I just picked up an OnGuard mini and I'm a little confused on how to use it. I don't see any way that the mini can through both rear wheel and frame tube as well as whatever stationary object I would be locking to. Are the minis just supposed to through the rear wheel only and whatever you are securing to? I'm using a cable for the front wheel also.

Thanks!

I usually just lock my front wheel to my frame and lean my bike against a wall or something, but it's not usually out of my sight long. If I'm locking to something, it's usually just through the frame.

If you had a longer cable, you could lock the frame to whatever, then run the cable through both wheels...

From what I have heard, it is supposed to just go thru the rear wheel. I don't know if I would be comfortable with that for a long-term parking situation. I usually see people lock it up at the head-tube if they are just running into the store real quick.

You slide the mini through the rear wheel between the chain and seat stays (rear triangle). As long as the lock goes between the stays and around the rim and tire and then to your anchor, your frame cannot be stolen. The rear wheel cannot fit through the rear triangle. Attempts at cutting through the rim and tire will be severly hampered by spoke tension pulling the rim together. Also the tire beads are a hassle to cut through.
See Sheldon Brown's website for a more thorough description.
(Although I take issue with him saying removing the front wheel is a waste of time. A long mini lock through both wheels and frame provides excellent theft protection. And a New York chain or lock even more. I have nice enough front wheels that make it worth the effort to cut a cable to steal just a wheel.)

It is a serious error, not to mention inconvenient and time consuming, to remove the front wheel from the fork and lock it to the rear wheel. Those U-locks that are "extra" long so you can lock both wheels and the frame with a single lock are the WEAKEST type of U-lock. Crooks know that sooner or later, you will be in a hurry, and have no time to pull your front wheel off your bike and lock it against the rear wheel. And, the extra long lock will give them the space needed to insert the leverage tool that breaks extra-long U-locks in mere seconds.

Compact mini-locks provide the strongest level of security because using effective breaking tools is difficult or impossible. A compact U-lock, such as the OnGuard Mini, will fit around the rear wheel (right behind the seat tube) plus around a locking post of up to three inches in width.

The front wheel can be secured by permanantly replacing the quick release with an allen bolt, and then securing the front wheel to the frame with a cable lock or a second mini-U-lock. Do NOT remove the front wheel from the fork.

A pair of two pound OnGuard mini U-locks, correctly installed on both the rear and front wheels will protect both of the wheels and the frame against "breaking" attacks just as effectively as the eight pound Fahgettaboudit chain lock. And, two mini U-locks, or one mini-lock and a short, thick cable lock are MUCH easier to lug around than an eight pound chain.


How To CORRECTLY Lock a Bike: by Sheldon Brown

www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

Thanks for the help everyone. I knew I must have been missing soemthing. I couldn't figure out how just going through the rim would protect the frame until I actually got home and put the lock on.

If you read my post, you would have noticed I wrote "mini" u-lock. Even the standard mini will get both wheels on a road bike. Filling in as much of the lock (large or small) with as many bike parts increases the difficulty for thieves. We're trying to make our bikes as inconvenient to steal as possible. If using a twisting leverage attack, a thief may destroy BOTH wheels trying to defeat the lock when both wheels are secured. And possibly the frame in the process. Most thieves will walk away - not much left worth stealing! So, saying "there is no need to remove the front wheel" is misleading. If you feel the benefit of doing so is not worth the trouble, fine. But you're doing people a disservice by not informing them about the advantages of wheel removal.
Even easier than replacing QR skewers with allens is to buy a $.50 hose clamp at the hardware store and bind the skewer against the fork leg to prevent removal by hand. And although using these methods to secure front wheels is moderately effective, it's still only about ten seconds to remove with the proper allen wrench or tools. It's actually easier to remove the wheel secured with allen bolts than cutting a cable, which thieves have no trouble doing.
If I'm leaving my bike for a while in an urban area, I'm locking it all together. No temptation to thieves to steal front wheels, and the locks are harder to break. Plus, any avid bike commuter will have no difficulty removing the front wheel after doing it a few times. Additionally, people probably shouldn't be riding bikes with quick releases if they're not fully comfortable operating them. (And I've seen plenty of bikes go by with the QR in the "open" position, as it was closed like a wing nut. Bad!)
But, that said... two mini u-locks aint a bad idea either! Most thieves won't go to the trouble to break two locks for one bike.

And here's a free tip for those worried about component theft....
Squirt a little grease in the allen bolt on your stem (either standard stem or aheadset). Then drop the appropriate-sized ball bearing in the bolt. Ta-da! Now a thief can't quickly clip your cables, twist an allen wrench and steal your bars & controls. This method can be used on other parts of the bike as well. It also prevents water from pooling in the bolt head and rusting. To get the bearing out, just use a needle to "flip" it out. And although you could use adhesive on the bearing, I wouldn't! The grease is sufficient in keeping the bearing in place.