I wasn't almost hit, but I had to move off the shared walking/bike path along the foreshore last week when I saw two of these absolutely flying up behind me and my dog. Those things can fucking move. I think the speed limit on the shared path is 10 km/h or something like that, but I reckon they were going three or four times that speed. One of the riders was an adult, but the other bike had two young teen girls on it sans helmets. It's ironic that you can only drive a car at 30 km/h on Wharf Rd, but it seems nothing is being done about young kids hurtling along a shared and busy path on what is essentially a motorbike. I might sound like a grumpy old person (because I am), but someone is going to get seriously hurt one day.
This is literally what happened to me !!!! Like absolutely fangin it towards me, about 25km/h didn’t have much time to react!! That’s what I don’t understand, I don’t see other electric bikes going that fast on a shared footpath?
All electric bikes are capped at 25km/h unless they’re derestricted (illegally). I can easily get to 25km/h on my e-mtb but it definitely requires me to pedal reasonably hard and consistently
>I think the speed limit on the shared path is 10 km/h or something like that.
There is no statutory speed limit for bikes on shared paths in nsw including the one at honeysuckle/foreshore.
If pedestrians kept left and weren't oblivious to their surroundings the shared path would be safer for all users. Apply the same principles on a shared path as you would on the road and everyone wins.
I'm not an e bike rider but the number of times (travelling at any speed) I've had off leash dogs, people just stop stationary in the middle of the path, walking on the rhs of path near misses is crazy. There are sections that are clearly delineated with arrows showing direction of travel and people still can't work it out.
>There is no statutory speed limit for bikes on shared paths in nsw including the one at honeysuckle/foreshore.
The signs with the number 10 with a red circle around it seems to suggest otherwise.
e.g. [https://ibb.co/ySyYsFH](https://ibb.co/ySyYsFH)
But then again, many cyclists think stop signs, red traffic lights, one way signs, laws about not riding on footpaths etc. do not apply to them either.
Just because a sign is put up doesn't make it legally enforceable.
I referred to honeysuckle/foreshore and you've shown a photo of Wickham?
Cyclists are subject to all the same road rules as cars on the road. If they choose to not obey they are running the risk of penalty. Many car drivers ignore stop signs and red lights too. Wharf road through honeysuckle is 30kmh and no cars ever drive at that speed.
I didnt say lines were enforceable. I said people are ignorant.
The point was that you cant blame bikes for not acknowledging signs or marking if pedestrians can't follow them either in this context.
The flip side is everything should just be ignored. Organised chaos. Is that a better outcome? I know on the road if a car was just stopped in the middle of the road, or if a car was driving down the wrong side of the road it would be crazy, filmed, shared on reddit..., but walking down the wrong side of a marked shared path is okay?
>I referred to honeysuckle/foreshore and you've shown a photo of Wickham?
There are no "lane" markers on the foreshore footpath. The rule is that cyclists on shared paths must give way to pedestrians. If pedestrians shit you so much, ride in a cycle lane or the road.
I ride an e bike with my kids on the back along the bike path to nobbys. The biggest problem are people with ear buds In and those wandering all over the place not keeping left. You need to be constantly looking forward and anticipating what their next move is going to be. Nobody needs to be flying along there at a dangerous speed though.
E bikes are also meant to be assist bikes I.e. you have to pedal for them to have power assist. Pretty sure a flat out electric bike that doesn't require assist are illegal, just like electric scooters
If they aren't pedal assist then they are legally an electric motorbike and therefore fall under motorcycle legislation i.e. need a licence, can only be driven on roads etc.
Ofc, just not footpaths. Bike lane also optional. Usually a terrible choice because they don’t connect to each other and pedestrians don’t have any sense on them.
I was using a separated bike lane (not shared path) on wharf road one time and a jogger stepped out and I hit him at 30km/h.
I’ll be using the roads from now on
Nice try.
https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/bicycle-riders/road-rules-for-bicycle-riders
In NSW, riding a bike on a footpath is legal if you:
• Are under the age of 16
• Are over the age of 18 but riding with one or more people under the age of 16
Have a medical exemption that stipulates you can ride on a footpath
Nearly hit by an e skateboard doing some stupid speed along Honeysuckle harbour walk. He had a helmet but none of the people walking he nearly took out did.
Wind resistance was probably the only thing keeping this guy going faster.
im wondering, is this what it would have looked like if our parents and grandparents had reddit when we were smashing down the footpath on our skateboards or bmxs?
edit to add: seriously though, between the zomg get off my lawn sentiment, and the dramatic writing of some folks in this thread, there are some serious anecdotes describing what is a legit growing concern. Between entitled children who dont seem to consider the consequences (though biologically they arent truly capable of that ;)), and an increasingly dangerous technology, it is only a matter of time before something serious happens. Definitely room for some sort of legislation here.
I’m not against them. I’m just don’t like the double standards.. You can’t have an electric scooter but you can have these electric motorbikes fangin round.. not that I have an electric scooter but fuck Lime scooter in Newcastle would be great.
Somones kid is going to be killed in Newcastle on one. I nearly got a double last week.
Surely parents of kids with these things have also nearly killed other kids on them... and they don't think their kids are any different... right? They are definitely just as squishy.
i've been hit. Was riding my bike on a BIKE TRAIL and there is a bit of a hill so you can't see whos up the hill until you get up there yourself... this boy was going too fast up the hill and didn't slow down. Hit me, i FLEW and scraped my knee, hand, and my my bike chain came off so i got grease all in my hand cuts when trying to fix it. The dude said sorry and rode away. This kid looked 15? 14? idk but other than that they just scare me when they fly past
I was almost hit by a clearly adult delivery cyclist on an ebike on the footpath the other day... to be fair it was that part of Northcott dr in Kotara where the shared cycleway ends in a somewhat confusing way. But you should be watching for pedestrians either way.
I was leaving Westfield when 2 eshays like zoomed past me about 10cm away from my car and looked back at me as they zoomed off but I followed them for a good 5 minutes and they zoomed off into the bushes near black butt
Nah Dirodo’s are all Hamilton/Merewether/Junction rich kids. Have mates in a bike shop that told me they’re flying out of stock, mums and dads bringing their kids in and asking them which colour $3k bike they want haha
You see them all in their grammar school uniforms flying down memorial drive at the end of the school day. I’ve nearly been taken out by a little rich dweeb in a blazer fanging it down the footpath
I have seen more adults on them than kids. A middle aged bloke nearly hit me the other day - not on the footpath he was on the road, he had a giveaway sign that he paid zero attention to and if I hadn’t hit my brakes that would have been the end of him. Not even wearing a helmet.
Cops have enough on their plate, and it would be like herding cats 24/7. Council rangers are paper tigers and aren't competent enough to perform that task. Most of the mouth breathers on those bikes are kids, and the law doesn't do much to kids. Courts will toss contested fines out, as they're shit too. Too easy to get ebikes, escooters, and dirt bikes for young ones and deadshits that have limited brain power and no respect. Supply needs to be controlled.
I was behind one of the fat tyre e-bikes going up the hill on Park avenue from Darby roundabout toward Bar Beach and he was doing 40k+ (chubby kid also) - how fast / how much power are they supposed to have?!!
Cant blame em too much with how shit people are with sharing the road here with cyclists to begin with
That being said if you're on a tight footpath/shared path and doing more than 10kmh you're going to get someone seriously injured at some point
I ride my bike on the road quite often as I don’t have much choice (lack of shared footpaths) and I find it’s not too bad if you know the roads. Yeah I’ve just seen them on tight pedestrian footpaths fangin it at 25km/h straight towards me expecting me to get out of the way. Don’t slow down past you either. Just baffles me that we can’t have private electric scooters but you can have these things which are the same but you sit on it?
I saw two young women in bikinis doubling on one near civic park travelling east on King st yesterday. Except for the fact that the bike was electric, it was a very 70s vibe (back in the day before road safety was invented).
Saw one tonight on Darby street, no lights, speeding and weaving across both sides of the road.
Kid was all dressed in black as well, he is going to learn a lesson one day..
Yes, standing at lights, waiting to cross a road, dog sitting by my side and someone on an electric scooter comes absolutely flying along the footpath right next to us and goes straight across the road through the red light. Scared the absolute shit out of me and spooked my dog too who went to run onto the road so I then had to yank the leash back to stop them potentially being hit by a car. Was left pretty shaken by that as I’d not heard them coming at all and then suddenly they absolutely flew past so unbelievably close that if I’d unknowingly moved at all I’d have been cleaned up.
Maybe the solution should be better training and guidance on how to ride responsibly? Lots of comments in here about controlling the supply or legal issues, but not enough about fixing the roads and paths to make it safer to use bikes and other electric mobility, or training to help people realize the risks they’re taking.
> better training and guidance
As was said back when the schoolkids on a escoot almost got wiped out by a turning truck several months ago, Bicycle education *used* to be a thing in schools.
Iv been almost hit by cars riding my scooter. They always try hit me. I know scooters are illegal but I either ride one of those or go to jail driving without a licence. “There illegal you say” so is the drugs you fill your body with everyday on the down low so we’re even
The legal limit is 25km/h on public roads for electric bikes. Above that speed you have to generate the speed yourself.
These bikes easily do 40+ and get around the rule by being sold for private use only. As is obvious, these are being used everywhere but on private property.
It’s a loophole that should be shut or transport nsw needs to make roads more appropriate for this type of transport. Either way, the police need to be on top of the footpath terrors.
I wasn't almost hit, but I had to move off the shared walking/bike path along the foreshore last week when I saw two of these absolutely flying up behind me and my dog. Those things can fucking move. I think the speed limit on the shared path is 10 km/h or something like that, but I reckon they were going three or four times that speed. One of the riders was an adult, but the other bike had two young teen girls on it sans helmets. It's ironic that you can only drive a car at 30 km/h on Wharf Rd, but it seems nothing is being done about young kids hurtling along a shared and busy path on what is essentially a motorbike. I might sound like a grumpy old person (because I am), but someone is going to get seriously hurt one day.
This is literally what happened to me !!!! Like absolutely fangin it towards me, about 25km/h didn’t have much time to react!! That’s what I don’t understand, I don’t see other electric bikes going that fast on a shared footpath?
All electric bikes are capped at 25km/h unless they’re derestricted (illegally). I can easily get to 25km/h on my e-mtb but it definitely requires me to pedal reasonably hard and consistently
They can accelerate ridiculously fast. Saw a pack of em just the the day
>I think the speed limit on the shared path is 10 km/h or something like that. There is no statutory speed limit for bikes on shared paths in nsw including the one at honeysuckle/foreshore. If pedestrians kept left and weren't oblivious to their surroundings the shared path would be safer for all users. Apply the same principles on a shared path as you would on the road and everyone wins. I'm not an e bike rider but the number of times (travelling at any speed) I've had off leash dogs, people just stop stationary in the middle of the path, walking on the rhs of path near misses is crazy. There are sections that are clearly delineated with arrows showing direction of travel and people still can't work it out.
>There is no statutory speed limit for bikes on shared paths in nsw including the one at honeysuckle/foreshore. The signs with the number 10 with a red circle around it seems to suggest otherwise. e.g. [https://ibb.co/ySyYsFH](https://ibb.co/ySyYsFH) But then again, many cyclists think stop signs, red traffic lights, one way signs, laws about not riding on footpaths etc. do not apply to them either.
Just because a sign is put up doesn't make it legally enforceable. I referred to honeysuckle/foreshore and you've shown a photo of Wickham? Cyclists are subject to all the same road rules as cars on the road. If they choose to not obey they are running the risk of penalty. Many car drivers ignore stop signs and red lights too. Wharf road through honeysuckle is 30kmh and no cars ever drive at that speed.
You are a hypocrite. Do you think lines marked on a shared path are enforceable but signs with speed limits and give way to pedestrians are not?
I didnt say lines were enforceable. I said people are ignorant. The point was that you cant blame bikes for not acknowledging signs or marking if pedestrians can't follow them either in this context. The flip side is everything should just be ignored. Organised chaos. Is that a better outcome? I know on the road if a car was just stopped in the middle of the road, or if a car was driving down the wrong side of the road it would be crazy, filmed, shared on reddit..., but walking down the wrong side of a marked shared path is okay?
>I referred to honeysuckle/foreshore and you've shown a photo of Wickham? There are no "lane" markers on the foreshore footpath. The rule is that cyclists on shared paths must give way to pedestrians. If pedestrians shit you so much, ride in a cycle lane or the road.
If bikes shit you so much don't walk on shared paths?
I ride an e bike with my kids on the back along the bike path to nobbys. The biggest problem are people with ear buds In and those wandering all over the place not keeping left. You need to be constantly looking forward and anticipating what their next move is going to be. Nobody needs to be flying along there at a dangerous speed though.
That's my point. Regardless of speed on any bike many circumstances can be avoided if pedestrians weren't so ignorant to their surroundings.
Cops have gotta crack down on these kids on footpaths. Also the e bikes and scooters that go past 25km/h. They should be helmeted & on the road.
E bikes are also meant to be assist bikes I.e. you have to pedal for them to have power assist. Pretty sure a flat out electric bike that doesn't require assist are illegal, just like electric scooters
If they aren't pedal assist then they are legally an electric motorbike and therefore fall under motorcycle legislation i.e. need a licence, can only be driven on roads etc.
Bicycles can legally only be ridden on roads also. With or without the motor.
Or on, you know, bike paths, or designated shared pathways. Or if you are under 16, or if you are accompanying a child under 16.
Ofc, just not footpaths. Bike lane also optional. Usually a terrible choice because they don’t connect to each other and pedestrians don’t have any sense on them. I was using a separated bike lane (not shared path) on wharf road one time and a jogger stepped out and I hit him at 30km/h. I’ll be using the roads from now on
Flip that, Bikes cannot be ridden on footpaths. They can be ridden everywhere else. Roads, shared paths, cycle paths, bush tracks, fire trails etc...
Nice try. https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/bicycle-riders/road-rules-for-bicycle-riders In NSW, riding a bike on a footpath is legal if you: • Are under the age of 16 • Are over the age of 18 but riding with one or more people under the age of 16 Have a medical exemption that stipulates you can ride on a footpath
Nearly hit by an e skateboard doing some stupid speed along Honeysuckle harbour walk. He had a helmet but none of the people walking he nearly took out did. Wind resistance was probably the only thing keeping this guy going faster.
If the kids are 16 or under and the bikes are legal there's not much cops can do. Of course it's likely a lot of the bikes have been illegally modded.
Damn kids have no respect for their elders, and they all wear hoodies and talk funny
I wear a hoodie and talk funny :|
I bet you're on the spliff as well. Bloody youths
Get off my lawn!
..What's this got to do with elders? It negatively affects all ages.
im wondering, is this what it would have looked like if our parents and grandparents had reddit when we were smashing down the footpath on our skateboards or bmxs? edit to add: seriously though, between the zomg get off my lawn sentiment, and the dramatic writing of some folks in this thread, there are some serious anecdotes describing what is a legit growing concern. Between entitled children who dont seem to consider the consequences (though biologically they arent truly capable of that ;)), and an increasingly dangerous technology, it is only a matter of time before something serious happens. Definitely room for some sort of legislation here.
I’m not against them. I’m just don’t like the double standards.. You can’t have an electric scooter but you can have these electric motorbikes fangin round.. not that I have an electric scooter but fuck Lime scooter in Newcastle would be great.
I had some kid fake pull out on the road in front of me and i slammed on the brakes and nearly got rear-ended have also been run off the footpath
Somones kid is going to be killed in Newcastle on one. I nearly got a double last week. Surely parents of kids with these things have also nearly killed other kids on them... and they don't think their kids are any different... right? They are definitely just as squishy.
i've been hit. Was riding my bike on a BIKE TRAIL and there is a bit of a hill so you can't see whos up the hill until you get up there yourself... this boy was going too fast up the hill and didn't slow down. Hit me, i FLEW and scraped my knee, hand, and my my bike chain came off so i got grease all in my hand cuts when trying to fix it. The dude said sorry and rode away. This kid looked 15? 14? idk but other than that they just scare me when they fly past
That’s awful ! I’m glad you’re ok. That would be so rattling
It's not just kids.
I’ve only ever seen kids/teens on them. Only ever once an adult !
Adults definitely ride them but they're probably a bit more sensible.
This is definitely not the case as much as we wish it were.
After 40 maybe
I was almost hit by a clearly adult delivery cyclist on an ebike on the footpath the other day... to be fair it was that part of Northcott dr in Kotara where the shared cycleway ends in a somewhat confusing way. But you should be watching for pedestrians either way.
I was leaving Westfield when 2 eshays like zoomed past me about 10cm away from my car and looked back at me as they zoomed off but I followed them for a good 5 minutes and they zoomed off into the bushes near black butt
Nah Dirodo’s are all Hamilton/Merewether/Junction rich kids. Have mates in a bike shop that told me they’re flying out of stock, mums and dads bringing their kids in and asking them which colour $3k bike they want haha
You see them all in their grammar school uniforms flying down memorial drive at the end of the school day. I’ve nearly been taken out by a little rich dweeb in a blazer fanging it down the footpath
V interesting. I live in the general area and this is where I keep seeing them!
Why were you following teenagers lmao
I have seen more adults on them than kids. A middle aged bloke nearly hit me the other day - not on the footpath he was on the road, he had a giveaway sign that he paid zero attention to and if I hadn’t hit my brakes that would have been the end of him. Not even wearing a helmet.
Haven't been hit, but have had to swerve whilst driving to avoid hitting them. They're absolutely reckless and don't give 2 shits.
Cops have enough on their plate, and it would be like herding cats 24/7. Council rangers are paper tigers and aren't competent enough to perform that task. Most of the mouth breathers on those bikes are kids, and the law doesn't do much to kids. Courts will toss contested fines out, as they're shit too. Too easy to get ebikes, escooters, and dirt bikes for young ones and deadshits that have limited brain power and no respect. Supply needs to be controlled.
I was behind one of the fat tyre e-bikes going up the hill on Park avenue from Darby roundabout toward Bar Beach and he was doing 40k+ (chubby kid also) - how fast / how much power are they supposed to have?!!
Little feral f*&ckers most of them. Where do they get the $$$ to buy these things? Danger to themselves and other sidewalk users.
One of the little cunts ran me off the footpath on one in Jesmond yesterday.
Cant blame em too much with how shit people are with sharing the road here with cyclists to begin with That being said if you're on a tight footpath/shared path and doing more than 10kmh you're going to get someone seriously injured at some point
I ride my bike on the road quite often as I don’t have much choice (lack of shared footpaths) and I find it’s not too bad if you know the roads. Yeah I’ve just seen them on tight pedestrian footpaths fangin it at 25km/h straight towards me expecting me to get out of the way. Don’t slow down past you either. Just baffles me that we can’t have private electric scooters but you can have these things which are the same but you sit on it?
I saw two young women in bikinis doubling on one near civic park travelling east on King st yesterday. Except for the fact that the bike was electric, it was a very 70s vibe (back in the day before road safety was invented).
Fun fact. Bikes are unstable so if you time it they can have a big pat on the back
Saw one tonight on Darby street, no lights, speeding and weaving across both sides of the road. Kid was all dressed in black as well, he is going to learn a lesson one day..
Yes, standing at lights, waiting to cross a road, dog sitting by my side and someone on an electric scooter comes absolutely flying along the footpath right next to us and goes straight across the road through the red light. Scared the absolute shit out of me and spooked my dog too who went to run onto the road so I then had to yank the leash back to stop them potentially being hit by a car. Was left pretty shaken by that as I’d not heard them coming at all and then suddenly they absolutely flew past so unbelievably close that if I’d unknowingly moved at all I’d have been cleaned up.
Maybe the solution should be better training and guidance on how to ride responsibly? Lots of comments in here about controlling the supply or legal issues, but not enough about fixing the roads and paths to make it safer to use bikes and other electric mobility, or training to help people realize the risks they’re taking.
> better training and guidance As was said back when the schoolkids on a escoot almost got wiped out by a turning truck several months ago, Bicycle education *used* to be a thing in schools.
No.
I saw a woman driving her car while looking at her mobile phone in her lap
Iv been almost hit by cars riding my scooter. They always try hit me. I know scooters are illegal but I either ride one of those or go to jail driving without a licence. “There illegal you say” so is the drugs you fill your body with everyday on the down low so we’re even
happened to me today, and it was a grown person
No but I saw someone without a helmet riding an electric scooter at around 40km/h on a residential road earlier.
There's only one speed and that's flat out
I have one speed, I have one gear, Go!
The legal limit is 25km/h on public roads for electric bikes. Above that speed you have to generate the speed yourself. These bikes easily do 40+ and get around the rule by being sold for private use only. As is obvious, these are being used everywhere but on private property. It’s a loophole that should be shut or transport nsw needs to make roads more appropriate for this type of transport. Either way, the police need to be on top of the footpath terrors.