Cables are only fine in a few scenarios:

1) accessories: this is the best use for a cable....securing saddles, racks, bottle cages, front wheels, etc.

2) when you are going to be in direct visual with the bike, and close proximity: Example is after a club ride, I might go get a bagel and some orange juice at the local coffee shop....lock the bike to a small tree with the cable, and I am about 15 feet away at a table, with direct view of the bike. The cable slows down a thief enough that I can look up, and deal with the prospective thief if this individual was to mess with my bike.

3) used in combination with a hardened chain or u-lock: this just adds one more layer of annoyance for the thief, possibly making the thief head for an easier score.


I would never use a cable lock for the following:

primary protection when not in direct view of the bike
primary protection when I am indoors, regardless of view
storage in a garage (again, out of view, and you are not in proximity of it)

For those apps, use a u-lock or a hardened chain, like the Kryptonite offereings. Some LBSs sell other brands as well, that offer good protection...look for a nice captive shackle padlock with your hardened chain...many of those roundish chromed "circular" captive shackle padlocks aren't very good....go for one with a heavily beefed up shackle armoring...if the lock itself does not weigh at least 1.5lbs, then I would be weary....hardened chains are supposed to be the big badass of locks, so it only makes sense to have teh best padlock on it as possible, so the chain itself is the weak link of the security device (and trust me, those chains are pretty darn tough....kept my bikes safe when locked in an alley for over a year in san jose...and some of them were pretty darn attractive to thieves)