Without excusing the behaviour around illegal electric motorbikes, there has also been absolutely shocking media coverage in Australia on road deaths. Here's a summary of a particularly bad week of coverage: https://jakecoppinger.com/2025/12/why-wont-the-media-report-...
Did you notice this article doesn't have a single mention of safe bike lanes? In Australia we spend ~0.2% of our transport budget on cycling and walking infrastructure - and see very low rates of cycling (and terrible safety outcomes) as a result. See stats on the Australian situation at https://australiancyclewaystats.jakecoppinger.com/
Fatbikes are a problem in the Netherlands as well. Th Netherlands, also known as the #1 country - or at least in the top 3, no need to quibble about who comes first - when it comes to creating cycling infrastructure. Bicycle paths everywhere but those don't help against fatbike gangs. They don't care about safe cycling infrastructure, they hardly care about safety - especially other people's safety - at all.
As someone who's been observing how the media treats cycling in this city closely since the dark days of Ducan Gay, this is absolutely what is happening.
Thank you for posting this and for taking the time to document it in detail.
Over the top as mandatory registration of cyclists may be, he has a point on shared bike lanes. They're awful both for cyclists and pedestrians. From a cyclist's perspective you have a narrow path filled with effectively-immobile obstacles; from a pedestrian's you have a machine coming at you at speed which could cause you significant harm.
> [shared lanes] They're awful both for cyclists and pedestrians.
People riding bikes would always prefer a dedicated separated cycleway. Cyclists want to be on the footpath less than people walking want them there - they would only use it because it's safer than the road.
What usually happens here (and I assume is common in the US!) is the state transport department veto's taking away space from cars to build a proper bike lane, forcing people and bikes to fight over the scraps of street space left behind.
If someone is arguing against shared paths - you should make sure they are arguing for bike lanes too. Otherwise they are not trying to be constructive.
We're plagued by these, and by souped up electric trail bikes. Kids far too young to die or get quadriplegia, blasting around in traffic. Usually with no sense of time and place. By law they are meant to be 25kph speed capped and require pedalling. They are doing 50pkh plus and take off like a scalded cat, doing wheelies.
I'm terrified for my own safety and theirs. I can't see this ending well.
You probably joke but I'm an avid motorcycle rider and when I ride in the 30 km/h (20 mph) zones in my city, these kids race past me. No matter it scares the shit out of me, when an accident occurs then the injuries will be horrific.
I'm not against them, to be sure. I don't know the solution, really. Maybe campaign for helmets, but how effective is that going to be?
Look I get it, I deserve an "ok boomer" but they have got at BEST cycle protection, certainly not a full face helmet, rarely shoes even. It's a disaster waiting to happen. There were 14 deaths in Queensland in 2025 for this class of vehicle, way above normal level.
I saw a young lady on a velocipede travelling at a positively indecent speed, wearing trousers, and several horses were rather badly startled. The moral degeneracy of the younger generation knows no bounds.
I actually don't think this looks that bad. I think it might even be good for them. If young people are eschewing helmets, I can see making a helmet law, but even if they take over a lane of traffic, they seem to be going in such large groups, that if they'd been in cars or other vehicles, moving in the most orderly manner imaginable, they'd be blocking the intersection just as effectively.
Consequently I think this is mostly fine. The big problems are the helmet issue and I also think they might need knee protection. 60 km/h is a bit high if they're made for 25 km/h, but most of this stuff is achievable with ordinary bicycles.
I have seen them fall off their bikes in the middle of intersections on more than one occasion, hit people riding on the footpath, more than a few try to bully me off the road, doing dumbarse stunts in the process. One I saw got taken to hospital.
The issue is not so much the bikes or where they are riding, it is the brain dead groupthink mentality of a bunch of antisocial little rich boys who haven't been taught basic self preservation.. or what is feels like to be punched in the face on account of doing 50ks on a crowded footpath.
This comment thread is hilarious. Split down the line of the people who are like (let kids be kids, let them have fun) and the other group being concerned about the general welfare of everyone else.
I suspect the kids do whatever they want group dont have any experience with the actual nuisance complaint but provide a knee jerk reaction. Id wager its not dissimilar to the delivery ebike nuisance in nyc - which is problematic.
If ebikes are a nuisance or a danger then cars weighing 100× more should be even more concerning. Yet cars are a "fact of life" and bikes are a "nuisance" somehow... Go figure.
It sounds like you don't live in a city with an ebike delivery problem. I'd prefer a city with fewer human driven cars, but ebikes being ridden erratically (40mph against traffic, through red lights, on the sidewalk, etc.) sucks.
What is missing from the discussion? If you want somebody to stop what they’re doing, see how to provide/offer alternatives that meet the needs they’re getting out of what you don’t want them to do. Not very difficult to understand as a fundamental principle of life, but seemingly difficult to operate by?
Nzer but some cultural overlap between here and Aus, that’s far too advanced. Auckland for eg has almost unusable busses and trains but the answer to congestion is apparently to make it impossible to park in the cbd, rather than make any actual improvements.
The obvious answer is identifying plates, just as how we prevent mayhem from cars. No need to chase, just send a summons in the mail. Of course they're a privacy vulnerability, so they should really be reimagined to be something like epaper that changes every few minutes, only decodeable for bona fide purposes by the vehicle registry, with a logged audit chain. Also if you want people to respect the law then the government needs to resist the urge to use the registration as a pretext to levy fees and taxes.
Readit News
Did you notice this article doesn't have a single mention of safe bike lanes? In Australia we spend ~0.2% of our transport budget on cycling and walking infrastructure - and see very low rates of cycling (and terrible safety outcomes) as a result. See stats on the Australian situation at https://australiancyclewaystats.jakecoppinger.com/
The BBC would have done well to read up on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian_Council_of_Australi... before seeking quotes.
Thank you for posting this and for taking the time to document it in detail.
People riding bikes would always prefer a dedicated separated cycleway. Cyclists want to be on the footpath less than people walking want them there - they would only use it because it's safer than the road.
What usually happens here (and I assume is common in the US!) is the state transport department veto's taking away space from cars to build a proper bike lane, forcing people and bikes to fight over the scraps of street space left behind.
A particularly egregious example of exactly this scenario playing out: https://jakecoppinger.com/2024/09/another-broken-westconnex-...
If someone is arguing against shared paths - you should make sure they are arguing for bike lanes too. Otherwise they are not trying to be constructive.
I'm terrified for my own safety and theirs. I can't see this ending well.
I'm not against them, to be sure. I don't know the solution, really. Maybe campaign for helmets, but how effective is that going to be?
Sounds like kids are rediscovering fun and socialization in the outdoors.
Isn't this an unintended byproduct of what Australians wanted and legislated for?
They really could have added some bike lanes though.
-Harassing people -Not following Traffic rules
Consequently I think this is mostly fine. The big problems are the helmet issue and I also think they might need knee protection. 60 km/h is a bit high if they're made for 25 km/h, but most of this stuff is achievable with ordinary bicycles.
Australia already has mandatory helmet laws for cycling; the person quoted is pointing out that they’re breaking the law.
The issue is not so much the bikes or where they are riding, it is the brain dead groupthink mentality of a bunch of antisocial little rich boys who haven't been taught basic self preservation.. or what is feels like to be punched in the face on account of doing 50ks on a crowded footpath.
I suspect the kids do whatever they want group dont have any experience with the actual nuisance complaint but provide a knee jerk reaction. Id wager its not dissimilar to the delivery ebike nuisance in nyc - which is problematic.
And i agree with the other commentator, you obviously dont live in a dense city with e bike delivery.