People in Watford will now be able to cycle with the help of electric power as new e-Bikes are introduced into the town.

Urban bike sharing scheme Beryl has started to expand its fleet of bikes in the borough, with it making 25 new pedal-assisted bikes available for hire.

It makes Watford the first town in the UK to introduce the new bikes, with a further 75 set to be rolled out across the borough over the coming months.

It comes after the Beryl Bikes scheme was introduced into Watford earlier this year in March, which saw more than 200 non-electric bikes brought into the town.

How can I hire out an e-Bike?

Like the non-electric bikes in the town, anyone can hire out an e-Bike by downloading the Beryl app, which is available on both iOS and Android.

Riders will be presented with two ways to pay – either through Pay-As-You-Ride (£1 unlock fee + 10p per minute) or Minute Bundles (£1 unlock fee and bundles priced at 5p per minute, starting at 100 minutes for £5).

Although the e-Bike may look similar to the non-electric versions, it can be differentiated through an electrified symbol that will be visible on the bike and bay icons in-app.

Watford Observer:

The new e-Bike

The remaining range of the Beryl e-Bike will also be displayed in-app ahead of hiring the bike so riders are able to confirm the battery will last throughout their journey.

How does the new e-Bike work?

With the new e-Bikes, electric power is provided through pedal assist so the rider can adjust the speed of the bike through the power in their pedaling.

The electric assist of the e-Bike is also capped at a max speed of 15.5mph (24.9kmph) in accordance with UK law.

Read more - New 'cheap and sustainable' bike scheme launched

The new e-Bike also has a centre mount pedal assist that enables the bike to have a lower centre of gravity.

The local Beryl operations team will manage all the on-street maintenance and use a battery swapping process to ensure the e-bikes are charged and ready for use.

Why have e-Bikes been introduced and when will more be coming to the town?

Watford Borough Council says the new e-Bikes are being launched as an alternative mode of transport for journeys and commutes that are being done by private or public motor vehicles.

As Watford returns to its usual pace, the council said people are looking for “greener and safer modes of transport that can service a wide range of journeys”.

Only 25 of the bikes are being introduced at the moment so data can be captured to see the type of journeys taken and how the e-Bikes move around Watford. A total of 100 are expected to be coming to the borough over the coming months.

What did the Mayor say?

Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor said: “We’ve had a terrific response to Watford’s Beryl bike share scheme with over 40,000 journeys taken by residents since the scheme’s introduction in March.

“Now we are piloting the new e-bikes, which we are great to use for longer journeys and people who need a little help. I'm delighted that we have delivered on one of my key election promises to the town and that this new scheme has been such a success.”

Philip Ellis, CEO of Beryl Bikes, added: “By introducing Beryl e-Bikes into our fleet, we have an opportunity to support a different type of rider by unlocking more rides that may not have been served with a standard pedal bike.

“Ultimately the Beryl e-Bikes make cycling more accessible where people may have previously been blocked by physical ability, length of journey or distance. The Beryl e-Bike plays a key role in our mission to lower the barriers to cycling, and replace more car journeys with active and sustainable travel options.”