🔗 Share this article

New South Wales authorities have levied a penalty against an American social media personality and handed out two driving violation citations for alleged reckless operation following a swarm of electric bicycle users converged on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on a weekday.

The Incident: An Illegal Gathering

A gathering of approximately 40 individuals riding electric bikes and motorbikes proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly subsequently reversed direction and traveled through the city’s CBD and a nearby district.

"This had potential for serious injury or fatalities," stated NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on Wednesday.

Law enforcement said they did not chase right away the riders due to safety concerns but rather found the group at a scenic Sydney lookout near the city gardens, at which point they broke up.

Penalties Issued for Content Creator

On Saturday, police announced they had served the US social media influencer known as the influencer, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), carrying a penalty of $562 and penalty points per notice, in relation to the bridge incident. Officials noted that inquiries were continuing.

The personality reportedly has more than 3.4m followers on one platform and over 1.2m on Instagram.

Creator's Response

The content creator gave comments to a major newspaper this week following the event gained traction on news sites and social media, stating he regretted giving "bike life" a bad reputation.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. It was one of the safest gatherings I’ve ever seen," he said. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to come here respecting the rules and standards of Sydney. When I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include a group ride, it was just to say hi under the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, I am to blame we ended up on the bridge and I had two choices: whether the group rides the full length of the bridge and comes back, an illegal act. Or we turn around, basically, before we’re on the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to turn around."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of e-bikes on streets across the country has prompted increasing demands for stricter rules. A senior government official, Mark Butler, commented that non-compliant electric bikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Kids have done reckless acts on bikes since the invention of the early bicycle [but] the harm that are presenting at our ERs are truly severe," he stated. "We must make sure we prevent these things entering the country [and] officers are granted the powers to crack down, to confiscate them, to destroy them, to destroy them."

NSW reported 226 injuries associated with ebikes in the previous year. But, in the first seven months of 2025, that number jumped to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.