🔗 Share this article

NSW authorities have issued a fine against an American social media personality and handed out two traffic infringement notices for reported reckless operation after a swarm of e-bike riders gathered on the famous Sydney landmark during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A group of around 40 people riding e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The assembly then turned around and rode through the downtown area and a nearby district.

"This had a risk of people to be injured and killed," stated NSW police assistant commissioner the officer on Wednesday.

Law enforcement indicated they did not chase right away the riders due to concerns for public safety but instead located the assembly at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair near the Botanic Gardens, at which point they broke up.

Fines Imposed for Content Creator

On Saturday, police announced they had served the American online personality who goes by Sur Ronster, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), carrying a fine of $562 and three demerit points each, in relation to the bridge ride-out. They added that inquiries were continuing.

The influencer reportedly has over 3.4 million followers on one platform and over 1.2 million on the social media app.

Creator's Response

The content creator gave comments to a major newspaper recently following the event spread rapidly on digital platforms, stating he was sorry for giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I’ll probably take responsibility. It was among the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he said. "I am a visitor here, and I intend to abide by the laws and norms of Sydney. When I decided to do a public meeting it was not meant to include a ride-out, it was just to say hi near the bridge."

"I did not know the area well, it was my fault we found ourselves on the bridge and I had two choices: either the group completes the entirety of the bridge and turns around, which is a crime. Or we reverse, basically, before we’re on the bridge. I chose at the time to turn around."

Broader Context on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of e-bikes on roads nationwide has sparked increasing demands for stricter rules. The federal health minister, Mark Butler, recently said that non-compliant electric bikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Young people have engaged in stupid things on bikes since the invention of the penny-farthing [but] the harm that are presenting at our ERs are truly severe," he stated. "We must ensure we stop these things coming into the country [and] officers are granted the powers to take strong action, to take them away, to destroy them, to dispose of them."

NSW reported over two hundred injuries related to electric bikes in 2024. However, in the initial half of 2025, that number surged to 233 injuries plus four fatalities.