Kyoto biking

I have read two contradictory statements about this.

One says that Kyoto is great to get around in and recommends Kyoto Cycling Tour Project(KCTP), as a good place to rent a bike from.

But another says Kyoto is unfriendly to bikers especially as regards to parking. I don't want to rent a bike then get ticketed for my trouble.

So, which is it?

I used this service in 2007 and found it fantastic. I wholeheartedly recommend it. The roads are much safer than the UK. There are plenty of places to park safely and Kyoto is fairly flat. I did get told off by a Policeman for riding on the road instead of the pavement (sidewalk) once ^_^;
this photo has my rented bike in front of a rank of parked bikes. Kyoto is a wondeful place.

oops. Proofread the post but forgot the link ^_^;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/claudius-xiv/116970833/in/set-7...

Actually, these two statements are not as exclusive as they sound. :)

Parking can surely be a pain in the neck ... mainly in central Kyoto: Parking legally at Sanjo area is next to impossible, thus you'll find lots of bicycles parked right in front of prohibition signs ^^. And some roads are in terrible condition.

That said, Kyoto is a nice place to go around by bicycle. It makes a lot more fun to explore the city by bike than by trains or buses, IMHO - especially when driving along the Kamogawa river. At least, if you have the time, and don't want to only check out some major sight seeing places. If the weather is fine, it's the perfect way to get a feeling of the city's atmosphere.

Well I was planning to rent a bike to go from korimizu(sp?) up to the top of the Path of Philosophy.

Also an afternoon at Arishiyama(sp?) with the same idea.

Are either feasable?

Driving from Kiyomizu dera to the Path of Philosophy is feasible, no problem. You only might want to think about what to do on the Path: It might be more enjoyable to walk (parking the bike somewhere, or pushing it) than to drive along it. Just a thought.

Driving to Arashiyama area takes a bit of time, but nothing too bad. So, definitely feasible, too. Driving at Arashiyama can be pretty nice - but make sure to park the bicycle from time to time to walk around, enjoy the shops & restaurants, temples, and especially the paths through the bamboo forest.

On reflection All of my cycling has been in northern Kyoto. Sort of north of Kawaramachi dori. I should imagine its quite a bit busier nearer the station. Still for me, a regular cyclist I found it a great way to get round the world heritage sites.

Hi!
I used the bicycle from KTCP in April 2007. It was raining from time to time so it was not such a good ideea to ride a bicycle. Anyway we went to Kyomizu, then through Path of Philosophy to Ginkakuji. After that we just passed close to Imperial Palace and then we visited Kinkakuji.
So, for a one day trip I don't reccomend you to use KTCP (the buses in Kyoto are very good and cheap- 500 JPY one day ticket).
If you have enough time and the weather is nice then you can enjoy riding the bicycle.
Have a nice trip!
http://japan-japonia-nihon-japao-giappone.blogspot.com/

Riding a bicycle is really great, I've done this several times without any problems. It's also possible to rent one of those very convenient Panasonic electric bicycles. A few things to keep in mind, stay on the pavement along main roads, in Japan they drive on the left side of the road, and don't drive too fast, otherwise you miss a lot of interesting things to see!