A regular afternoon stroll down a suburban Sydney street turned into a nightmare for Clara Ferrer-Paxtot and her three-year-old boy when a teenager hurtling down the footpath on a so-called “fat bike” struck the child, leaving him screaming in pain with a broken leg.
Fat bikes, characterised by their hefty wheels, replete with handlebar throttles that can be powered without pedalling, weighing up to 50 kilograms, have attracted increasing attention after northern beaches and Sutherland Shire residents reported safety concerns about the bikes.
Clara Ferrer-Paxtot and her three-year-old son Biel, who was struck by a fat bike last week.Credit: Wolter Peeters
Ferrer-Paxtot and her children, including three-year-old Biel, were walking along Gannons Road, in Caringbah South, late last Tuesday afternoon when she stopped on the footpath to put an item in the pram. That was when the bike appeared.
“We … stopped for a second to put something in the pram, only to see the bike flying down the street,” she said.
She told Biel to freeze, but he panicked and ran across the footpath to his mother. The rider, who was estimated to be travelling at 20-25km/h, attempted to weave his way between the family, but struck him and dragged Biel “about a metre” along the footpath on the front of the bike, she said.
“He didn’t run over [Biel’s] head, but I was worried because the wheel was close … He had scratches on his knees, and then a broken leg.”
A fat bike. It is not suggested that this bike was involved in the incident.Credit: Fatboy Bikes
The rider, who Ferrer-Paxtot said was about 14 or 15, was crying and in shock, repeatedly apologising, she said.
“Those bikes aren’t safe. Just slow down, this is a footpath. The footpath is for walking.”
Police are investigating and asked anyone with dashcam footage to contact them.
In NSW, bikes with throttles can be used in public if the throttles cut out at 6km/h. The rules don’t apply in private spaces. But they can reach speeds of up to 50km/h without the rider pedalling.
NSW e-bike rules
- Power-assisted bikes with motors must have a power cap of 200 watts, cannot be propelled solely by motor, must weigh less than 50 kilograms, and have a height adjustable seat.
- Electric power-assisted bikes can have power up to 500 watts, which must reduce when the speed reaches beyond 6km/h, and cut off when speeds reach 25km/h.
- Petrol-powered bikes are illegal.
- E-bikes are legal for use on shared paths and roads, and on footpaths for those under 16 and adults accompanying them.
- There are no age restrictions on riding e-bikes.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said: “E-bikes that can travel at high speeds, propelled by a motor without the rider having to pedal, are not compliant e-bikes and cannot be used on NSW roads or paths.
“NSW Police are responsible for the enforcement of road transport offences for non-compliant e-bikes, and have the power to seize any unregistered vehicle, including an illegal, high-powered e-bike.”
Leanne Farmer, an independent councillor at Sutherland Shire Council, said she had seen numerous reports of people riding fat bikes through the local shopping strip, the Cronulla Mall.
“The businesses down in the mall are very upset because their customers are nearly being wiped out,” she said. “I was nearly wiped out in the mall myself. I went to police, but they’re still trying to find the guy.”
Having spent much of the year campaigning against the bikes, including by moving a motion at the council for police to enforce e-bike laws on the streets of Cronulla, Farmer is quick to add that she is not against regular e-bikes.
“I don’t want this to impact on children having the freedom to ride normal legal e-bikes. That’s fantastic. We want them to have that.”
But, she warned, if action was not taken, “The next thing that’ll happen is we’ll have someone killed.”
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