KORTRIJK – For students living in student accommodation in Kortrijk or travelling to campus every day, a bike is almost indispensable. But buying, maintaining and repairing a decent bike straight away? That’s not something everyone finds easy. Louis Comptdaer (20), a student at Howest, found a simple solution: he rents his bike from Fietsencentrum Mobiel.
Louis is from Roeselare and, as a commuter, combines the train with a cycle ride to his hall of residence and the campus. He came across the services offered by Fietsencentrum Mobiel in September 2025. As a brand-new first-year student, he attended one of the induction days at his university of applied sciences, HOWEST.
“I walked past the Mobiel promotional stand, where they were advertising the student bike: As a student, you can hire a bike from Mobiel for €8 a month. My immediate thought was: that’s really cheap. Whether you’re a student, a commuter or neither, a bike is simply the most practical option: you can use it to get from the station to your hall of residence, to the shops, to see friends… There are no traffic jams, no hunting for a parking space and no reliance on a car. In short: you’ve got nothing to worry about!”
“After booking online, my bike was ready almost straight away at Mobiel on Platform 2. That was really quick.” – Louis, a student (aged 20)
Not long after, Louis walked into Fietsencentrum Mobiel, located in the Perron 2 concept store at the rear of Kortrijk station. “I was able to get plenty of extra information from the large tablet at the entrance, and there was also a member of staff on hand to help sort everything out. I was satisfied and went straight ahead with hiring the bike.”
Now in his second year, Louis has become something of an expert when it comes to Mobiel’s student bikes. “I know exactly how it works, so I booked my bike online at the start of September this year. After making the booking, I just had to go to Mobiel on Platform 2, show my booking confirmation, and I was given my bike straight away. The bike was ready and waiting, and I didn’t really have to do anything else. It was really quick.”
Repairs and maintenance included in the rent
For many students, a buy a cheap second-hand bike At first glance, this seems the most logical choice. Fietsencentrum Mobiel offers this option too. However, although these second-hand bikes are in tip-top condition when you buy them, a part may well break, or maintenance may be required after a while.
“Mobiel can also repair any type of bicycle, ”But I still made a conscious decision to go for a hire bike,“ said Louis. ”Having a bike repaired costs money too. With these hire bikes, you don’t have that problem, because repairs and maintenance are included in the hire fee."
“Getting a bike repaired costs money too. With these hire bikes, you don’t have that problem, because repairs and maintenance are included in the hire price.” – Louis, a student (aged 20)
“For example, I once had a flat tyre. I just went to the shop and they fixed it straight away. That was sorted in no time.”
Will he opt for a hire bike again next academic year? “Probably,” says Louis. “It’s really convenient, the service is good and the price is excellent: more than enough reasons to remain a customer of Fietsencentrum Mobiel (Perron 2).”
You can find more information about the student bike from Fietsencentrum Mobiel here.
