London e-bike operator HumanForest has rebranded to Forest bikes and has also doubled its e-bike fleet size, having recently secured £12m Series A funding.

The company says the aim of the rebrand is to, “reconnect the bike and its riders to its primary source of inspiration, a tree”. Forest’s new slogan is, “the bikes that look like trees”.

The rebrand spans both the company’s physical and digital touchpoints, and officially launched on August 1 with the entire fleet set to have the new name by September.

Software changes include a new website and an updated Forest app. Having experimented with airless tyres, the Forest bike now also has brown air tyres, which the company says will allow for a smoother ride experience and will reduce turnover of bike parts.

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Michael Stewart, Forest’s chief marketing officer, said: “Our objective was straightforward. We wanted to simplify our brand across the board. Our bike looks like a tree, so let’s roll with that.

“We have always been and continue to be the most affordable and sustainable shared e-bike on the market, so by honing in on the visual identifiers of the brand, we're continuing to strengthen the positive brand association with Forest.”

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Joe Rampley, Forest’s head of design, said: “Our compound name (HumanForest) was always going to be a challenge in a market where fast service and recognisable brand identifiers are key to a customer’s experience.

“People want to see their bike of choice, take in their USP, and subsequently ride it. By reducing the brand noise we are signalling a new dawn for the company and honing-in on what makes us the best option: being the most sustainable, and being the most affordable.”