Cycling is a common form of transportation is Brugge, both for tourists and for locals.  One-way streets are generally open to cyclists going both directions, and there are numerous signposted bicycle routes, including car-free bicycle paths along the canals. Several companies offer guided bicycle tours.

I asked at my hotel where the nearest bicycle rental place was, and they showed me the way to ‘t koffieboontje in the Hallestraat, just off the Market Square.

This is a hotel which also rents out bicycles at the normal prices of 4 Euros for one hour, 8 Euros for half a day or 12 Euros for a full day. (Prices as of 2012.) I was very satisfied with the bike and with their friendly service.

Hallestraat 4, 8000 Brugge

Another centrally located place to rent a bicycle is Eric Populier’s bike shop in the Mariastraat, near the Church of Our Lady and the Saint Salvator Cathedral.I haven’t tried this one, but they make a very professional impression and have the same prices as everyone else in town.
Bike Rental ‘Eric Populier’, Mariastraat 26, 8000 BRUGGE
 

Brugge, like the rest of Flanders, has a fine network of signposted bicycle routes for local or long distance cycling. The signs on my photo are in Brugge near the beginning of the LF5, a route that is 294 kilometers long and goes across the entire northern end of Belgium, connecting Brugge with a town called Thorn at the other end of the country. http://www.fietsroute.org/

When I visited Brugge in 2012 there were signs in the city center reading “Fiets goed gesloten?” (Bikes securely locked?) with a real chain and lock hanging from the sign for emphasis.

My photos in this post are from 2012. I revised the text in 2017.

See more posts on Brugge/Bruges, Belgium.