Miele Man

They're fairly compact and a lot of them will go around a larger object than a U-type lock will. A lot of people use a cable lock as a snatch-and-ride preventative. That's where someone grabs an unlocked bicycle and rides away.

I use two cable locks sometimes. One goes through the front wheel and the frame and the other goes through the rear wheel and frame. When those are used the bike is not really out of sight or if it is it's not for long. If I was living in a high-theft rate area I'd use U-type locks.

Then again, there are also a lot of YouTube videos showing thieves using an angle grinder with a cutoff disc cutting a U-type lock in broad daylight on a fairly busy sidewalk.

Cheers