As my three kids dutifully prepare their Christmas wish lists, I am glad for one big omission.

Yes, the bikini my daughter is hoping for seems to be lacking in fabric. I do not love the idea of my littlest playing Roblox but a voucher towards customising a character (is that what Robux do?) seems reasonable. And I do not understand the clothes choices of 16-year-old boys. Whatever.

A fat bike being ridden through Manly’s The Corso. Credit: Oscar Colman

At least there is no wild request for a fat bike. Because the answer would be a resounding no. Exorbitant price aside – no child needs a $4000 present – these mini motorbikes are lethal.

Fat bikes, named because of their chunky tyres and the fact they can weigh as much as 50 kilograms, have exploded in popularity among Sydney teens. Anyone who lives in one of the city’s beachside suburbs, from Avalon to Manly, Bondi, Coogee and Cronulla, would be well aware of them, thanks to the spectacle of throngs of teens weaving in and out of traffic, on footpaths and through parks.

Kids are having fun, sure. But we know from hospitalisation figures these e-bikes and their smaller cousins, e-scooters, are dangerous. In a submission to last year’s NSW parliamentary inquiry into e-scooters and e-bikes, the Centre for Trauma, Care, Prevention, Education........

© The Sydney Morning Herald