Bournemouth and Poole's first Beryl Bikes get the thumbs-up

A set of 50 dockless Beryl bikes launched in the town at the beginning of the week.

People who have taken one of the green bicycles out for a test ride via the app have been praising them.

Matt Cheetham said on Twitter: “Went for a little ride with @weareberyl! Comfortable bikes. The gears make it super easy to pick up pace and cycle comfortably. Unlocking and riding was a doddle.”

Another Twitter user, known as ‘Mr P’ said: “Had a ride on one of Bournemouth’s new Beryl bikes tonight, pretty impressed and not a bad ride – great for commuting and holiday makers alike and certainly good for the town.”

People have also been posting on social media when they’ve spotted a bike.

Staff at the Boscombe East Post Office said a Beryl bike was parked outside their shop recently.

The Bournemouth University Bicycle User Group said bays loaded with Beryl bikes were by the Lansdowne campus, with more bikes set to be available on the university site from September.

The bikes have initially been distributed at locations including rail and bus stations, town centre shopping areas and tourist attractions, but a gradual roll-out of the bikes will continue throughout the summer, bringing the total number available to hire to around 1,000.

Residents and visitors can hire a bike through the Beryl app, which is available on smart phones. The three-speed gear bikes can be picked up and dropped off in marked bays or left in any location with an additional charge incurred.

To complete a ride, users simply secure the bike using the attached lock through the rear wheel.

Beryl, which secured a five-year contract for the project from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, offer three payment options for their bike hire scheme. Riders can use pay-as-you-ride with a £1 unlock fee and 5p per minute charge while on the bike, minute bundles with no unlock fee and bundles starting at 100 minutes for £5, or day passes with 24 hours unlimited riding for £12.