Spring and autumn are good seasons for a bicycle tour. It is not recommended during July, August, January, and February, because it’s too hot and too cold. Kyoto city is not very friendly to cyclists. You should avoid particularly the eastern downtown and Higashiyama tourist district.
The central Kyoto city is the best because it’s safe and comfortable to run with no up and downs. Besides, you will see really local things like wooden old houses and shops dealing Kimono, Japanese tea, paper fan, or traditional confectionery etc. Small nice shops are often located off the main streets. Restaurants in this area are also nice.
There are several bicycle rent business in the city. The biggest one is Kyoto Cycling Tour Project (KCTP). Here is a recommended tour around central city which includes the sightseeing of Kyoto Imperial Palace Park and Nijojo Castle for about three hours.
It starts at the Nishiki Market station of KCTP which is in the building of Co-op Inn Kyoto Hotel near the crossing of Rokkaku and Yanagino-baba streets, 10 minutes walk from Kawaramachi station (Hankyu Line). It is open from 9am to 7pm. The rate is 1000 yen to rent a standard bike for a day. They don’t have hourly rate. See their website for more information: http://www.kctp.net/en/
Let’s visit first to the Nijojo Castle. You have to pay 200 yen to put your bicycle in front of the entrance. It takes about 90 minutes to see the castle. Then you ride to the Imperial Palace Park. If you want to see in the Palace, join the official guided tour which is conducted 10am and 2pm on weekdays. Otherwise, just enjoy cycling in the park.
On the way visiting these two sites, you can enjoy shopping and eating around the area. Some handicraft shops have hands-on activities for visitors where you can make Japanese paper or dye a cloth etc. Then you return the bicycle by 7pm. Near the KCTP’s station is the bustling food market of Nishiki.
There might be some trouble using a bicycle. First, you have to pay the expense to repair the bicycle when it’s damaged or even punctured. 
Second, if you leave your bicycle in a banned area (yellow zone in the map below) and it’s took away by the administration, you have to pay the custody fee and compensation to KCTP for their losses. You should also notice no-bicycle signs on the Shijo and some arcade streets, where you can’t even run by bicycle.
KCTP has three other locations to get and return bicycles, Kyoto station, Kinkakuji Temple, and Fushimi. You can return your bike at a different location by paying extra 400 yen.
Why not ask a volunteer guide to accompany your cycling tour and share the local’s favorite streets and shops?
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