Wikipedia

Beryl (company)

"SMIDSY" redirects here. For a definition of that term, see the Wiktionary entry SMIDSY.

Beryl (a trading name of SMIDSY Limited) is a British company which produces bicycle sharing systems and bicycle lights.

SMIDSY Limited
Beryl
Founded1 November 2011; 12 years ago (2011-11-01) in Bath, United Kingdom
FounderEmily Brooke
HeadquartersThe Frames, 1 Phipp Street,
London
,
United Kingdom
Websiteberyl.cc

Company

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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]

Lights

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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]

Bicycle-sharing and kicksharing

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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]

References

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  1. ^ Knowles, Kitty (22 May 2018). "Blaze Becomes Beryl: How The "Bosch of Bikes" Turned A U.S. Lawsuit Into A Positive". Forbes. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  2. ^ Ashley, Christopher (18 October 2018). "Sorry, Mate: The SMIDSY Phenomenon". We Love Cycling magazine. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Terms of Service". beryl.cc. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  4. ^ "TFL – Blaze Laserlights". Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  5. ^ "Designed in London since 2012". beryl.cc. Beryl. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  6. ^ Elton-Waters, Jack (11 January 2019). "Beryl Pixel front or rear bike light review". Cyclist. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  7. ^ Hill, George (4 March 2020). "Beryl Laserlight Core". road.cc. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Bikeshare Locations". beryl.cc. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Portsmouth set for bike rental scheme trial". BBC News. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  10. ^ "New e-bike hire scheme to launch next week". Dorset Echo. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
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