I like to see a locking fail in the wild, I have been lucky to have seen two of them, both of them were at the same place. Different bikes, same rack.

I was coming out of the grocery store a couple nights ago and also saw a Giant MTB with only a U-Lock through the rear wheel. There was plenty of room on the rack, but I guess the owner didn't see it that way.

I always lock my bike to the end of the rack. U-lock through the rear wheel and around the seat tube. When I'm downtown at a bar or something, I also have a thick cable that I loop through my front wheel.

When I had my cheap old MTB, no one gave my bike a second look. Now that I've upgraded to a road bike (and a nice looking new one at that), I'm trying to improve my anti-theft measures.

I use two cable locks, the area I usually park in is usually theft free.

Cable locks are a visual drag, in my ever-supreme opinion. I use the Breezer's built-in rear "dutch lock," plus Master Lock Street Cuffs.
While I'm riding, the Street Cuffs serve as a stylish bracelet see.

I'm using the Krypto NY Chain that comes with a U-lock. I take the front wheel off and lock it all together to a rack on the street. The rack is conveniently right outside of building security's window, although it wasn't placed there because of it. I leave the chain there and use a NY Fahgeddaboudit U-Lock if I think I'll need a lock anywhere else, which is very rare.

I worried about it when I started commuting earlier this year, but I don't anymore. There are nicer bikes that I see in the same places day after day with the same lock. Nobody ever touches them.

Would it be illegal to like buy one of those bags that say "police" on it and just put it on the bike? It seems like that is the perfect anti-theft system if you are only leaving it there for a couple of minutes, and will at least deter some thieves from the area if they see that on a bike that's locked up.

Drum brakes go a long way towards deterring wheel theft, particularly on my cargo bike where they can only be removed in the stand. Euro-style ring lock on rear wheel. U lock from frame to solid street furniture. No problems so far.

Here in Germany there are way too many bikes to lock them all to something, so most people just lock them up where they are standing usually up against a building. I would never do it with a decent bike, but for a beater it works ok. If someone sees a person carrying a locked bike around, or loading one into a car the police will most likely be called. I guess there are some pluses to a higher population density =P.

Since my bike is a beater right now I don't worry about it, but since I ordered a new bike I have done some research, and I think I will go cable through front tire to rack, and mini Krypto U-lock for the back. I want to get both as combo locks, but I haven't seen the mini Krypto as a combo yet.