Date reviewed: February 2022 | Tested by: John Milbank | Street price: Around £79.99 | www.abus.com/uk
The Abus WBA 100 ground anchor on review here is designed to be bolted into a concrete floor, or a substantial brick wall. It’s certified to the Sold Secure Powered Cycle Gold (this used to be called Motorcycle Gold) and Sold Secure Pedal Cycle (formerly ‘Bicycle’) Diamond standards, though these attacks do not include an angle-grinder test. It also carries Abus’ own highest security level rating of 20.
All our testing uses the tools typically employed by criminals in the UK, and a design flaw in this Abus product exposes it as offering disappointing levels of protection.
Features and capacity
I measured the Abus WBA 100 ground anchor to have a 15 to 16mm-thick shackle with a maximum internal capacity of 78mm wide by 69mm high. This is enough for it to take a 22mm chain if the links are rotated as they’re passed through.
A plastic cover sits over the 5mm-thick steel baseplate, and the design of the WBA 100 means that it can be driven over when the shackle is laid flat.
While designed for attachment to a solid concrete floor or a brick-wall, always ensure the substrate is strong enough to prevent attack.
Fitting
Coming with four quality Fischer-branded expansion bolts, the Abus WBA 100 is fairly easy to fit as long as you have a powerful drill (I use a large SDS drill, though it’s only a cheap one I bought years ago from Woolworths) and a 16mm masonry bit. No drill bit is supplied.
After marking the position of the holes through the base-plate, drill four 90mm-deep holes, clear the dust inside them with a vacuum cleaner, then pop the expansion bolts in.
The four hex-head set-screws can then be tightened up (Abus recommends a torque of 25Nm), before the supplied ball-bearings are hammered into the heads to prevent them being opened.
The plastic cover is screwed down with two fixings, which have plastic caps over the top.
As long as the surface being fixed into is solid, there’s no reason for a thief to be able to remove this anchor.
Ease of use
The Abus WBA 100 is easy to use thanks to the shackle folding up to accept a chain, but laying down to allow it to be driven over. Unfortunately though, unlike some of its competition, it could cause damage to a vehicle if the shackle isn’t returned to the flat position as it can only lay flat on one side.
Smaller chains pass through easily, though those as thick as 22mm require the links to be rotated as they’re passed through. Realistically, many riders with a chain of this thickness would leave it in place when riding the bike.
Resistance to attack: Bolt croppers
The 16mm-thick shackle means that it’s impossible to cut the Abus WBA 100 ground anchor with even the longest 42” bolt croppers.
Resistance to attack: Sledge hammer
Despite having plenty of space to attack it, the Abus WBA 100 ground anchor stood up well to a sustained sledge-hammer attack.
Resistance to attack: Angle grinder
Unfortunately the Abus WBA 100 is unduly susceptible to an angle-grinder attack.
Using a 1mm-thick cutting disc and an 18V angle grinder, it was relatively quick to cut through the shackle, and with only one cut, the chain is free due to the fact that – unlike some of the competition – the shackle is not one continuous loop.
With both sides of the cut 16mm shackle free to rotate independently, the Abus WBA 100 is far faster to defeat than 16mm chains – let alone thicker ones – as a chain requires two cuts to separate.
This is a very poor result for a product from such a well-respected brand, especially as the German manufacturer rates it as the toughest it offers.
This ground anchor was also tested for resistance to a high-quality diamond-tipped metal cutting disk, but it took more than twice as long to defeat as when using an abrasive disc.
Four alternatives to the Abus WBA 100 ground anchor
Here are some other options to consider if you’re looking for a surface-mounted ground anchor …
- The Pragmasis Torc Maxi and Mega ground anchors cost £59.95 and £69.95 respectively, and both accept a 22mm chain, though the Mega can take a 25mm. They can both be safely driven over, and the shackle always lays flat. It’s not as undefeatable as the Apex Pro, but it’s extremely compact and in testing it’s tougher than even the biggest, thickest chains, which is all an anchor really needs to achieve.
- The £199.99 Image4Security Apex ground anchor is the toughest I’ve ever attacked, far exceeding all chains and ending up being practically impossible to cut through. It’s a bit bigger than some others, but it’s a formidable piece of kit that’s cleverly designed to be extremely hard to attack.
- If you live in rented accommodation (and you get permission from your landlord), you might want to consider a removable ground anchor like the £99.95 Pragmasis Double Doofer. Once an 11 to 19mm chain is in, it’s impossible to access the fittings, and it’s way tougher than any chain to attack. Just keep in mind that you can’t get a 22mm in there.
- While we haven’t tested it, the £99.99 Oxford Beast ground anchor relies on a double-layer construction that makes it harder to attack than the chain. It’s similar to the company’s old anchor, but taller to accommodate up to 22mm chains.
These are just four of many alternatives; you can find all the ground anchors we’ve tested here – as well as some that are designed to be buried in the ground – and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through Bikesocial membership.
Bennetts BikeSocial test results
Product: Abus WBA 100 ground anchor
Bolt cropper attack: GOOD
Sledge hammer attack: GOOD
Angle grinder attack: Average
Abus WBA 100 ground anchor review: Verdict
I’m sorry to say that the Abus WBA 100 ground anchor proved to be a real disappointment. While it will accept a 22mm chain, the fact that its 16mm-thick shackle only requires one cut means it’s much easier to defeat than any chain that I’d suggest as being suitable for home use.
It’s better than nothing, but there are too many alternative anchors for sale that offer much better security, even at a significantly lower price. Sadly, this is one to avoid.
To see the other chains and locks tested by Bennetts BikeSocial, click here and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through BikeSocial membership.
