added peace of mind. There's nothing that can stop the most determined thief, but a good anchor coupled with a big chain and armoured lock is definitely going to foil most of them. And as ground anchors go, the Torc really is excellent: very strong, simple, unobtrusive and easy to fit.