Originally Posted by
fredgarvin7
I know this may sound stupid and reckless to some, but I never use anything other than a cheap cable lock. BUT I ALWAYS lock it. I figure that anybody who came over to my bike with TOOLS will eventually defeat all but the best locks.
Locked with a $1 cable lock is infinitely better than not locked at all. Even a wheel locked to the frame so the bike isn't rideable is far better than nothing -- it will prevent somebody who walks up and hops on your bike and rides off while it's six feet away from you but you looked away for a second.
But a cable lock can be cut in seconds -- literally. A U-lock is usually broken with a jack, which takes a minute or two. If you get a mini U-lock, they probably don't have space to get the jack into it. An angle grinder will still work, but that takes time and isn't stealthy.
But ultimately, the way to prevent the pro from stealing your bike is to make your bike a lot more trouble to steal than that bike next to it. If your bike is locked with a U-lock, and the other with a chain lock, and both look similar, guess which one they'll take? It's not foolproof, but it certainly makes a huge difference.