Tips for polo

do not lend James Brown, Jack or MAX your mallet.

fixed

okay, short mallet-making vid YouTube - Legit - How to make a bike polo mallet - quick'n dirty
and longer version YouTube - Legit - How to make a bike polo mallet - legit style
. There's also a 'how to' on building disc wheels YouTube - Legit - How to make wheel covers for bike polo
(with a good disclaimer on how your handling goes to shit in high winds with discs on!).

All vids from Legit.

I like a longer mallet too. You can always choke up for the shots.

choke up!

I like a longer mullet too.

You're just stuck in the Eighties.

"Cut the sides, don't touch the back."

things that a polo bike need (AKA things I've been told are wrong with my bike)
Low gearing (was 42x16, now 42x22, will be <42x22 when I can be arsed working out my BCD)
No rake in the fork (look at the polo bikes thread... almost all have completely straight forks, should give better control... I don't think it's possible on my current bike)
No clipless peddels (I'm perceviring because I think polo is going to teach me to be better with them, which is more important than beign uber-polo... which I doubt I'll ever be)
No Drops (Not changed yet, not sure if I will... has got tangled up with mallet a couple of times... but my polo bike is also my bike and i'm not doing my commute with flats...)

No Drops (Not changed yet, not sure if I will... has got tangled up with mallet a couple of times... but my polo bike is also my bike and i'm not doing my commute with flats...)

a) what you need is HTFU
b) two bars with a stem each so you can quickly change them to play polo, if you running brake, a cross top or a harry or a finger can be take down and set up very quickly

.

Yo H, i guess its personal but i feel i have more flex without spds. I'm not a nervy spd wearer, but last summer at vauxhall i wore spd's once and everytime i extended for the ball i was on my arse. It was fucking unbelievable, jonny was laughing his beard off, def not for me.

does anybody have a ski poll and some pipe i could buy off them, i want have a go at polo..

also what kind of ball do you use?

we use street hockey balls, pipe is knocking around, if you ask someone will bring a piece to a polo night. A ski poll is a questionnaire about skiing no?

haha sorry ski pole... it was a late night...

I would want to play on my pub bike so if I dent it I wouldn’t really care, but its freewheel and it has a back brake. Is this allowed?

freewheel with back brake is good.

haha sorry ski pole... it was a late night...

I would want to play on my pub bike so if I dent it I wouldn’t really care, but its freewheel and it has a back brake. Is this allowed?

its allowed,
any bike is allowed really... the down side to a back brake is that if that fails you cant stop, the wheel gets hit/rubbed/you fall/crash the wheel becomes un-tru and starts to rub your rear brake... therefore requiring maintenance. I used to ride with a front brake i got used to playing without, pretty much makes your bike indestructible (broken but ridable) all the time.

Why do you say no SPDs, B? I've done both (and am using clips and straps now) but will switch back as soon as I can. Did you not see me up against the fence with my foot having done that 180 spin at Newington a month or so ago? That wouldn't happen with clipless!

I used to play polo in SPDs as that's what I was used to riding with, but I used to unclip constantly for fear of falling. Then I switched to powergrips, and felt more confident about falling off, knowing I could get out of my pedals easier.

a) what you need is HTFU
b) two bars with a stem each so you can quickly change them to play polo, if you running brake, a cross top or a harry or a finger can be take down and set up very quickly
yeah, that is a possibility... but not happening for a month or so problaby...

Doesn't anyone make drops that the curvey bits detach from?!

:-)

I swap my bars over - takes 2 minutes.

Personally, I used clipless (Speedplay Frogs) - never had any problems with them, and clipping back in is lightning fast - if you use double-sided pedals.

The only note of caution - don't use shoes with a ratchet - it'll get smashed...

LukeyB, i have spare pipe. PM me when you're coming along and i'll cut you a piece.

I recommend golf clubs rather than ski poles, buy them from the sale at Sports Direct on Oxford Street - long reach (i.e. steel shafted woods) are good. They're a bitch to drill, but that's because they're tough, which is a plus. My tip is to sand the spot you want to drill, then use a hammer and nail to get a pilot point, then use a 2 or 3mm drill bit, then up to 4mm or 5mm.

how much are the golf clubs at sport direct?

from £6.

If you're going, grab me another one!

cool, might pop down this afternoon

yeah, I was gonna pop in to Decathlon on the way home tonight after seeing yours last night Ian.
will let peeps know how much they are later

cool, might pop down this afternoon
If you do can you pick me two up please. Coins will follow.

Failing that I'll probably head down next week.