Students Riding Fixie Bicycles on the Road (Captured from an online community)
SEOUL, May 5 (Korea Bizwire) — In cities across South Korea, brakeless fixed-gear bicycles—commonly known as “fixies”—are rapidly growing in popularity among young people, particularly students.
Despite repeated safety concerns from parents, drivers, and law enforcement, regulatory action and institutional safeguards remain absent.
On May 2, in Myeongji International New City in Busan’s Gangseo District, students on fixie bikes were seen riding in large numbers around schools and cram schools. The area’s flat terrain and youth-heavy population have made it a hotspot for the trend.
Although no major accidents have been reported in the neighborhood, local parents and drivers continue to file complaints urging stricter enforcement.
A similar scene plays out near Gwangalli Beach in Suyeong District, another hub for youth riders. There, groups of teenagers—many without helmets—ride dangerously along both public roads and bike lanes, often weaving between them without regard for safety.
Fixie bicycles, originally designed for professional racing on velodromes, are characterized by a single fixed gear and no brakes or gears. The design allows riders to control the bike’s speed by resisting the pedal motion, but this technique can be difficult to master and poses a serious risk, especially in urban traffic.
While the bikes have been trending among middle and high school students for years, their popularity has surged among upper elementary students in 2025—fueled in part by short-form videos on social media showcasing risky tricks and stunts.
“I didn’t even know what a fixie was when my son asked for one,” said a parent of a fifth-grade student. “When I realized it had no brakes and he was riding around like a street racer, I had to hide it.”
Police are grappling with how to respond. Although complaints have increased about groups of students dangerously riding fixies on public roads, enforcement is limited by a lack of legal clarity.
Fixie bikes fall into a gray area under the current Road Traffic Act—they are not classified as motor vehicles, yet the absence of brakes means they do not meet the technical definition of a bicycle either.
As a result, riding a fixie on bicycle paths is technically illegal, and using sidewalks is explicitly prohibited. Whether they can be ridden on public roads is still debated, although police say the current law allows it—albeit with warnings to discourage road use due to the high safety risks.
Extremely Dangerous Bicycle Riding (File photo by Yonhap News)
“There’s no legal definition for fixies in the Road Traffic Act, which makes enforcement on the ground very difficult,” said an official at the Gangseo Police Station. “We advise against road riding, but parents are calling for stronger crackdowns.”
In response to mounting complaints, local authorities recently held a roundtable discussion involving police, education officials, the Korea Road Traffic Authority, and parent groups to address the issue. Police urged families and schools to educate children about the dangers of fixies and to ensure they understand basic traffic laws.
“Riding in a zigzag or in large groups may constitute violations under the Road Traffic Act, such as failing to drive safely or engaging in group behavior that endangers others,” said a spokesperson from the Korea Road Traffic Authority. “At minimum, helmets and other basic safety gear must be worn.”
As more children take to the streets on fixies, experts warn that the lack of regulation, combined with high speeds and low control, could result in serious accidents if action is not taken soon.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
