I like to bike when I can, but I’m still nervous to leave it even with a U-lock around the frame. I’ve also had a seat stolen before (not even a good one), but I’m not sure if there’s anything reasonable to do about that.
What do you do to lock up your bike for commuting?
I bring my bike into my office and keep it folded up under my desk, but when I can’t, I use a Skunklock Chemical U-lock and supplement it with an additional lock or two if I have to lock up somewhere sketchy. You can run a lock through your seat and use security bolts, or just take the post out entirely and bring it with you.
Be sure to lock the rear wheel through the frame especially if you have a hub motor. I also recommend having a tracker or three hidden on your bike, a motion alarm, and if you have a really nice bike, insurance specifically for it is a good idea (personally I just buy entry level but good quality bikes).
If you’re looking for a quality cut resistant u-lock, Litelock X1 and X3 seem to be the best but I like the active defense of the Chemical (nobody has tried their luck yet lol). It’s also good to keep self defense options on you in case you encounter a thief in the act (pepper spray is a great option - legal almost everywhere, light, compact, nonlethal, has some range, and will work equally well on aggressive animals).
Any bike worth more than $1k, I add to my insurance. Below that, I’m just really careful.
What a nightmare. Seriously, this inadvertently reads as a very effective health warning against even buying a bike in the first place. Unfortunately.
Personally I share OP’s anxiety. My solution is simple: Never leave the thing in a public place for more than about 10 minutes, even locked. The fact that it’s foldable helps.
In fact, the popularity of foldables surely has something to do with this whole conundrum.