Originally Posted by
Retro Grouch
On a ride yesterday a woman had a cable made from vinyl coated garage door cable with an eye loop at each end. It was very convenient being light in weight and easy to pack in her saddle bag. Her theory was that it is enough to force the thief to bring a tool with him. If he has a power grinder, like the one you've shown, he's going to get her bike anyway.
In low crime areas where a lot of folks don't bother to lock their bikes at all, a lightweight cable might be OK for a quick bathroom break, or to run into a place for coffee. The theory isn't so much that the lock will force thieves to get tools but rather, play the odds that thieves will take the unlocked bike over the bike locked up with a cheap lock.
That said, I used to have a lightweight cable lock that broke, and I had to cut it off my son's bike. I was shocked how easy a time I had cutting it off the bike. Just a quick cut with some garden sheers did the job.