Fury over $3.5k toy taking over rich suburbs

It’s the new phenomenon that’s drawing attention to a wealth divide in some of the nation’s wealthiest suburbs - and splitting Aussies right down the middle.

It’s just after 2pm on a scorching hot day at the tail end of the school holidays but there’s an unusual sight at a bustling Sydney beach.

Seven flashy electronic bikes – conservatively valued at over $20,000 in total – are propped up against a wooden barrier outside North Narrabeen surf club.

None of the e-bikes are locked up and the owners, a group of teens no older than 14, are all splashing about carefree in the water 100 metres away.

The extraordinary photo sums up a new teenage fad that’s drawing attention to a wealth divide in some of Australia’s most affluent coastal neighbourhoods.

It’s becoming increasingly harder to ignore the e-bike phenomenon, which has exploded on the scene in wealthy, seaside suburbs in the last 12 months.

Spend a day in the sun along Sydney’s northern beaches, and you’ll see dozens of kids cruising along the esplanade or the footpath on a DiRodi or Ampd branded bike.

Manly, where the median house price is $4.3 million, is among DiRodi’s best-selling suburbs, founder Pasha Golshani told news.com.au.

He acknowledged that higher income households are more likely to buy his product, but said there are other key factors contributing to sales.

Critics say the bikes are dangerous and isolate kids from poorer families, while fans are convinced they give teens freedom and encourage an active lifestyle.

Seven flashy e-bikes are seen propped up against a barrier at a popular beach in Sydney. Picture: Daniel Peters / news.com.au

The e-bike phenomenon has exploded on the scene in wealthy, seaside suburbs in the last 12 months. DiRodi’s best-selling Rover model (above) retails at just under $3,500. Picture: DiRodi

‘Culture shift’: E-bikes explode in popularity

Mr Golshani said his brand had enjoyed an enormous uptick in sales in 2024.

DiRodi has become synonymous with the e-bike revolution, and Mr Golshani said his product has “fostered a culture shift” which is giving teenagers a newfound sense of independence.

He said the bikes offer teens “independence from their parents for transportation” and get them “out from in front of screens.”

DiRodi’s most popular model - the Rover – retails at just under $3,500 and features a powerful Samsung battery, leather seat and rear rack for lifts.

Sales correlate strongly with “proximity to the beach, higher average household income and regions with good weather throughout the year.”

As such, his best-selling suburbs in 2024 were were Manly, Wollongong and Newcastle in NSW and Noosa, the Gold Coast and Brisbane in Queensland.

Corey Keats, the co-founder of Gold Coast-based electric bike brand Ampd Bros, said his brand had experienced “consistent year-on-year growth” since its launch in 2019.

Mr Keats said there had been a “noticeable shift toward e-bikes that offer more than just functionality.”

“They need to be fun, stylish and most importantly versatile,” he told news.com.au.

“Teens and young adults are drawn to the freedom and flexibility that this category of e-bikes provide,” he added.

Ampd Bros, which has models starting at $1,690 for kids all the way to $5,290, said Sydney and the Gold Coast were their most popular sales regions.

“These regions embrace the outdoor lifestyle, making them hotspots for e-bike popularity,” Mr Keats said.

A concerned resident in Manly on Sydney’s northern beaches complained about teens riding their e-bikes on a road. His rant backfired, with parents praising the kids for wearing helmets and staying active. Picture: Facebook

“What’s the issue?” E-bike rant backfires

One concerned resident in Manly snapped a pic of four teens riding electric bikes down a quiet residential street this Australia Day weekend.

The group were all wearing helmets but one girl catching a lift was leaning back and holding an iPhone to film her friends as they rode next to her.

“Fat bikes … middle of the road… taking iPhone video,” the man captioned the pic on a community Facebook page dedicated to “whinges”.

His post triggered a furious debate, with a majority rushing to the support of the teens for “living their best lives.”

“All wearing helmets? Going at a slow and safe speed (you can tell due to the clothes and hair) to go for a lovely mid-morning picnic? Passenger taking a photo which is absolutely fine,” one person wrote in defence of the teens.

“Riding two abreast which is safe and legal if they’re within 1.5m of each other. Not that is matters but they’ll also on a very quiet road...You really need to relax this long weekend.”

“Impressed they’re up so early! Good on them……following all the road rules,” added another.

“Helmets on, clothes on … just look like some teens on their way to have a picnic. What’s the issue?” wrote a third.

A sign made by Northern Beaches Council encourages teens to “know the e-bike code”. The code encourages riders to “slow down to walking pace” when passing people, to use your bell when appropriate and “be ready” for sudden changes. Picture: Daniel Peters / news.com.au

Another viral thread on Reddit revealed how parents were justifying the huge price-tag of buying e-bikes for their children.

“What’s with parents buying their kids in high school $4,000 e-bikes?” the Reddit post read.

“When I was a kid I would have been lucky to get a brand new regular bike, let alone a $4,000 toy, what is the deal with this... we live in a new world.”

The top comment was straight to the point: “It’s cheaper than buying your kid a car.”

“Rich parents who spoil their kids have always existed.... This isn’t something new. E-bikes just didn’t exist back then. Back then it was top of the line mountain bikes, mopeds, or you know, an actual car in high school,” added another.

One parent defended their decision to buy their 16-year-old son a $3,300 e-bike.

“He asked for it in place of a car, he doesn’t want the responsibility of owning a car. I think it’s great,” they explained.

“For wealthier parents their time is money. Not having to do a school drop off and pickup is absolutely worth it for some,” argued another.

“On top of all that there is the increased freedom that the kid gets. They can do short journeys themselves and again the parents don’t need to act as a taxi driver.”

The e-bike phenomenon has exploded on the scene in wealthy, seaside suburbs in the last 12 months. Picture: Daniel Peters / news.com.au

‘So much risk and danger’: Parents complain

Another concerned adult took to Facebook last year to claim that e-bikes were actually “small vehicles that look like heavy-duty pushbikes.”

“Like other motorbikes, they have twist throttles and no pedalling is required to make them move. Some are more powerful than is legal, reaching 40km/hr. And children are driving them,” the woman wrote.

She said the “problem” was that the bikes were being “driven at speed by children, without rider’s licences/lessons, often without helmets, and on public footpaths/through parks.”

Other parents flooded her post with their concerns, claiming it was only a matter of time that an “innocent driver will need to live with the consequence of seriously hurting or killing a child on one of these.”

“Getting these things off footpaths and pedestrian areas would be a good start,” wrote one man.

“I’m less concerned about the riders of these things hurting themselves but more about everyone else who is at risk of getting hit by these things traveling at speed.

“I’ve seen too many near misses, especially with small children.”

Others suggested retailers should be made to provide a “half-day compulsory safety training course”, claiming “so many of these kids have no idea how to handle these bikes.”

Another parent said they had seen a teen weaving in traffic on a busy road, writing: “Someone is going to get seriously injured or killed before something is done.”

Originally published as Fury over $3.5k toy taking over rich suburbs