Bike height importance?

>>1012739
get a nice old steel bike, make it look vandalized and shitty, make sure it fits you good and you'll be fine

also, why not bring it in your house?

Riding with the saddle too low is bad for your knees and horribly inefficient. If you're doing that commute twice a day it's 300k per week, so any issues are likely to be exacerbated pretty quickly. I can notice if my saddle is 3 or 4mm lower than normal...

>>1012876
This

You could keep riding bikes that don't fit you, and if your body gets used to it and you don't try to go fast then it'll be fine. Or, don't...

Get a real beater that looks awful but rides well. Tape up your saddle to make it look damaged. It'll probably be cheaper in the end than renting, anyway.

Oh, and,
>I'm a pretty big guy
for me

Thanks guys, I'll go for the used-bike option then!

>>1013053
I'm not really experienced enough to know how much it costs in the long run to properly maintain a bike and replace stuff that wears out (tubes, tires, chain mainly I guess?). But my impression was that, depending on how much you ride, quality of roads, weather conditions etc, it might have a non-negligable cost.
The rentals cost 10 euro/year (fixed fee) + 1 euro per day that you actually rent, and the bikes get frequent checkups/maintenance.
So I figured that especially while I'm still in the riding 1-2 days/week phase, it would be a relatively sensible option.

>>1012739
You do realize if you buy a sufficiently large bike it will be hard for 99% of bike thieves to ride off with it right?

>>1013076
Golly that's cheap
Yes, you should replace your brake pads, chain, and tires each once or twice per year. If you ride in bad weather, especially if it snows in your area and they use salt or sand on the roads, it wears on your parts 10 x worse. So you're right about the costs.

The cheapest most durable way to get through the winter is on fixed gear. No derailleurs or gears means there's fewer components to replace.

Rental may be cheaper for you but those bikes do sound horrid, unless you start carrying an extra-long seatpost around with you.

I get that a higher seat is meant to improve comfort and efficiency. I had been riding with a low seat for awhile, so I decided to try out a higher seat. After swapping to a higher seat it seems that I have lost a lot of mobility: it's very awkward to turn and I have less freedom in speed, as in, with a low seat, I could freely pedal like a madman whilst going downhill - I can't do this with a higher seat. I use a mountain bike.

Is that the trade off for seat height? Mobility and freedom (low seat) vs efficiency (high seat).

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>>1013802
put it high and after a week you will get used to it, dont mash or >pic related
you have shit mobility and freedom because you are accustomed to your shitty setup, im betting you cant touch your toes too right?

>>1013807
>im betting you cant touch your toes too right?
I cannot. How does being flexible help with cycling? Genuinely curious.

Also, a bone in my butt has been very painful since changing seat height, though I assume that will subside in a week or two.

>>1013809
since you are pedaling with your seat low and your knees high, your hamstrings contract a small amount making them tighter over time. flexibility is more important if you are an aggressive rider and are bent over allot when you ride. but since you are on a mountain bike and are probably pretty upright it shouldn't matter that much.

>>1013809
oh yea and if your seat is too high your hips will start to rock which may be the cause to your hurting bones.