E-Bike Academy to Open on the Gold Coast

WORDS: Wayne Hickson PHOTOGRAPHY Colin Handley

A Queensland-first e-bike capability and safety training school will open on the Gold Coast this summer, responding to growing concern from emergency services and the wider community about the sharp rise in serious e-bike injuries and fatalities.

The Gold Coast E-Bike Academy has been established to provide structured, professional education focused entirely on safe, legal and responsible e-bike riding, regardless of age or experience.

Created by Gold Coast Stunt Academy principal Colin Handley, the program will run regular Saturday sessions throughout summer, delivering practical, safety-first training designed to improve rider confidence, awareness and decision-making, not speed or risk-taking.

Training modules will cover Queensland road rules and legislation, rider safety, hazard identification, braking and balance, and basic e-bike maintenance.

The Academy’s launch follows recent data from the Jamieson Trauma Institute and the Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit (QISU), which shows that between January and October 2025 more than 1,600 e-transport riders were treated in Queensland hospitals.

Police data also recorded 14 fatalities involving e-transport devices during 2025.

“Head injuries, along with arm and leg fractures, remain the most common outcomes of e- bike crashes, and those are injuries that often change lives,” Mr Handley said.

“We can also safely assume that a significant number of e-bikes of all sizes and power outputs will appear under Christmas trees across the Gold Coast this year.

“Our aim is to intervene early, before unsafe habits form, and give riders the knowledge and
skills they need to protect themselves and others,” he said.

Although the E-Bike Academy is located at the Gold Coast Stunt Academy’s Nerang–Southport Road headquarters, Mr Handley stressed that the program is entirely separate from stunt training and is delivered under strict safety protocols.

“This is not about stunts, tricks or pushing limits,” he said.

“In fact, the core philosophy of everything we teach here is very simple; no one gets hurt.Ever.“All instruction is safety-based and delivered by qualified trainers in a fully controlled environment.

“Riders are taught how to anticipate hazards, comply with road rules, handle their bikes correctly and make smart decisions in real-world conditions,” he said.

Participants will also learn controlled fall and crash-minimisation techniques, designed to reduce injury when accidents are unavoidable.

“These techniques are already taught through our fall-prevention programs in schools, where they’ve helped reduce playground and sporting injuries,” Mr Handley said.

“The same principles apply to e-bike riders where correct handling, braking, balance and awareness dramatically reduce the risk of serious injury.”

The Academy will cater for standard e-bikes and electric mountain bikes, acknowledging that many young riders are already using these machines without any formal instruction.

A purpose-built obstacle course has been developed to safely improve balance, coordination, reaction time and low-speed manoeuvring, all critical factors in preventing crashes on roads and shared pathways.

Mr Handley said the program was also shaped by his own experience as a grandfather.

“I have three grandsons aged 10, 12 and 14 who’ve been riding e-bikes for more than five years,” he said.

“Like many families, we’ve seen how quickly kids progress onto powerful machines without any structured guidance and this course exists to close that gap.”

The Gold Coast Stunt Academy is also home to freestyle BMX facilities operated by X Games Champion Kyle Baldock, reinforcing its standing as a professional, safety-focused action sports venue.

The E-Bike Academy course is strongly recommended for all new e-bike riders and is intended to become a standard safety pathway for responsible riding on the Gold Coast.

Courses will be available from January 2026.

For further information or bookings, contact Colin Handley at the E-Bike Academy on 0412 455 005.