Forest is the hire bike I actually ride most days. I commute from South-West to Central London on one, so this isn’t a guide written from a press release. Here’s what Forest bikes cost in London, how the free minutes work, which pass is worth it, and my referral code if you want 30 free minutes to try one.
Affiliate Disclosure
This post includes my personal Forest referral code and my umob referral link. If you sign up with my Forest code, we both get free ride time, and new umob users get €10 credit through my umob link. It costs you nothing extra, and it’s a genuine way to get a cheaper first ride.
How Much Do Forest Bikes Cost in London?
These are the prices from the Forest app, last checked in September 2026. Forest changes its pricing every so often, so check the app before you ride.
Pay as you go
- £1 to unlock, then 33 pence per minute
- Plus 1 to 30 free minutes on many bikes (more on that below)
So a 15 minute ride costs £5.95 with no free minutes, or just the £1 unlock if the bike has 15 free minutes attached.
Bundles
- Day Pass: £10.99 for 24 hours of unlimited rides, free unlocks
- 20 minutes for £2.99, use within 24 hours (15 pence per minute)
- 35 minutes for £4.59, use within 24 hours (13.11 pence per minute)
- 70 minutes for £7.69, use within 3 days (10.99 pence per minute)
- 250 minutes for £19.94, use within 7 days (7.98 pence per minute)
- 500 minutes for £36.99, use within 30 days (7 pence per minute)
Subscriptions
- Forest FLEX (beta): £6.99 a month, then every ride is 30 minutes for £1.70 or 10 minutes for £1
- Forest PLUS: £69.99 a month for 1,200 minutes
Cycle to Work
- Forest advertises commuting from £1.36 a day through Cycle to Work. My own plan works out at about £31 a month for 1,800 minutes, which is how I get my daily commute for less than the cost of a coffee.
Forest Free Minutes Explained
This is what makes Forest different. Since November 2025, each bike can come with anywhere from 1 to 30 free minutes. Forest puts the most free minutes on bikes it wants moved, so a bike sitting on its own on a quiet street might carry 30 free minutes, while one in a busy bay might have just 1.
The free minutes are shown on the bike in the app before you unlock it, so it pays to have a quick look around. Walking an extra minute to grab a bike with 20 free minutes can save you more than £6.
You can also top up a bike’s free minutes by watching a short video ad in the app. Forest’s own example is 1 free minute becoming 4.
The catch: free minutes only apply on pay as you go, not on bundles or subscriptions. You still pay the £1 unlock.
How to Use a Forest Bike
- Download the Forest app: sign up, add a payment method, and enter a referral code if you have one (mine is below).
- Find a bike on the map: check the battery and the free minutes before you pick one.
- Unlock it: scan the QR code, or select the bike in the app. Check the bike’s number matches the one in front of you first.
- Ride: Forest bikes are pedal assist e-bikes, so the motor helps while you pedal, up to 15.5mph.
- Park in a Forest bay or a marked parking spot: take the photo the app asks for, and end your ride.
Where Can You Ride and Park a Forest Bike?
Forest covers 20 London boroughs, with roughly 2,600 parking bays. The map in the app shows exactly where you can ride and park.
The big change this year: since 1 June 2026, Forest has been the only hire bike operator in Richmond, taking over from Lime. According to Richmond Council, residents there can get a local plan of 400 minutes for £13.99. Forest also runs in neighbouring Kingston and Hounslow.
As with every hire bike in London now, parking properly matters. End your ride in a bay and you won’t get stuck paying while you hunt for one.
Pay as You Go, Bundles or FLEX: Which Saves You Money?
Pay as you go suits riders who chase free minutes: if you’re flexible about which bike you pick, the free minutes can make short rides almost free.
FLEX suits regular riders on longer trips: a 30 minute ride on pay as you go costs £10.90 before free minutes. On FLEX it’s £1.70, so the £6.99 a month pays for itself on your first long ride.
When does each plan start paying for itself? Compared with pay as you go and no free minutes:
- Day Pass (£10.99): one ride of about 30 minutes, or two 15 minute rides in a day
- 20 minutes for £2.99: any ride of about 6 minutes or more
- 70 minutes for £7.69: one ride of about 21 minutes or more
- 500 minutes for £36.99: about 100 minutes in a month, if your rides are around 20 minutes
- FLEX (£6.99 a month): one 30 minute ride, or two 15 minute rides
If you commute every day, look at Cycle to Work first. It’s by far the cheapest way I’ve found.
A money saving tip: you can also hire Forest bikes through the umob app, and new umob users get €10 credit with my referral link. It charges the same per minute but has no unlock fee (checked October 2026), and its 1 month pass gives you 40 rides of up to 30 minutes for £40, which is £1 a ride.
Forest vs Lime
I get asked this a lot, because the two look similar on paper.
- Pay as you go: both are £1 to unlock then 33 pence per minute, but Forest has free minutes on many bikes, so it usually works out cheaper.
- Bigger bundles: £36.99 gets you 500 minutes on Forest, against 400 minutes on a 30 day LimePass.
- Monthly plans: Forest FLEX and LimePrime are both £6.99 a month, but FLEX gives you 30 minute rides for £1.70, where LimePrime’s £1.70 rides stop at 20 minutes.
- Day pass: Forest has an unlimited Day Pass for £10.99. Lime doesn’t.
- Availability: Lime has more bikes in more places, so it’s often closer. I regularly walk past lots of Lime bikes to get to a Forest.
For the full breakdown, see my guide to Lime bike costs, or my full comparison of London’s hire bikes and scooters, including Santander, Voi and Bolt.
Forest Promo Code and Referral Code
If you’re new to Forest, use my referral code when you sign up:
C4jVrtop
When you take your first trip, you’ll get 30 minutes of free ride time, and so will I. It applies to pay as you go rides only, and the £1 unlock fee still applies, which is why the app calls it “30 mins for £1”.
Forest also runs Friends of the Forest, with discounted rides for groups like students, key workers and pensioners, so check the app to see if you qualify.
Do You Need a Helmet for a Forest Bike?
Forest doesn’t supply helmets, and you don’t legally need one on a bike in the UK. I always wear one on my commute though. If carrying one around is the problem, see my guide to folding bike helmets that pack down into a bag.
Forest Bike FAQs
Who owns Forest bikes?
Forest is a London company. It started in 2020 as HumanForest and renamed itself Forest in August 2023. It now has over 1.5 million users and raised £40 million in April 2026.
How much is a Forest bike for 30 minutes?
£10.90 on pay as you go with no free minutes (£1 unlock plus 30 minutes at 33 pence), less if the bike has free minutes, or £1.70 on Forest FLEX.
Are Forest bikes electric?
Yes, they are pedal assist e-bikes, with the motor helping up to 15.5mph.
Does Forest include insurance?
Forest doesn’t include personal insurance for riders, so it’s worth checking whether any insurance you have covers you for cycling.
What is the Forest referral code?
Mine is C4jVrtop. You get 30 minutes of free ride time after your first trip, on pay as you go.
