Tested: Abus Granit Power Chain 37 review

Date reviewed: July 2017 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: £285.99 | Weight: 6.77kg | https://www.abus.com

The Abus Granit Power Chain 37 (52285) is only available in a length of 1.2m, with a large round loop at one end that the rest of the chain can pass through.

The chain is covered with a soft but tough sleeve to protect your bike’s paint, just keep in mind that it can hold moisture if used in the rain, so it’s worth popping it in a carrier bag if taking it home in your luggage.

The padlock is a solid metal body with no protection on the outside, and no cover for the keyway, so be careful grit can’t be flicked into it. Two keys are supplied, one of which has a small LED torch.

Size and weight

The design of the chain means it can reach a long way, yet still covers a diameter of just 20cm when coiled. It weighs 6.77kg in total, of which 5.74kg is the chain (4.78kg/m) and 1.03kg is the padlock.

Resistance to attack: chain

Using 42” bolt croppers, we couldn’t cut the chain, and with a sledge hammer, given an anvil and plenty of space to swing, we also failed to break the link – it deformed, but only the smallest of surface cracks could be seen.

The chain’s square, 13.8-14.5mm links stood up for an impressive time when under attack with an angle grinder. The loop at the end is round in profile, with a thickness of 15.7-16.1mm

Resistance to attack: padlock

Using a sledge hammer, anvil and lots of room, the padlock’s metal upper body was damaged, but the core proved to be extremely strong – to the point that the key still worked.

The 13.8mm shackle was cut a fraction quicker than the chain with an angle grinder, making this the slightly weaker point.

To understand how best to use your lock, click here

BIKESOCIAL TEST RESULTS

Product: Abus Granit Power Chain 37

Size tested: 1.2m

Weight as tested: 6.77kg

Rolled diameter: 20cm

Bolt cropper attack: GOOD

Sledge hammer attack: GOOD

Angle grinder attack: AVERAGE

Conclusion

The versatility of this chain’s design is appealing, but keep in mind that you must ensure it’s kept tight to keep it off the ground – while our test found the chain and lock to be invulnerable to a sledge hammer attack, performance was significantly reduced when also using freeze spray.

Good resistance to bolt croppers, and a relatively high time to cut with an angel grinder make this a good chain and lock combination, let down slightly by the lack of any cover on the metal padlock, or protection of the keyway.

To see the other chains and locks tested by BikeSocial, click here

Find out how and why we did this test

Consumer editor John Milbank explains how you can get the best out of your chain and lock, and how this test was done