Australia: Fatbikes are wreaking havoc in Sydney's wealthy beach suburbs

One of the first things you might see in Manly, home to some of Sydney's most popular beaches, are groups of carefree teenagers in swimwear riding illegal e-bikes. Weaving in and out of traffic and careening along footpaths, they're an increasingly familiar sight, infuriating many locals. "I see the kids riding on the road, I see them riding without helmets. They're clearly not subject to the same strict rules that other modes of transport are," says Chris, as he heads home after a swim. "One kid was explaining to me how they can jailbreak them and remove the speed limits and make them go three times the speed they're supposed to." Residents of some of Sydney's wealthiest beachside locales, stretching from the Northern Beaches through the eastern suburbs that take in Bondi and down to Cronulla in the south, say the number of teens riding e-bikes has exploded in recent years. Those favoured by teens are also known as fatbikes due to the thick tyres meant for tackling sand and off-road terrain, and are often illegally modified to allow them to travel at far greater speeds than the 25km/h limit for e-bikes. They have been hitting the headlines as hospitals report huge jumps in e-bike-

Mar 6, 2026 → Mar 6, 2026