You can hear the tooting echo from a mile away. Next comes the sound of a few motorbikes revving. Then, you see them: a convoy of hundreds of boys riding bikes through the middle of Melbourne.
This is a “ride-out” – an event loosely organised by youths online that has become a semiregular occurrence in recent years as part of the so-called Bike Life movement, much to the frustration of Victoria Police.
The force says these swarms of bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters and motorbikes pose an unacceptable risk to public safety as riders – most of whom are teenagers – weave between vehicles and allegedly flout road rules often.
But the boys who participate – some of whom The Age joined for a ride-out on May 9 – say they are being over-policed and argue they are simply having fun outside with their friends, and getting away from screens and youth crime that older generations fret about.
Libertarian state MP David Limbrick agrees. He raised concerns in state parliament in December that the riders were being harassed and receiving fines for “minor infractions”.
“This might be the first interaction they will ever have with police, and it creates a lifetime of ill will,” he said. “Kids riding their bikes with their mates is not anyone’s problem to be solved.”
Overreaction or justified crackdown?
Jordan Forte has drawn the ire of authorities for leading ride-outs in Melbourne for about five years. The 22-year-old has a sizable social media following and also gained notoriety for breaking into Marvel Stadium in 2022.
“A ride-out is everyone coming together from different suburbs, different areas, riding mainly in the city, as a big group,” Forte says. “The intentions are to get out of the house, socialise [and] make new friends.”
He admits some participants may ride dangerously, but says he discourages such behaviour and believes authorities have unfairly targeted young riders with fines for minor offences, such as riding without a bell.
Police on motorbikes, in cars and on foot watched closely on a rainy Saturday in May as dozens of kids gathered at the IMAX Melbourne forecourt for a ride-out, which was spruiked on Forte’s social media and sponsored by clothing brand Bad Apples.
Many attendees rode pushbikes, but several sped around on e-bikes and motorcycles, which drew police attention. Concerns about e-bike safety have intensified as the mode of transport has become more popular with children. A number of teenage fatalities involving e-bikes have occurred in recent years, though none appear to have occurred during ride-out events.
On May 9, officers also pulled up those riding without a helmet, including one child who was restrained outside the Royal Exhibition Building. A passerby, seemingly fed up with bikes whizzing past, tried to tackle a teen who rode past him.
The convoy eventually headed off about 2.30pm and took over south-bound lanes on Exhibition Street. A few people briefly rode on the footpath, but almost everyone stopped at red lights along the way. Wheelies were a common sight, and the swarm soon picked up speed down the hill towards the Melbourne Park precinct.
The group became separated as some riders headed across the Yarra River and up around the Botanic Gardens. But word had already spread that a meet-up at DFO South Wharf was planned for about 3.30pm.
When this masthead caught up, about 100 kids on bikes were whizzing around the top of the shopping centre’s car park, while some older boys had set up a PA system in the back of a car.
Forte soon grabbed the microphone, climbed atop the car, and gathered a crowd in front of him. He threw away cash and vouchers to excited kids, encouraging them to scream if they wanted a prize. Another young man then performed a song as shopping centre security guards watched on.
A few people who happened to be parked on the open roof tried to leave as kids continued to ride around, and soon enough, police arrived.
“I can’t believe you encourage this behaviour, Jordan,” an officer says to Forte in an interaction filmed and published on YouTube.
“I do not encourage this,” the 22-year-old replies. “How do I encourage this when I tell people to respect the law?”
The officer, clearly annoyed, then warns Forte. “Something bad is going to happen one day, Jordan, and it’s going to come back and bite you on the arse,” he says. “It’s just a friendly heads-up.”
Forte insists he isn’t breaking the law. “It’s just me going for a bike ride.”
Seven impoundments, 24 penalty notices
A police spokeswoman said seven bikes at the ride-out on May 9 were impounded.
She said their riders were expected to be charged on summons with unlicensed driving and having an unregistered vehicle, as many of the e-bikes used were classified as motor vehicles under Victorian law.
Twenty-four penalty notices were also issued for riding offences.
“These events pose an unacceptable risk to public safety due to the behaviour on the roads,” the spokeswoman said.
“[They] are also organised for the commercial benefit of the organiser, with participants often unaware their involvement supports these commercial activities.”
Forte said this was misleading.
“I’m not running paid events or anything like that. I just post where I’m riding and people decide whether to join or not,” he says.
“I understand police have concerns about safety and illegal behaviour, but I don’t encourage dangerous riding or criminal activity.”
Police Minister Anthony Carbines, however, said in March that Operation Otto had been dedicated to tackling Bike Life events, as antisocial behaviour was common.
“Reported and observed incidents include attendees running red lights, failing to wear helmets, playing ‘chicken’ with vehicles and pedestrians, conducting burnouts, and engaging in confrontations with other motorists, security and police,” he said.
Limbrick, the Libertarian MP, meanwhile, still hopes ride-outs can remain, but be better managed.
“Young men need some sort of activities to keep them out of trouble,” he says, “and riding a bike seems to be one of the least harmful.”
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
