The morning sun reflects off the azure sea and tied boats bob gently in the water. All is normal at the Senglea waterfront – except for the solitary figure of Mario Pandolfino, serenely riding a bicycle... on the water.
He built his water bicycle using just recycled materials. “Making it cost me a grand total of €35.”
Some 15 years ago, he was the first person in Malta to build a microlight plane using recycled materials from other planes. He got the licence to pilot his plane and spent some time flying it off Ħal Far and Ta’ Qali.
When Mr Pandolfino’s neighbour was about to throw away an old bicycle, an unusual idea popped into his head. He explains that countries such as Italy and Australia make use of similar contraptions, especially in lakes and rivers.
He assembled scraps of metal and aluminium. Using the original bicycle frame, he removed the back wheel and replaced it with a paddle wheel.
He put together two floats from sealed plastic tanks, which were originally used by restaurants to store cooking oil. In order to manoeuvre the bicycle, he attached a rudder to the front, which he fastened with a bolt.
Mr Pandolfino is willing to freely show anyone who’s interested how to construct such a bicycle. If interested, contact him on 99442687.