I'm starting my bike commute in June in the Washington, D.C. area, and I've been doing a lot of thinking about the best way to lock up my Jamis Coda once I reach my workplace. I've read everything I can find on the subject and have arrived at what I think is the most secure locking technique.

Here's how I plan to lock my bike:

I will be locking my bike to an inverted U rack. I will remove the quick-release front wheel, place it next to my rear wheel (also quick release), loop my Kryptonite Evolution 2000 around the U rack and through frame and both wheels, then lock. Next I will repeat this same procedure with a hardened steel chain, making sure to lock the chain to the U rack as well. The chain will be secured by a Master brass high-security lock. I'll take my quick release saddle into the building with me. A potential bike thief must defeat two types of locks to get my bike.

Observations/question/opinion:

Several bike shop websites recommend using a Kryptonite U lock with a flexible steel cable. The technique they most often recommend is running the steel cable through the saddle rails (one loop through another), through the back wheel, through the front wheel, and then hooking the Kryptonite U through the remaining cable loop before finally locking the Kryptonite to the bike rack. To me this seems like bad advice. A bike thief needs to defeat only the Kryptonite, after which he just tosses the cable aside.

My feeling is that if you're going to bother to introduce a second deterrent (the steel cable in this case), you should ensure that the thief has to defeat this deterrent as well. In the above case, I'd at the very least get a nice long steel cable, thread it through the bike as described (minus the noose loop on the saddle rail), but lock it separately to the bike rack. This way the thief must cut this cable too if he wants the bike. For maximum protection, I'm going with my stated plan at the very top of this message, unless anyone can provde a better (less heavy!) alternative.

My commute is short (2.5 miles each way -- wish it were longer!) and I'll be locking in a low crime area. Perhaps my approach is overkill, but I’m paranoid.

Cheers