Bicycles

Ankr is designed to be an anchor for bike locks

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The Ankr is intended for both indoor and outdoor use
Hiplok
The Ankr can be mounted vertically or horizontally
Hiplok
The Ankr is intended for both indoor and outdoor use
Hiplok

If you regularly park your bike in the same general location and need something to lock it up to, it can be frustrating to always be searching for an available signpost or whatnot. Hiplok's new Ankr is made to help, serving as a semi-permanent locking point.

The device consists of a hardened steel cylindrical outer case, a rotating inner sleeve, and a rubber end cap that keeps the bike's paint from getting scratched.

For the initial installation, users start by drilling four holes into a masonry or concrete wall, floor or other structure. They then mount the outer case onto those holes, using four included long screws. After an adhesive-backed O-ring spacer is inserted into the case, the inner sleeve is also inserted and attached utilizing an Allen key. Finally, the end cap is pressed into place.

The Ankr can be mounted vertically or horizontally
Hiplok

When users subsequently wish to lock up their bike, they just spin the sleeve around to provide a clear passage through the Ankr, then run their cable-, chain- or U-lock through it. As long as such a lock is in place, the sleeve can't be removed, so thieves can't access the wall-mounting screws.

Should users later wish to relocate the Ankr, though, they just pull out the lock, pull out the sleeve, and unscrew the whole thing.

According to Hiplok, the device has been awarded Gold Level Security for both bicycles and motorbikes by security product testing group Sold Secure – that rating doesn't apply if it's mounted on a wooden structure, however. Wherever you might want to put it, the Ankr is available now via the Source link below, priced at US$89.99.

And Hiplok, by the way, is no stranger to unique bike-locking solutions. Some of its earlier products have included the original waist-worn Hiplok, the zip-tie-like Z Lok, and the wall-mounted, frame-clasping Airlok.

Source: Hiplok

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8 comments
aksdad
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paul314
About the bike lock: it looks really nice, but I do wonder about its resistance to a crowbar or even a claw hammer inserted next to the lock/chain. Unless installed just right, anchors inserted into masonry tend to yield to straight-out pulling.
Thud
Thanks aksdad. That will help if I ever want to lock my bike to the Great Barrier Reef.
alexD
not to mention *where*, or whose that wall belongs to.... you know, people are just arses when it comes to fruitless discussions......
Wolf0579
The design lends itself nicely to the action of a lever. There appears to be enough room to insert a crowbar through the chain path. Put the crowbar through hole, rest the tip against the wall and one good heave should be enough to dislodge it.
Jeff7
Bricks aren’t very strong (compared to concrete). I’d like to walk up with a medium length sledgehammer hidden in a backpack and see what happens.
(Please no engineer’s comments about ‘strength’)
David V
1 - I don't how it's fixed to the wall.
2 - The size of it doesn't visually give me much confidence.
3 - As already said by others, it just looks like you can stick a crowbar through the slot and hey presto.
4 - Invites being hit with a sledgehammer as it sticks out so much.
5 - The Abus floor (or wall) anchor is a far more solid option.
It's a "nice looking design" but that's not what you need.

It seems to be aimed at the home or workplace market - maybe out of public eyesight. Maybe in a relatively already secure environment it would have it's place. I'm guessing that not many people lock up their bikes at home in their garage. So OK it could have it's place there. The case of a house break in where they took the bike because they could but it wasn't the target.

Which reminds to put chain on my bikes downstairs...

David V
So I checked out their website to see how it's fixed to the wall. And of course I should have looked at this first before ranting off... so fair enough, it's fixed to the wall or floor with 4 screws through the base. But it's still four screws which would have to be rawlplugged to the brick or concrete and the weak point being that they're close together so hit one side and all the screws would feel the shock. Obviously this is a home based product. For your garage or workplace. That being said, I still don't like that it sticks out and can be hit with a sledgehammer. And if it's in a garage there will be a hammer around somewhere. In fact why make a compact wall anchor which seems to aim to be invisible when it will be installed in a garage or courtyard behind a bike anyway. To my mind it doesn't make sense. I would have thought that a domed shape anchor where hammer blows would just fly off would be a safer bet. However it's better than nothing. A good deterrent.