After several years of running errands by bike, I'm changing things up and pondering a lighter, easier locking method.

I have a new bike and was using two older U-locks until I lost one recently after forgetting to strap it onto my rack.

It's a $900 bike, and most of my stops are 15 to 30 minutes in a small city with average crime. Occasionally I'll park for an hour or two at a doc appointment or coffee shop.

Question: With locking skewers (Pitlock, Kryptonite, Abus), it is sufficient to use a mini U-lock around the frame and bike rack only? Or should I stick with a larger U-lock to grab the rear wheel too?

I've been doing the latter for so long that I might feel naked not U-locking both the wheel and frame. Plus I wonder if it's visually more deterrent.

OTOH, I'd love to save a pound by using a mini U instead of a larger one. I've decided that I cannot stand carrying locks on the bike and will go back to using my backpack. I use panniers too, but only for grocery shopping, so they aren't my usual lock carrier.