Get on your e-bike: Forest & Stubble launch competition to get commuters out in winter

Forest, an app-based shared e-bike rental service in London, UK, has launched a digital marketing partnership and free minutes competition with Stubble & Co, a lifestyle brand that makes durable bags, to encourage Londoners back to the office during the winter.

Forest will host Stubble & Co advertisements in its bike rental app and a competition to give away 31 Stubble backpacks in January, with 300,000 free minutes of cycling also available in ten minute slots to its users thanks to the partnership.

The collaboration consists of Stubble & Co using the Forest Adtech platform to market their waterproofed Roll Top backpacks and share its brand messaging with Forest riders.

The companies share a vision around sustainability and want to encourage consumers to get outdoors without the car.

The latest data from the Forest app shows that 50% of rides are taken during typical commuting hours (7-9am and 5-7pm) and 75% of rides are less than 5 miles, a typical one-way commute. However, Forest riders are not just fair weather cyclists, with the company having experienced a 17% increase in average rides per user between Q3 and Q4 2024 even as the UK capital entered the winter months.  

Commenting on the link-up, Ben Watkiss, Stubble & Co’s co-Founder, said: “We share Forest's vision to make your daily commute easy, comfortable, and eco-conscious, prioritising both people and the planet. Our bags are designed to be versatile, perfect for using in the city and beyond. We hope this partnership encourages people in London to get out and do more.”

Forest’s Head of Commercial, Jamie Richards,  is looking forward to partnering with a company that he says “shares our ethos of environmentalism and an interest in the outdoors”.