Beryl Bikes are already available in Penzance, Falmouth and Penryn and are set to be rolled out in Truro, Newquay and St Austell under the Cornwall Council funded scheme
As I waited to board the train to Penzance at St Austell Station on Thursday morning little did I know that a couple of hours later I would fall in love. I was heading to the far west of Cornwall to try out a new way of getting around which is being rolled out across the Duchy.
As I left Penzance station I soon found her – she was standing there, resplendent in mint green in the beautiful January sunshine. This was Beryl.
Beryl is one of several new E-bikes which have been placed in Penzance, Penryn and Falmouth as part of a new scheme funded by Cornwall Council to encourage people to get on their bikes to help the environment and their health. You can hire them for one-off trips or buy bundles of minutes for multiple journeys.
Having downloaded the Beryl Bike app to my phone before I left for Penzance when I found my trusty steed all I had to do was open up the app and then use my phone to unlock my chosen Beryl. The app offers you two ways to unlock the bike, by scanning the bike with your phone or by inputting the bike’s individual code into the app.
The scanning wizardry was not working for me so I had to put in the code, which was quick and easy, selected that I wanted to do a one-off trip and then unlocked the bike. It costs £1.50 to unlock the bike and then you are charged 10p per minute thereafter.
Bikes are located in specific parking areas where you can pick up and drop off your bike – there are several dotted around Penzance and the surrounding area. Once you have unlocked your bike, you’re ready to explore.
First off I headed west and along Penzance Promenade, there was only a short stretch on the road before I got to the promenade itself and here it was lovely to just cycle along, admiring the view. The bikes are easy to use and with the added boost of the power provided by the bike there was little pedalling required.
I then decided to head back towards Penzance and then east to Marazion, cycling along the SW Coast Path. This multi-user trail was ideal, nice and flat and away from the busy roads and simple to ride along.
As I made my way around several people stopped to ask about the bike – they had seen them in the area but didn’t know about how to use them or how much they cost. Everyone I spoke to seemed to be impressed and surprised by the relatively low cost.
I took a quick breather and sat on a bench overlooking St Michael’s Mount and felt good for getting out into the fresh air and seeing the area from a viewpoint I had never seen before. As a way of exploring parts of Cornwall this seems an ideal way of doing it on a bike.
Soon I was making my way back into Penzance to park up Beryl and then get back onto a train to St Austell. It had been a nice morning out, away from my desk and it did not involve using a car at all.
Returning Beryl was easy, all you have to do is place the bike in the designated parking area and then lock it by manually pushing down a switch at the back of the bike. Then, just listen out for the chime to confirm it has been locked and you are on your way.
Having not been cycling for a number of years I was delighted to get out on two wheels again and it has certainly given me a hunger to go again or even invest in my own e-bike. I eventually spent around 90 minutes with my Beryl which cost me £10.60 all in, pretty reasonable for a nice little jaunt.
If you were a regular user of the bikes you can buy minute bundles which start from 80 minutes for £5. And you can also buy day passes which offer unlimited riding over 24 hours for £20.
With the various stops which are located in and around Penzance it would be easy to pick up a Beryl bike in one area and then drop it off somewhere else so that you can explore different parts. I imagine they could be popular with tourists who might not be able to bring their own bikes with them on holiday.
As I walked away from Beryl I glanced back and looked forward to being reunited with her soon to further venture around Cornwall on two wheels. This love affair is not over yet.
Beryl Bikes are already in place in Penzance, Falmouth and Penryn, with plans to launch them in Truro, St Austell and Newquay in the coming months. The scheme is funded by Cornwall Council which has a five-year contract with Beryl Bikes worth £584,000.
Source: Cornwall Live
