Originally Posted by
rekmeyata
Again why spend $250 for a lock, couple hundred more for locking bolts and skewers then have to hassle with all that crap to fix something on the bike? I think it's nuts, sorry. But if I had to park a bike outside my place of employment I would take my least valued bike that I didn't care a whole lot about if it got stolen, or buy a low value bike.
People should ride the bike they enjoy riding. Particularly if you're like me and 90% of your riding is on the commute, it would be silly to own a nice bike and not use it. Riding a crummy bike for fear of theft is a recipe for not enjoying your commute. My wife tried this strategy this fall (when she was commuting to school instead of a downtown office with indoor parking), and ended up not riding for weeks, before finally giving in and just taking her good bike.
To answer the original post, the best lock is an insurance policy. Sure, get a decent u-lock and do your best to protect the bike you've got. But if a lock needs to be replaced every, say, 5 years, you'll be better off buying a $50 lock plus insurance than a $250 lock.