Pragmasis Protector and Squire High Security Chains

Mobile and Bicycle Security
Magazine Awards
Chain Lengths and Weights
Security Approvals
Link Dimensions
Important Advice - How to Use a Chain
How to Fit the Lock to the Chain
How to Choose the Right Length of Chain

Cycling Plus awards 10/10 for the Protector range of chains! (Cycling Plus June 2008)

The Protector 16mm chain is guaranteed impossible to bolt crop by hand. A ground anchor/chain/lock combination is only as good as its weakest link (if you will forgive the pun!) and there are many inferior chains on the market. Be wary of chains that are described as "resistant" to bolt cropping. The wait is over! The Protector 16mm chain is now available in a wide range of lengths.

The Protector 16mm chain is made from high grade European boron steel bar, is impossible to bolt-crop by hand and is supplied with a tough sleeve to protect your valuables. Note: The 16mm sleeving is switching to a bronze colour in place of the red shown above. Photos will be updated shortly.

These high grade Protector 16mm chains really are impossible to bolt-crop by hand. The thieves use Irwin Record 42" bolt croppers as their tool of choice. They are expensive, but of course they don't always buy them... The Protector 16mm chains are impossible to crop even with this powerful tool. Indeed, if you keep trying to crop one of these chains, it is likely to be the jaws of the bolt croppers that break! If you are considering a chain from another manufacturer, ask if they will guarantee it as impossible to crop with Irwin Record 42" bolt croppers. 

We are pleased that Squire have also launched a good quality 16mm chain - the "Ex-Caliber" and we are happy to offer that as an alternative with the confidence and backing of the Squire name.

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Mobile and Bicycle Security

Mobile security has different priorities as it is often impractical to carry heavy locks/chains. Remember that over 80% of bike thefts occur from the home so security at home should generally be the top priority.

However, there are situations where the Protector or Ex-Caliber 16mm chains and the locks that go with them are simply too bulky or too heavy. This is why we also supply Protector 13mm, 11mm and 10mm chains. These are not as secure as the 16mm chains but they are by far the best of the rest. They are easier to handle and you can use a lighter-weight lock (we recommend the Squire SS50CS and offer this and many other combinations as Package Deals with extra discounted prices).

Bicycle security is also generally better handled with the 13mm and 11mm chains. The 16mm and larger chains will not always fit through the spokes of bicycle wheels and it is easy to damage a carbon fibre frame with the heavy SS65CS padlock. The lighter chains and smaller SS50CS and M50D padlocks are generally better suited for bicycles and various medium-value items.

This page provides details on: the chain lengths available; link dimensions; how to choose the correct length; and how to interlock multiple chains with a single padlock.

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Magazine Awards

Cycling Plus awards 10/10 Best Buy for the Protector range of chains! (Cycling Plus June 2008)

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Chain Lengths and Weights

Normal stock lengths are 1.2m, 1.5m, 2.0m and 2.5m for the Protector 16mm chain (with the option of custom-cut lengths anywhere from 3.0m up to 6.0m!), and 0.8m, 1.2m, 1.5m, 2.0m & 3.0m for the Protector 13mm and 11mm chains. The Squire Ex-Caliber has the same link dimensions as the Protector 16mm and is available in 1.5m, 2.0m and 2.5m lengths. The Protector and Ex-Caliber 16mm chains are quite weighty - they are a fantastic deterrent to even professional thieves, but not suitable for all applications as a result of their size. The picture below gives you an idea of the size and thickness of the links of the Protector 10mm, 13mm and 16mm chains, compared with a 2p coin.

The following table shows the weight of each chain & length:

The Protector 10mm chain is a conventional 'short link' design. All other chains are 'long link' design, offering more freedom with lengths and allowing arbitrary link interlocking to lock up smaller objects.

Note: The Squire Ex-Caliber 16mm chain is only available with a Squire SS65CS lock. Please refer to the appropriate Package Deals section for pricing.

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Security Approvals

Sold Secure is an independent British security testing and approvals organisation that awards Gold standard to the highest security products, with Silver and Bronze for lower grade products. Motorcycle Gold is a higher rating than Bicycle Gold; Caravan Gold is a higher rating than Motorcycle Gold. The Protector chains have been granted the approval ratings shown below.

Sold Secure Chain Ratings: The Sold Secure test regime is being updated to take account of the higher ratings achieved by the 16mm chains and there is a period of changeover where some of the previously Gold-rated products are still to come through for their annual re-test under the new regime. The Protector chains were re-tested under the new regime in July 2008. We recommend that you use the best chain that is practical and affordable for your situation, bearing in mind the type of attack that is common for the items that you are protecting. Any application where boltcropping is a common form of attack should use a 16mm chain as a minimum. Feel free to contact us if you need advice.

Customer Comment: "Guys at our work had to move all our bikes to a new compound and they cut everyone's chains in order to do that. Everyone's except my Protector 13mm, that is, where they obviously decided it was easier to cut the Sheffield stand it was attached to instead!"

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Link Dimensions and Design

The Protector 16mm chain is a long-link design with the following link dimensions (nominal): 132 x 56mm outside; 100 x 24mm inside, throughout its length (an elongated end link is not required). It is constructed from 16mm diameter bar and all but the end links are surrounded with a protective fabric sleeve (to protect your bike/other valuables; not to protect the chain!). The sleeve is usually a bronze or blue colour.

The Protector 13mm long link chain has the link dimensions (nominal): 106 x 48mm outside; 80 x 22mm inside. It is constructed from 13mm diameter bar and is again fitted with a protective fabric sleeve, usually red. Note: This chain is new; production stock should be available mid-July. It replaces the previous Protector 13mm short-link chain.

The Protector 11mm long link chain has the link dimensions (nominal): 85 x 40mm outside; 63 x 18mm inside. It is constructed from 11mm diameter bar and is again fitted with a protective fabric sleeve, usually grey. Note: This chain is new; production stock is now available. It replaces the previous Protector 10mm short-link chain. The material is thicker, a higher grade of boron steel, but the long link design means it is lighter than the previous 10mm chain!

We have a small amount of Protector 10mm stock remaining. This chain is a short link design with an elongated end link fitted to one end only. The body links have the following dimensions (nominal): 50 x 35mm outside; 30 x 15mm inside. It is constructed from 10mm diameter bar and is fitted with a yellow or black protective fabric sleeve.

The Squire Ex-Caliber 16mm chain is another long-link design with link dimensions (nominal): 132 x 58mm outside; 100 x 26mm inside, throughout its length (an elongated end link is not required). It is constructed from 16mm diameter bar and all but the end links are surrounded with a protective black fabric sleeve that is attached with red heatshrink at each end. Note that this is the updated Ex-Caliber specification that does not use a laser-cut end plate so it is lighter in weight and easier to use than the earlier design.

Chain lengths overall are also nominal and subject to manufacturing tolerance as well as being potentially up to a link over- or under-length, relative to the descriptive length assigned. This is because a whole number of links will invariably not be an exact number of metres or half-metres overall, for example. If you are particularly tight in terms of the precise length of a chain, please contact us and we will happily give more precise dimensions.

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Important Advice - How to Use a Chain

It is important with any chain and lock to keep it off the ground. This is more important with long link chains as the longer sides of the links can be vulnerable to hammer attacks. The solution: Simply keep them off the floor to make attacks like that impossible!

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How to Fit the Lock to the Chain

All good quality security chains follow the principle of passing the link at one end of the chain through the link at the other end of the chain, and fixing the lock to the bit that pokes through. I.e. the lock goes on a single link. The photo to the right shows this technique applied to the Protector 16mm chain - the end links of the chain are interlocked and the padlock is fitted.

Many security chains (such as the Protector 10mm) use small links along their length with an oversize link at one end. This helps to reduce weight and to give easier handling whilst maintaining a good security level and still allowing you to loop one end through the extended other end when adding the lock. The Protector 16mm, 13mm, 11mm and Squire Ex-Caliber 16mm chains all use long links throughout their length and this helps to reduce weight while giving more versatility (see below). Any chain designs that don't interlock at all force you to put two links through the lock and this makes the combination much more vulnerable as it typically requires you to use an open shackle padlock or one that has a long and potentially exposed shackle (see * below for an exception to this). Open shackle padlocks have an unprotected shackle and the shackle is invariably the thinnest component of all. There is no point in having a ground anchor with a 20mm shackle and a chain with a 16mm link if you have to use an unprotected 10 or 12mm shackle on the padlock - the thief will attack the obvious weakest point.

The end link of the Protector 16/13/11mm chains can also be looped through any intermediate link along the length of the chain. You will need to cut a slit through the sleeve if you wish to do this but it gives the major advantage of being able to lock the chain tight against the item you are protecting. This makes it much harder to attack.

Indeed, the Protector 16mm chains can be interlocked such that you can join literally any number of chains and secure them all with a single lock - the "through, across, through" sequence can be repeated indefinitely. A single closed shackle lock can thus be used to lock multiple chains with maximum security and reduced cost. The cost benefit of this approach does have the restriction that all chains must meet at a single point (like a figure of '8') , whereas multiple keyed alike locks allow you more flexibility in where the chains are positioned and routed.

The Protector 13/11/10mm chains are more compact and therefore easier to route through narrow spaces and may be more suited to fragile items (e.g. racing bicycles). They can also be used with lighter padlocks, again reducing the risk of damage to a carbon fibre bicycle frame if you were to drop it!

The Protector 13mm chain can be locked with the SS50CS or M50D or ASWL2 locks. Since the ASWL2 warehouse lock is able to accept two links of the Protector 13mm chain, we recommend that when the 13mm chain is locked with the ASWL2 lock, the shackle should be passed through both end links of the chain to give protection to the shackle.

The Protector 10mm chain can be locked with the SS50CS or M50D padlocks.

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How to Choose the Right Length of Chain

It is a shame that manufacturers of bikes, quads, etc, do not make life easy when you want to keep these items safe. It is also surprising how long a chain needs to be in order to secure what you want!

We recommend that you put your item to be secured & ground anchor/Shed Shackle in a trial position and then loop a piece of rope through and measure the length. Bear in mind that chains are quite bulky and it is often impossible to pass them through the frame of a sports-style motorbike or off-road motorbike, but you must instead go through the swingarm/wheel and/or over the saddle. A chain and lock should ideally be held off the ground for best security (a lock that is on the ground can be hit with a sledgehammer whereas it will move out of the way if it moves feely in mid-air). Remember also that a chain looped over the saddle may seem ideal but component thieves may push the bike over on its side and drag it clear of the chain if it becomes loose - they don't mind damaging part of the bike if they get most of it quickly and easily! Conversely, if you can position the bike and ground anchor such that they obscure the chain and the lock, you can make them very difficult to attack. The Torc anchor folds so it makes it easier for you and a tougher target for the thief! The Shed Shackle is usually fitted such that chains and locks are well clear of the ground - again, it makes it easier for you and tougher for the thief!

Large faired motorbikes may need a figure-of-8 arrangement with a 2.0m chain around the bike and a shorter chain to loop down to the ground anchor with a single lock locking them together. The Protector 16mm design allows you to join two or more chains with a single lock and you can get the chain tight against the bike by passing the end of the chain through an intermediate link (after cutting a slit in the sleeve). It is important that you are sure you are looping the chain through a structural part of the bike - the frame if at all possible - and not through something that can be removed or broken off easily. The frame is much better than the wheel - wheels can be removed!

Off-road motorbikes are frequently targets for thieves and they can be awkward to secure because they often have no opportunity to go through the frame, and the saddle & rear of the bike are so compact that removing the rear wheel would allow the chain to be slipped off. Removing the rear wheel is a quiet thing for a thief to do and it barely takes a minute; compressing the suspension is also easy and that could make the chain go slack. Those bikes that have a gap through the frame or swingarm are much easier and can be secured with a single chain. If your bike has no structural path for the chain like that, we recommend that you look for narrow parts of the bike that are still structural. The headstock area behind the handlebars is sometimes the best with a figure-of-8 approach - a short chain tight around the bike headstock and a long chain looping down to the ground anchor, with a single padlock locking them together. Off-road bikes vary a lot so you need to do some homework to get the best combination. Our Anti-Pinch Pin may give a useful opportunity to lock the heart of the bike.

Quad bikes/ATVs are usually easier to secure than 2-wheel motorbikes but, again, you have to be careful that you really are looping the chain through something structural and not removable. E.g. the rear axle looks appealing but it's no good if the thief can slip off the chain simply by removing a wheel! Suspension wishbones etc are attached with a couple of bolts that can be easily removed. Most quads do have frames with structural members that are suitable but you have to look for them, and ideally loop the chain through several of them.

Bicycles can often be locked with a single short chain as you can easily loop it through the centre of the frame, above the bottom bracket. However, beware that many high-end modern frames are so strong that they can be sawn through, a chain slipped off, and the bicycle then ridden away! The frame may then be worthless but the components can still be very valuable. The best approach is usually to loop the chain through the centre of the frame and the chainstay area (if possible), and through the wheels too if there is sufficient space between the spokes. This can result in the chain not being so short after all but the cost of the chain is usually a very small fraction of the cost of a performance bike! Beware that the Protector 16mm chains are often too bulky to fit between the spokes on bicycle wheels and the SS65CS padlock could easily damage a bicycle frame if it was dropped. The Protector 11mm and 13mm chains with the lighter SS50CS/M50D padlocks are generally more suitable for securing bicycles.

Summary: Use a piece of rope to help you find the length of chain, or chains, that you require. Remember the trick of cutting a slit in the fabric sleeve of a Protector 16/13/11mm chain in order to lock an intermediate link and thus get the chain really close - if you order a longer chain you can always make it behave like a shorter chain with this technique and you get flexibility with positioning the bikes - you don't want it so precise that you have to spend ages repositioning things to get the lock on! If it's so difficult for you that you don't bother one night, that could be the night the thief gets lucky. The figure-of-8 approach often helps with awkward shapes and can keep the chain and lock off the ground and harder to attack (but this will only work with the Protector 16mm chains).

If you are securing bicycles in a wooden shed, the Shed Shackle may allow you to use a shorter chain whilst still keeping everything off the floor. The Shed Shackle is usually positioned around cross-bar height for bicycles so you can use a short chain or U-lock if you only want to lock the frame (and maybe the rear wheel). A longer chain will allow you to lock the frame and both wheels. Something like a 2.0m/6' chain will often be sufficient for 2 bicycles and all 4 wheels. Please refer to the Shed Shackle detail page for more information about its use.

A bit of time spent now will result in much better security and a much harder time for the thief.

Feel free to contact us for advice.

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