Most cargo bikes do not come indoors. They live in a front garden, a side return or a shed, and a lock is only as good as whatever it is locked to. A ground or wall anchor gives the lock something bolted to the building. This page covers the three anchors we recommend, which chain to put through them, what they need to be fixed to, and how to get one fitted if drilling concrete is not your idea of a weekend.
The short version
- Bike lives outside: Hiplok AX1000, £349.99. Angle grinder resistant, with an arm that reaches the bike. No chain needed.
- Same spot every day, but you want the grinder resistance: Hiplok A1000, £179.99. Same material, no arm.
- Locked garage or shed: OnGuard Ground Anchor Gold, £49.99. Steel, folds flat, does the job indoors.
- Fitting: an independent local tradesperson, usually around £90 to £120 depending on the anchor. Details below.
Why bolt something to the house?
Because the bike cost as much as a decent used car and it sleeps outside. A good D lock through the frame and a garden fence is a good D lock through a garden fence. Side gates come off their hinges, drainpipes unbolt, and a bike that is simply locked to itself can be lifted into a van by two people.
An anchor is bolted into concrete or brick with fixings that are designed not to come out again. The lock then has something to hold on to that is heavier than the thief. It also gives you one fixed spot for the bike, which turns locking up after the school run into a ten second habit instead of a nightly puzzle.
Two levels of security
There are essentially two levels of security when locking your bike.
1. Whatever your insurance company says
In most cases you don't need anything anti angle grinder, and it makes no difference to your insurance, so long as it's gold rated. Laka say gold rated and two locks if overnight, so you can in theory lock up a cargo bike using two £40 gold rated locks and a £50 ground anchor and it has insurance overnight.
2. Something that actually stops any risk of theft as near to 100% as possible
Anything anti angle grinder that we sell is likely to need about 10 grinder discs, a couple of batteries and at least half an hour to get through, something most thieves won't be able or willing to do for a bike (even if that bike is a Ducati).
The three anchors
Best first. Which one you need depends on where the bike lives, not how much the bike cost.
Hiplok AX1000
£349.99. For a bike that lives outside.
If you want some security that tells thieves to not even bother, then the AX1000 combined with an angle grinder lock, such as the Hiplok D1000, DX1000 or DXXL, is what you want. They recognise those, and know to not even start trying to break them. If you hear a bump in the night outside the house, it's nice to know it probably is just a fox, not having to be pulling back the curtain looking at your bike. Combined with a video doorbell, maybe a motion alarm and a cover, you don't need to worry about your bike in most areas of North London.
Either way, we always recommend insurance, like Laka.
It is made from the same angle grinder resistant material as Hiplok's 1000 series locks, so the anchor is no longer the weak link. The base rotates and the arm swings, which means it reaches a long cargo bike frame without the bike parked just so, and you put a D lock straight through the arm. No chain to carry.
Hiplok rate it Sold Secure Powered Cycle Diamond and ART 4 star. It weighs about 6 kg, so it is shop collection or local delivery only.
The bike in Hiplok's own photos of the AX1000 is a Tern GSD. That tells you who they built it for, and the pictures on this page show exactly how the arm comes up to meet a GSD frame.
Hiplok A1000
£179.99. The compact one.
Same material, same Diamond rating, no arm. The base still rotates, so you can get a lock on from whichever side the bike ends up. It sits flat against a wall, which keeps the floor clear in a tight side return. With a long cargo bike you will usually want a chain to reach it, or a D lock if the bike parks right up against it every time.
OnGuard Ground Anchor Gold
£49.99. For a locked garage or shed.
A 16 mm hardened steel shackle on a base you bolt into concrete. It folds flat when the bike is out, so you can walk over it. Inside a locked building its job is to stop someone wheeling the bike away, and it does that for a lot less money. It is a steel anchor, not a grinder resistant one, so if the bike lives outside, spend the extra on a Hiplok.
Left: a D lock through the AX1000 arm on a Tern GSD. Right: the A1000 with a DX1000. Hiplok's photos.
Pair it with the right chain
The AX1000 has its own arm, so a D lock is all it needs. The A1000 and the Gold are fixed points on the floor or wall, and a chain is what lets a long cargo bike reach one. The anchor is only as strong as whatever runs through it, so do not put a £20 chain through a £180 anchor. These are the chains we stock:
| Chain | Price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| OnGuard Mastiff 8019LP, 130 cm | £89.99 | 10 mm hardened chain with a cinch loop and a padlock. Sold Secure Gold. Long enough for a cargo bike, and our usual second lock. |
| OnGuard Beast 8017, 110 cm | £84.99 | 12 mm hardened chain with a T bar lock. Sold Secure Gold. Shorter, thicker and heavier than the Mastiff. |
| Hiplok DXXL | £159.99 | A Diamond rated D lock and a 1 m, 14 mm loop chain in one box. The D lock comes out with you, the chain stays at home. |
| Hiplok E-DX Cargo Lock, 110 cm | £129.99 | A Gold rated 10 mm noose chain with a Diamond rated DX D lock and a Z LOK, made with cargo bikes in mind. |
| Hiplok Home, 150 cm | £119.99 | 10 mm hardened chain with a 14 mm shackle and a wall hook to store it on. Sold Secure Gold. Long enough for two bikes. |
| Hiplok XL Noose Chain, 100 cm | £89.99 | The 14 mm chain from the DXXL set, sold without the D lock. |
| Hiplok MEGA Chain, 130 cm | £169.99 | 22 mm hardened steel, Sold Secure Powered Cycle Diamond, 12.3 kg. The one that stays at home. |
None of these chains is grinder resistant. If you want the whole set up to that standard, it is a Hiplok anchor with a D1000 or DX1000 through it. We keep them in the shop, so come in and see how they fit your bike.
Fitting an anchor
What it needs to go into
- Concrete or brick with nothing hollow behind it. A garage floor, a concrete yard, a brick wall of a house.
- Not paving slabs, not block paving, not a cavity wall. The bolts have nothing to grip, so the anchor comes up with the slab.
- If your only option is paving, a tradesperson can lift a slab, set a concrete pad and relay it. That is one of the awkward jobs below.
Check before you drill
- Underfloor heating. A 16 mm hole through a heating pipe is a bad afternoon.
- Pipes and cables in the wall or floor. A cheap detector is worth it.
- Landlord permission, if you rent. It is a permanent fixing.
You need an SDS Plus drill
The Hiplok anchors come with a 16 mm masonry bit and a template, and the fixings are expansion bolts that need the hole to be the right size and depth. A 16 mm hole in concrete is a job for a hammer action SDS Plus drill. An ordinary cordless drill with a masonry bit will get hot, go blunt and give up before the concrete does. If you have an SDS drill, the instructions in the box will see you through. If not, read on.
Not got an SDS Plus drill?
We can put you in touch with an independent local tradesperson who fits these, usually around £90 to £120 depending on the anchor, for homes within about three miles of the shop. Awkward spots are quoted on the day, and you pay them directly.
- Hiplok AX1000 or A1000: around £120
- OnGuard Ground Anchor Gold: around £90 to £100
- Awkward jobs, such as lifting and relaying paving, poor concrete or fixing into crumbly brick: quoted on the day
Guide prices. The tradesperson sets their own price and you pay them, not us. Fitting is not something we sell, so it will not appear in your basket.
Cycle to Work
An anchor and a chain can go on a Cycle to Work package with the bike, which takes a chunk off the price. See our Cycle to Work page for how it works.
Questions we get asked
Do I need a ground anchor for a cargo bike?
If the bike lives in a front garden, a side return or a shed, yes. A lock is only as good as what it is locked to, and a fence or a drainpipe is not much.
Which ground anchor should I buy?
Outside: the Hiplok AX1000, which resists an angle grinder and has an arm that reaches the bike. In a locked garage or shed: the OnGuard Ground Anchor Gold. The Hiplok A1000 is the compact grinder resistant option for a bike parked in the same spot every day.
Do I need a chain with the AX1000?
No. You put a D lock straight through the arm. The A1000 and the OnGuard Gold are fixed points, so a long cargo bike usually needs a chain to reach them.
What can I fix a ground anchor to?
Concrete or brick with nothing hollow behind it. Not paving slabs, block paving or a cavity wall. Check for underfloor heating, pipes and cables first, and ask your landlord if you rent.
Can I fit a ground anchor myself?
If you have an SDS Plus hammer drill and the right surface, yes. The Hiplok anchors come with a 16 mm masonry bit, a drilling template and instructions.
Can Butternut Bikes fit it for me?
We can put you in touch with an independent local tradesperson who fits these, usually around £90 to £120 depending on the anchor, for homes within about three miles of the shop. Awkward spots are quoted on the day, and you pay them directly.
Can I put a ground anchor on Cycle to Work?
Yes, with a bike. Anchors and chains can go on a Cycle to Work package.
Can you post a ground anchor?
The Hiplok anchors are heavy, so they are shop collection or local delivery only.
Where next
- Cargo, electric and kids' bikes at Butternut Bikes
- Which Tern GSD?
- Add an anchor and lock to a quote: Tern builder, Veloe configurator, Bike43 configurator, Muli quote
- How to keep kids dry on a cargo bike
Tell us where the bike lives
We are at 143 Crouch Hill, Crouch End, London N8 9QH. Call 020 8347 5534 or pop in. Describe the garden, the gate and the wall, and we will tell you which anchor and chain make sense, and whether it needs a tradesperson.