wish he mentioned how the accident happened instead of making an empty post.
Fleri soler is going to have a field day with this article.
his fault.. he should have been driving a range rover whilst using his phone
The guy fell off his bicycle while trying to go onto the pavement.. not really the traffic’s fault.
I cycle regularly for leisure not commuting and yes, you need common sense to not get hit. It’s not perfect, but it’s not the hell that the lobby groups paint it to be either.
The article title is just clickbait material..
I don’t wish to shift the blame on the guy, nor am I pretending to know the exact mechanism of his accident (reportedly fell off his bike while mounting a pavement on Tal-Balal due to cars driving too close), but I will say that while cycling in Malta is doable for able bodied individuals, the roads and culture make pacing oneself and planning ahead mandatory.
Because of the absence of a cycling network and minimal disjointed cycling infrastructure (and poor road discipline by most drivers) cycling here is challenging for beginners and even seasoned cyclists are forced to get a bit creative with routes to minimize their risks.
Tal Balal (reported site of the accident) is one of those roads that many people who ride regularly tend to avoid. Since road widening took place it has turned into a weird dual carriageway with no speed limit enforcement (most drivers doing 70-100kph) which also hosts unsegregated bike sharrows (which don’t actually protect cyclists), a secondary school and a bus stop with no pavement to keep pedestrians (schoolchildren!) safe.
While the sequence of his posts makes his misfortune look almost comical, it is a very sad testament to the piss poor cycling infra and urban planning on this island. Events like this should highlight that:
A) sharrows don’t work,
B) our priorities in space allocation and transport need a big rethink,
C) cycling in Malta is doable and even pleasant most of the time but please allow yourself some time to gain experience and hop on over to Rota’s FB group for some useful resources to make your ride safer.
Wish him a speedy recovery and Malta some decent cycling infrastructure!
Sounds like he thought could mount a kerb and his tyres did that slippy thing on the edge of the kerb so his body weight wouldve been all wrong for the angle. If it was tight for space between him, the kerb and the passing traffic that makes this likely, especially if he wasn’t experienced. Im not a Malta cyclist but was a London (mountain bike) cyclist for years and this happens there too. Pushy drivers trying to get you out of the way. FYI I’d never cycle in Malta, too dangerous if you don’t know local small roads to use instead of main routes. Also, ebikes are expensive and difficult to ship here for up to date models. So no, Malta ain’t cycle friendly at all.
8 comments
😂😂😂
Meme Material.
He was not hit by a car, but fell off his bike!
wish he mentioned how the accident happened instead of making an empty post.
Fleri soler is going to have a field day with this article.
his fault.. he should have been driving a range rover whilst using his phone
The guy fell off his bicycle while trying to go onto the pavement.. not really the traffic’s fault.
I cycle regularly for leisure not commuting and yes, you need common sense to not get hit. It’s not perfect, but it’s not the hell that the lobby groups paint it to be either.
The article title is just clickbait material..
I don’t wish to shift the blame on the guy, nor am I pretending to know the exact mechanism of his accident (reportedly fell off his bike while mounting a pavement on Tal-Balal due to cars driving too close), but I will say that while cycling in Malta is doable for able bodied individuals, the roads and culture make pacing oneself and planning ahead mandatory.
Because of the absence of a cycling network and minimal disjointed cycling infrastructure (and poor road discipline by most drivers) cycling here is challenging for beginners and even seasoned cyclists are forced to get a bit creative with routes to minimize their risks.
Tal Balal (reported site of the accident) is one of those roads that many people who ride regularly tend to avoid. Since road widening took place it has turned into a weird dual carriageway with no speed limit enforcement (most drivers doing 70-100kph) which also hosts unsegregated bike sharrows (which don’t actually protect cyclists), a secondary school and a bus stop with no pavement to keep pedestrians (schoolchildren!) safe.
While the sequence of his posts makes his misfortune look almost comical, it is a very sad testament to the piss poor cycling infra and urban planning on this island. Events like this should highlight that:
A) sharrows don’t work,
B) our priorities in space allocation and transport need a big rethink,
C) cycling in Malta is doable and even pleasant most of the time but please allow yourself some time to gain experience and hop on over to Rota’s FB group for some useful resources to make your ride safer.
Wish him a speedy recovery and Malta some decent cycling infrastructure!
Sounds like he thought could mount a kerb and his tyres did that slippy thing on the edge of the kerb so his body weight wouldve been all wrong for the angle. If it was tight for space between him, the kerb and the passing traffic that makes this likely, especially if he wasn’t experienced. Im not a Malta cyclist but was a London (mountain bike) cyclist for years and this happens there too. Pushy drivers trying to get you out of the way. FYI I’d never cycle in Malta, too dangerous if you don’t know local small roads to use instead of main routes. Also, ebikes are expensive and difficult to ship here for up to date models. So no, Malta ain’t cycle friendly at all.