US Online Influencer Fined After Large-Scale E-Bike Ride on Sydney Harbour Bridge

New South Wales police have levied a penalty against an American social media personality and handed out two traffic infringement notices for alleged reckless operation after a large group of electric bicycle users converged on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the busy commute on Tuesday.

The Event: A Prohibited Ride

A group of around 40 individuals riding e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the primary roadway of the bridge, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The assembly then turned around and traveled through the downtown area and Haymarket.

"This had a risk of people to be injured and killed," stated NSW police assistant commissioner David Driver on the following day.

Police said they did not chase right away the group due to concerns for public safety but rather found the group at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, where they dispersed.

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

Later in the week, authorities stated they had issued the US social media influencer who goes by the influencer, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of over five hundred dollars and penalty points per notice, connected to the bridge ride-out. Officials noted that inquiries were continuing.

The personality is said to have over 3.4m subscribers on one platform and more than 1.2 million on Instagram.

Influencer's Comments

The content creator gave comments to a major newspaper recently after the incident gained traction on digital platforms, stating he was sorry for giving "the biking community" a bad reputation.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. That was among the safest ride-outs I’ve ever seen," he said. "I am a visitor here, so I’m going to come here respecting the rules and standards of Sydney. When I decided to do a meet and greet it did not involve a group ride, it was just to say hi under the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, it was my fault we found ourselves on the bridge and I had a decision to make: whether the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, an illegal act. Or we reverse, basically, before we’re on the bridge. I chose at the time to turn around."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of e-bikes on roads nationwide has sparked growing calls for regulation. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, recently said that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Young people have engaged in reckless acts on bikes ever since the penny-farthing [but] the harm that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are absolutely devastating," the minister said. "We must make sure we prevent these things entering the country [and] officers are granted the powers to take strong action, to take them away, to crush them, to dispose of them."

NSW recorded over two hundred injuries associated with ebikes in 2024. But, in the initial half of 2025, that figure jumped to 233 injuries plus four deaths.

Julie Wheeler
Julie Wheeler

An avid mountaineer and gear tester with over a decade of experience exploring remote trails and sharing actionable advice for outdoor enthusiasts.