Originally Posted by
Fenway
Forgot about those -- it would be pretty neat to have.
I've begun taking a chain instead of a U-lock. There's no guarantee that I'd find a spot where a U-lock would work, but a chain will let me lock to a 12" diameter light pole if I have to. If I take a second lock, it's a small U-lock that secures whichever wheel didn't get locked by the chain.
FWIW, my chain is an OnGuard Beast, and the small U-lock is a Kryptonite Evolution Mini. Between those and a New York STD, the chain gets used the most. I carry it either slung over my shoulder or wrapped around the seatpost of my city bike (it's got a rack, too, so I also lock it to the rack, which keeps it away from the wheel rear wheel).
*edit* Just wanted to add that I wouldn't use a cable lock as the main lock -- in other words, the lock that keeps the bike from going anywhere. A big chain, apart from being a lot heavier, is just as handy and quick to use. I even think that most chains' nylon fabric casing is easier to slide around objects than the vinyl coating of most cable locks.