‘Fat bikes’ sparking fear in Sydney’s beachside suburbs

Three young people crammed on one bike, kids not wearing helmets, cyclists reaching speeds surpassing cars on the roads and elderly people too scared to walk on footpaths – this is what some locals say is the reality as an explosion of e-bike riders engulfs Sydney’s beachside suburbs.

E-bikes are legal to ride in public but must adhere to regulations like a cap on speed and power. However, at Manly Beach and Cronulla Mall, complaints have flooded in about young people flouting the rules on powered-up “fat bikes”.

Two people spotted riding with no helmets in Manly.Credit: Edwina Pickles

For e-bikes to be legally allowed on roads and footpaths in NSW (for children under 16), they must be mostly pedal-powered, no more powerful than 500 watts, and power must cut off when the rider reaches a speed of 25 kilometres per hour.

However, far more powerful “fat bikes” with handlebar throttles and thick tyres can reach much higher speeds and are closer to what would be seen on a motorbike. They are easy to purchase and have become commonplace in beachside suburbs.

Designed to be ridden in deserts and on sandy beaches, these bikes have become popular in California. A fat bike in Sydney will set you back anywhere from $2500 to almost $6000.

Three girls ride on one e-bike in Manly.Credit: Edwina Pickles

But Northern Beaches councillor and ex-police officer David Walton said illegal e-bikes are making Manly Beach a sometimes dangerous place for pedestrians.

“Some of these e-bikes are quite large and if some young people are doubling or tripling, the bikes are turning into 150 to 200 kilograms moving at high speeds. If they hit a pedestrian … it’s likely to result in significant injuries to the pedestrian and the possibility of deaths,” Walton said.

A teen heads to the beach on his fat bike in Cronulla this week.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

Walton supports the use of e-bikes but wants to see a strict crackdown to stop riders from making places like Manly Corso and the Manly Beach walk too dangerous for people on foot. He wants council rangers to be granted extra powers to stop and seize bikes they suspect to be illegally modified or non-compliant.

“Rangers and police need the power to examine bikes to see if they have been unlawfully modified, i.e. [whether] pedal assistance and speed limiting has been removed. If these things are taken away they are essentially an unregistered motorbike.”

Teens on fat bikes at Manly Beach this week.Credit: Edwina Pickles

He’s not alone. Fellow ex-police officer and northern beaches local Pat Daley embraces e-bikes as a way for locals to get around hilly Manly with a bit of extra help but says the amount of dangerous and illegal riders around town is unlike anything he has seen in his policing career.

“The elderly are being forced off the footpaths … and these kids are going to make dreadful drivers when they get their driver’s licences,” he said.

In one incident last year, a woman walking down a suburban road in the northern beaches was injured when an e-bike rider smashed into her from behind, CCTV capturing the moment she was collected by the bike rider who took off, not even stopping to check if she was OK.

The illegal bikes aren’t smuggled into the country or sold on the black market – anyone of any age can walk into any bike shop and purchase one freely. The bikes themselves are legal to ride on private property, with the restrictions on speed and wattage only applying when they are in public spaces.

Many Australian stores selling e-bikes, including fat bikes, incorrectly claim that locks prevent higher-powered bikes from reaching more than the legal limits of speed and power and make them legal for use in public. But a Transport for NSW spokesperson confirmed that even if a bike has an optional lock on its power and speed, just the fact that it is capable of higher wattage or speed makes it illegal to ride in public.

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. 
• Electrically 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.

After a rise in complaints, Northern Beaches Council launched a safety audit last July and received 82 resident complaints about e-bikes and e-scooters in just six weeks.

“Last year, council collaborated with the Northern Beaches Police Area Command to audit e-bikes and scooters on local paths. This audit has confirmed several safety issues, including speed, lack of helmet usage, and limited knowledge of NSW road rules among young riders,” Northern Beaches Council Mayor Sue Heins said.

“We would also urge the federal government to monitor and control the importation of non-compliant bikes, as well as introduce a simple way to identify both legal and illegal types through a compliance plate or similar.”

It’s not just a northern beaches problem. In the Sutherland Shire, Cronulla Mall has become a hotspot for teens riding fast e-bikes despite bikes being banned on the strip.

Fat bikes are sparking a backlash in Manly.Credit: Edwina Pickles

Sutherland Council has received 60 complaints in the past 12 months. A spokesperson said signs have been put up in problem areas to alert riders to restrictions, and education sessions have been held at schools to teach young people about their responsibilities.

“While council has limited powers to enforce road rules applying to e-bikes and e-scooters on public streets, [and] public safety officers have been taking part in regular joint patrols with NSW Police high visibility and bike patrol unit in identified problem areas such as Cronulla Mall and the Esplanade in Cronulla to target those riding e-bikes and e-scooters in a manner that poses a risk to pedestrians,” a spokesperson said.