 Logo of Beryl | |
 Beryl electric and conventional bikes in Norwich | |
| Beryl | |
| Founded | 1 November 2011 in Bath, United Kingdom |
| Founder | Emily Brooke |
| Headquarters | The Frames, 1 Phipp Street, , United Kingdom |
| Website | beryl |
Beryl (a trading name of SMIDSY Limited) is a British company which produces bicycle sharing systems and bicycle lights.
The company's founder, Emily Brooke, initially marketed her lights using the brand "Blaze" but changed to "Beryl", acknowledging champion cyclist Beryl Burton, after a legal challenge from an American bike light company called Blaze. [1] The company was registered in November 2011 with the name SMIDSY (an acronym for "Sorry Mate I Didn't See You", used when motorists fail to notice bicycles or motorbikes). [2] "Beryl" is the trading name of the company. [3]
Its founder Brooke developed the "Laserlight" bike lights which are now used as part of Santander Cycles, London's public bike hire scheme. This light projects an image of a bicycle, in green, onto the road about 6 metres (20 ft) ahead of the bike, visible round corners and in blind spots. TfL has said that the advantages of the Laserlight are it "can be seen from nearly all angles, helping make drivers and pedestrians aware of any approaching Santander Cycles", which has been shown to "help to increase confidence on the roads by making cyclists feel more visible". [4] [5] The company makes several other brands of light, including the "Pixel" which can be switched between red and white for rear or front use, [6] and the "Laserlight core", a cheaper version of the Laserlight using plastic instead of aluminium for the main body. [7]
Beryl also runs a dockless cycle sharing scheme, currently implemented in towns and counties including Brighton and Hove; Cornwall; Dorset; Greater Manchester; Hereford; Hertsmere; Isle of Wight; Leeds; Norwich; Plymouth; Portsmouth; Watford; and the West Midlands. [8] [9] [10] In some locations, such as Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Norwich and West Midlands, Beryl Bikes also provides a scooter-sharing system, known as kicksharing. [8]
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A bicycle rider is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
A bicycle-sharing system, bike share program, public bicycle scheme, or public bike share (PBS) scheme, is a shared transport service where bicycles are available for shared use by individuals at low cost.
Bicycle transportation planning and engineering are the disciplines related to transportation engineering and transportation planning concerning bicycles as a mode of transport and the concomitant study, design and implementation of cycling infrastructure. It includes the study and design of dedicated transport facilities for cyclists as well as mixed-mode environments and how both of these examples can be made to work safely. In jurisdictions such as the United States it is often practiced in conjunction with planning for pedestrians as a part of active transportation planning.
Beryl Burton OBE was an English racing cyclist who dominated the women's sport, winning more than 90 domestic championships and seven world titles, and setting numerous national records. In 1967, she set a world record for the 12-hour time-trial which exceeded the men's record for two years.
Bicycle safety is the use of road traffic safety practices to reduce risk associated with cycling. Risk can be defined as the number of incidents occurring for a given amount of cycling. Some of this subject matter is hotly debated: for example, which types of cycling environment or cycling infrastructure is safest for cyclists. The merits of obeying the traffic laws and using bicycle lighting at night are less controversial. Wearing a bicycle helmet may reduce the chance of head injury in the event of a crash.
Cycling is the second-most common mode of transport in the Netherlands, with 36% of Dutch people listing the bicycle as their most frequent way of getting around on a typical day, as opposed to the car (45%) and public transport (11%). Cycling has a modal share of 27% of all trips nationwide. In cities this is even higher, such as Amsterdam which has 38%, and Zwolle 46%. This high frequency of bicycle travel is enabled by excellent cycling infrastructure such as cycle paths, cycle tracks, protected intersections, ample bicycle parking and by making cycling routes shorter and more direct than car routes.
Vélo'v is a bicycle-sharing system running in the city of Lyon, France, in conjunction with the advertising company JCDecaux. It has been the pioneer of smart bicycle-sharing systems, previous systems being more ad hoc and run similar to a charity. The relationship with JCDecaux allows the city to provide the service on a cost neutral basis for the city, and at a very low cost to users, in return for providing exclusive advertising access on bus shelters and the like. The primary aim is to reduce vehicle traffic within the city. The scheme also aims to reduce pollution, create a convivial atmosphere within the city, and encourage the health benefits of increased activity. Its name is a portmanteau of French vélo (bike) and English love. The first bicycle-sharing system to open in France, after the pioneering 1974 scheme in La Rochelle, its success inspired similar systems in major French and European cities, including Paris' Velib' in 2007. With the success of these two high profile smart bicycle sharing systems a new paradigm of government supporting bike sharing as a part of a public transportation network emerged. It is still the bike-share scheme with the second-highest market penetration in the world, after the Velib'.
Cycling is a popular mode of transport and leisure activity within London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. Following a national decline in the 1960s of levels of utility cycling, cycling as a mode of everyday transport within London began a slow regrowth in the 1970s. This continued until the beginning of the 21st century, when levels began to increase significantly—during the period from 2000 to 2012, the number of daily journeys made by bicycle in Greater London doubled to 580,000. The growth in cycling can partly be attributed to the launch in 2010 by Transport for London (TfL) of a cycle hire system throughout the city's centre. By 2013, the scheme was attracting a monthly ridership of approximately 500,000, peaking at a million rides in July of that year. Health impact analyses have shown that London would benefit more from increased cycling and cycling infrastructure than other European cities.
Cycling in New York City is associated with mixed cycling conditions that include dense urban proximities, relatively flat terrain, congested roadways with stop-and-go traffic, and streets with heavy pedestrian activity. The city's large cycling population includes utility cyclists, such as delivery and messenger services; cycling clubs for recreational cyclists; and increasingly commuters. Cycling is increasingly popular in New York City: in 2018 there were approximately 510,000 daily bike trips, compared with 170,000 daily bike trips in 2005.
Bicycle paths around Melbourne are off-road routes for use by people riding bicycles and walking have been developed over many decades. These primarily follow current or former watercourses and major roads to traverse long distances and provide facilities for both transport and recreation.
Santander Cycles is a public bicycle hire scheme in London in the United Kingdom. The scheme's bicycles have been popularly known as Boris Bikes, after Boris Johnson who was Mayor of London when the scheme began operating.
Cycling in Australia is a common form of transport, recreation and sport. Many Australians enjoy cycling because it improves their health and reduces road congestion and air pollution. The government has encouraged more people to start, with several state advertising campaigns aimed at increasing safety for those who choose to ride. There is a common perception that riding is a dangerous activity. While it is safer to walk, cycling is a safer method of transport than driving. Cycling is less popular in Australia than in Europe, however cyclists make up one in forty road deaths and one in seven serious injuries.
BCycle is a public bicycle sharing company owned by Trek Bicycle and is based in Waterloo, Wisconsin, United States. It has 34 local systems operating in cities across the United States. However, in several cities it operates under a name other than BCycle
Cycling in Denmark is both a common and popular recreational and utilitarian activity. Bicycling infrastructure is a dominant feature of both city and countryside infrastructure with segregated dedicated bicycle paths and lanes in many places and the network of 11 Danish National Cycle Routes extends more than 12,000 kilometres (7,500 mi) nationwide. Often bicycling and bicycle culture in Denmark is compared to the Netherlands as a bicycle-nation.
Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except where cyclists are barred such as many freeways/motorways. It includes amenities such as bike racks for parking, shelters, service centers and specialized traffic signs and signals. The more cycling infrastructure, the more people get about by bicycle.
Cycling for transport and leisure enjoys popularity in Greater Manchester and the city also plays a major role in British cycle racing. The Bee Network was launched in 2018. The University of Manchester is home to the Manchester Cycling Lab.
A protected intersection or protected junction, also known as a Dutch-style junction, is a type of at-grade road junction in which cyclists and pedestrians are separated from cars. The primary aim of junction protection is to help pedestrians and cyclists be and feel safer at road junctions.
Santander Cycles MK is a bicycle hire scheme based in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. The scheme is operated by nextbike and sponsored by Santander UK. The scheme launched on 17 June 2016.
Emily Sophie Hastings Brooke MBE is a British inventor, industrial designer and entrepreneur known for having developed the Beryl Laserlights used for Santander Cycles.
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