The group of around 50 off-road motorcycles and quad bikes brought Kirkstall Road, a major route into Leeds, to a standstill on Monday night.
Witnesses posted videos on Twitter and described the scenes as "utter chaos" and "madness" and compared them to those in the Mel Gibson film Mad Max.
A 26-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Police closed the road until the group had dispersed.
Up to 200 bikers 'rode amok' on roads
Videos posted online show bikers riding in convoy, with some pulling wheelies. Others can be seen riding on the pavement.
There were also reports of vehicles being driven around pedestrianised parts of Leeds city centre, according to some witnesses.
Kirkstall Road was believed to have closed for around 90 minutes while drivers on other roads around the city also reported similar problems.
A police helicopter also attended the incident.
West Yorkshire Police confirmed the event had been organised on social media and the road was closed in order to resolve the situation. It said the group had dispersed by about 22:00 GMT.
The force said detectives were trying to "identify those involved and take robust action against them".
On Sunday, the Met Police arrested eight men for failing to stop during a similar "ride-out" in London.
Officers used tyre deflation devices to stop 17 motorbikes and three quad bikes.
BBC iPlayer - Britainâ€™s Most Wanted Motorbike Gangs
A gang of bikers caused traffic chaos during a Halloween "ride out" on a busy city road.