An e-bike for Christmas? That would be a big fat no

3 months ago 8

Opinion

December 4, 2025 — 5.00am

As my three kids dutifully prepare their Christmas wish lists, I am glad for one big omission.

Yes, the bikini my daughter is hoping for seems to be lacking in fabric. I do not love the idea of my littlest playing Roblox but a voucher towards customising a character (is that what Robux do?) seems reasonable. And I do not understand the clothes choices of 16-year-old boys. Whatever.

A fat bike being ridden through Manly’s The Corso.

At least there is no wild request for a fat bike. Because the answer would be a resounding no. Exorbitant price aside – no child needs a $4000 present – these mini motorbikes are lethal.

Fat bikes, named because of their chunky tyres and the fact they can weigh as much as 50 kilograms, have exploded in popularity among Sydney teens. Anyone who lives in one of the city’s beachside suburbs, from Avalon to Manly, Bondi, Coogee and Cronulla, would be well aware of them, thanks to the spectacle of throngs of teens weaving in and out of traffic, on footpaths and through parks.

Kids are having fun, sure. But we know from hospitalisation figures these e-bikes and their smaller cousins, e-scooters, are dangerous. In a submission to last year’s NSW parliamentary inquiry into e-scooters and e-bikes, the Centre for Trauma, Care, Prevention, Education and Research at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead warned there had been a “steady increase” in injuries.

In the past five years, the centre’s data shows, the age range of patients admitted to hospital for e-scooter or e-bike injuries was five to 15 years old, with children aged 13 and over making up about 65 per cent of injuries. Hospital stays range from one to six days, with an average of 2.5 days.

Meanwhile, NSW Ambulance has treated more than 770 patients across NSW for injuries related to e-bike riding since the start of last year. And data from the Sydney’s Children’s Hospital Network shows 94 children have presented to hospitals in Sydney because of injuries from riding e-bikes this year – almost triple the figure in 2023.

This is unsurprising. Originally designed for riding on snow or sand, not main roads, these fat bikes are powered by batteries that deliver up to 500 watts of power which is enough to generate speeds of up to 60kmh – a totally unacceptable pace for a child. And children they are.

Western Australia is currently the only state in Australia which has an age limit on e-bikes.

NSW should follow the west’s lead. On Tuesday, Premier Chris Minns promised he would bring NSW in line with the rest of the country and halve the maximum battery power from 500 watts to 250 watts and reduce the top speed to 30km/h. He made the comment just after an adult e-bike rider was killed by a garbage truck in Ultimo.

In Western Australia, an e-bike rider must be at least 16. In Europe ... where speeds can only reach 25kmh, the minimum age is 14.

Minns’ next move should be to introduce an age limit. In Western Australia, an e-bike rider must be at least 16. In Europe, rules vary a little but for standard e-bikes where speeds can only reach 25kmh, the minimum age is 14. In some countries, including bike-crazy Netherlands, it is 16.

Age restrictions should be the minimum. In a submission to the e-scooter and e-bike parliamentary inquiry, NSW Labor MP for Coogee Marjorie O’Neill, whose electorate has its fair share of fat bikes, suggested a free online short course should be designed for riders to complete. “The current learner drivers’ assessment could be easily adapted for e-bikes,” O’Neill said in her submission.

In the Sutherland Shire, another hotbed for fat bikes, the federal Liberal MP for Cook, Simon Kennedy, told the inquiry there should be e-bike registration regulations, with the responsibility on owners to demonstrate they are legal. The NSW Department of Education should also introduce a compulsory cycling proficiency course into schools, Cook said.

The onus of improved rules and regulations does not rest entirely on the NSW government.

Federal Transport Minister Catherine King says the government will strengthen e-bike importing rules to bring them into line with the European standard after the Australian market had been flooded with poor quality bikes. The European standard, known as EN-15194, requires e-bikes to have a motor that cuts off at 25km/h, a 250-watt limit on power, and for the motor to kick in only when pedalling.

As a parent, I am absolutely in favour of teens being more active, and if that involves bikes, I am all for it. Devices rule all our lives and physical activity has to be encouraged. But a motorbike masquerading as an e-bike is not the answer.

A friend recently suggested that perhaps time-poor parents choose to invest in fat bikes to ensure their offspring can get to extracurricular activities. A bus or, dare I say it, an old-school bike with pedals, would surely suffice? Governments can and should do more to ensure the safety of children and teens, but it is also up to us parents to identify risks and be prepared to say no.

Alexandra Smith is state political editor.

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