July 17, 2015
by Yuka Shinde & Misa Ito
Renting a bicycle in Kyoto is great for exploring the city.
Have you ever used a rental bicycle? If you are not afraid to cycle in a foreign city, it can be a very wonderful experience. In Kyoto, there are many kinds of public transportation that are all very convenient. There are trains, subways, buses and taxis. They are all conventional and convenient.
However, if you use the train or a bus, you can only go to certain destinations because the routes of trains and buses are predetermined. With these kinds of transportation you may have to wait and waste time. They can also be crowded and fatigue accumulates when using them. On the other hand, when you use a bicycle, you can decide your own route. Riding a bicycle is also more reasonable means of transportation because it doesn’t depend on time schedules and is cheaper than the public transportation.
In addition there are many people who don’t get enough exercise these days because they always use cars or public transportation. People also keep irregular hours. Using a bicycle can solve these problems. When you use a bicycle you should take a towel and a drink. Since you are exercising, you may work up a sweat. And you should also take a rest from time to time because you will get tired.
Kyoto is very suited to bicycling since it is mostly flat and small in area. There are many bicycle rental shops in Kyoto. Most rent bicycles on a daily basis. However there is a system for keeping a bike overnight and returning it the next day. Renting a bike requires the customer to present an identification card.
There isn’t any difference in age group for bicycle users. However, there are some bicycle courses that are classified according to difficulty. Young people often use Kyoto bicycle rental shops with a focus on the early twenties. There are a lot of universities in Kyoto, so sometimes students rent bikes. Furthermore, many people rent bikes to go to popular tourist destinations, such as Kiyomizudera and Arashiyama. Sometimes tourists go in groups. But bicycle users are not only young people but also the elderly. There are different types of bikes, and some are easier to use, such as an electric bicycle. Rental store clerks will help use choose a bicylce that is right for you and also make adjustments to the user’s requests.
The reason why bicycles are recommended is that they can go places that public transportation can’t and they can also go on trails and back roads. In this way people can get to know the geography of a place better and make new discoveries. Plus bicycling contributes zero carbon dioxide emissions, so people can go sightseeing in a way that is friendly to the environment.
One Kyoto rental shop is J-Cycle. The business hours are from 10:00 to 19:00, but rental hours are until 18:30. The rental price is from 800 yen to 1700 yen. There are a lot of kinds bicycles here—power-assisted bicycles and folding bicycle and so on. They also have a recommended bicycle course that runs along the east side of Kyoto. Taking it, users can explore such places as Kyoto Tower and Kiyomizu temple. The running time is 1 hour and a half. J-Cycle also has other bicycle maps for each district in Kyoto.
Telephone: 075-341-3196.
Address: Higashinotoin Takatsuji-sagaru Shimogyo-ku Kyoto 600-8401
Please visit the Web site for more information. http://www.j-cycle.com/cyclemap/index.html