pedal harder gus. and ask paul about his leg exercises.
Wheel Covers
I know most people use the plastic stuff for wheel covers (can't remember the name). The occasional person uses cardboard. Just wondering if people think that using a thin Aluminum Sheeting with the standard type of connection (Zip ties) would work? I'm just wondering if it would be to heavy or hold the wind to much. Dents from balls affect how the bike turns etc?
I have a mate that owns a metal fabrication shop, with plasma and laser cutters. So i could get them done professionally, with holes for wind etc. Dimensions would be all computer driven, so we could work out what is the best option for wind and slowness.
I'm going to visit my mate this weekend coming, so will ask him and post back on what he says.
Golden Polo
I've wanted metal covers ever since I saw Murder Ball. The noise is what I'm after.
wow! congrats to legit bike polo... very good videos
there's a guy out here in corvallis, oregon, who uses aluminum sheeting on his wheel cover, he was actually the first guy i ever saw use a wheel cover. i forget his name but he's a very good player. he also used to have all of the wacked-out mallet designs made from white plastic cutting boards. i think people got pissed at his lack of convention and he's stopped using them.
You're thinking of Eilif, and yes, he's pretty crazy. He doesn't play with a wheelguard any more, but there are three or four other players here who use metal ones. They got aluminum flashing from the local hardware store and pop-riveted them on. Carl, who's particularly handy just rivets on new patches when they get punctured, and it's got a cool boiler-plate look to it now.
Kinda heavy, yeah, but I like having a little weight up front, 'cause I feel like it gives me better front wheel traction on our slippery court surface.
it's municipal election season here in BC, and all I can think of when I see the different multi-colored cor-plast election signs is "wouldn't those make good wheel covers". I know what I'm doing the night before election day, reduce, reuse & reCYCLE, muuhhaahhaahaa.......
ride or die
i did that right after the federal. "liberal death" wheel covers are the new hipster unicorn...
TOP CENTER 4-EVA
seriously!
Seeing as people have made up their mind about voting, it's time to go snag some nice losing-candidate wheelcover material.
Blaine Luetkemeyer finally has a purpose.
Bam. Done.
I have a Giant ass Mccain sign that I can't FUCKING WAIT to make into a wheel cover.
2nd place goes to a Kang sign. Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.
Booyakasha!
Sexy. They look they are removable as well.
Golden Polo
After seeing a number of mallets go into wheels and come out with a hand full of spokes. I decided to make some covers. Nice video Gussy!
circa 2006
this is the third cover i made and the last one i made of cardboard. plastic seems the easiest, lightest, and cheapest way to go.
Doug D
Brooklyn, New York
http://www.hardcourtbikepolo.com/
So for the most part i don't really like riding with the wheel covers. But i was riding a 20h rim in paris and figured that it might be in my advantage to play with the cover. So here it is, first and probably last wheel cover i will rock.
i love the predictable deflections off my wheel covers, and I love the rumbling, distant-freight train sound they make when cornering.
At the paris tourney on saturday, a ball got stuck inside Ronan's (Fabulous French Fuckers) front wheel cover. Ensuing mayhem occured, with everyone hitting the disc to make the ball fall out. Not as good as when Mike (Trampsparadise) got a ball stuck in his front spokes, rode to the goal and scored by hitting his own wheel..
I'm still working on a convenient system to have removable covers for my front wheel as my Polo bike is also my travel bike.
Yorgo
LONDON: http://bricklanebikepolo.wordpress.com/
PARIS: http://panambikepolo.blogspot.com/
Drill big holes in the disc (3/4" or so will do fine) and then get mini bungee cords. Works like a charm. Don't even need to take the wheel off. Taking on/off shown at the end of this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfoAJicjNJc
Boston/MPLS
http://legitbikepolo.com
this is what i was thinking... good to see this works i was also thinking velcro on pairs of spokes and the inside of the disk. Bungee is the way to go.
Gus, you are the media king of bike polo.
Has anyone ever tried storm screen mesh? The metal kind, instead of the nylon?
{}------- lexington -------{}
Some people only use one wheel cover. The majority of the people that use one wheel cover only use a front wheel cover.
Any specific reason for this?
If it's on one side, most people put it on their mallet side, since they probably face a defender on their mallet side way more often than the other side.
I use wheel covers to protect my spokes. Ir evenly distributes the force from mallet, balls and bikes. So you won't develop a few weak spokes, which could possibly turn into a tacoed wheel. The covers also give you the advantage of a more predictable bounce off of the wheel, and you could even play the ball off your own wheel cover.
I like to use my wheel cover to block shots. It makes such a satisfying "thump" noise when the ball bounces off my shield.
Wade
Seattle
Keeping the mallets out. So you don't get endoed. Also for blocking shots and receiving passes with a bit more predictability than it hitting your spokes.
Cool thanks for the comments. I knew what they were for just wondered why a lot of people only use a front wheel cover.
the ball tends to go off of your front wheel more because thats the wheel you can maneuver easiest to block/receive shots/passes. the back wheel is more subject to slap shots while you are in goal instead of the instances i mentioned with the front wheel.
no dice nyc...MKE!
I used to goal tend facing forward with my front wheel turned sideways in the goal. Then I broke spokes on two different back wheels and figured I'd throw a cover on there too.
Boston/MPLS
http://legitbikepolo.com
i recently put a new front wheel on my bike and i've been to lazy to search for new covers i found that my bike is a bit more agile and faster but before i was rocking some cheap alex rims double wall but cheap i put wheel covers on for the first time in dc for the espi's the rim is still true but the bearings in the hub have gone to shit. i swapped out the alex with the wheel cover to a 32 hole deep v rode it for less then a month and its getting pretty wonky. the wheel cover defiantly makes a wheel stronger by a considerable amount but does slow you down.
kremin- i have some temporary no parking signs that you can have to make a cover.i'll bring them thurs. there are also a bumch of them down by the garage, on st. paul st., by hte humboldt bridge reconstruction, and on commerce by lakefront brewery
no dice nyc...MKE!
i just don't like the way it looks. i like to see through my spokes.
good point. half the game my heads down by my wheel , what would i do if i couldnt see! i do see the point in adding more spokes (like the new milwaukee 48 spoke hub)
Spokes aren't the only thing wheel covers protect.
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Minneapolis Bike Polo information list
A Blog about bikes
i have had a ball hit the exact cutout spot where my valve is exposed for changing tubes/tires and not havign to take off the cover. i saw someone with a flap over that cutout spot and i am wondering now why i didnt do that on my newest wheel cover.
no dice nyc...MKE!
I know this spoils the diy ethic, and its something you can make for next to free, but has anyone tried one of these?
http://wheelbuilder.x-shops.com/store/product.php?productid=16265&cat=0&...
Problem with a $70 wheel cover is that when someone smacks it and it cracks I would think, why did I spend $70 on an ABS wheel cover when coroplast is $Free.95 to $20.
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Minneapolis Bike Polo information list
A Blog about bikes
I was wondering, Has anyone tried ABS sheeting for wheel covers? Shit is tough as hell and comes in a bunch of colors (if you can find it)
I was also thinking, chicago screws for installation instead of zipties?
No one that I know of. I think it'd be overkill. Cloroplast does the job great and it's nearly free, like Sveden said. Any sheet plastic material (ABS, PVC, Styrene) would also work, but it would be heavier and more expensive.
I was thinking of trying industrial snaps. I dunno if they would hold up to the bangin', tho. I think those binding post screws would be just as much a pain in the ass as cutting and re-lacing a handful of zip ties.
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
hmm noted. I dont think snaps would work though, since they have to meet face to face, no way for an elongated post that I know of. Also, ive had them bust through 8oz leather (belt thickness) instead of unsnap! tough lil fuckers.
Did the covers on Monday. Not sure what this stuff is called, I found it lying in the garden of my new house, it's plastic all the way through, no metal threads inside... I've seen it in black and green at the garden supply store. I would have used smaller zip ties/zap straps but I had these handy too. Never used solid wheel covers but been meaning to make them all year. I suppose like this, I could do the back wheel too, which is where I've had more problems with mallets in spokes as people chase me (coz I'm so damn fast? :)
First day with them on there was a bit of wind which blew me around and only had a minimal effect on the bike... Now for some graphics.
Click for the flickr photo links
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urbanbicyclist.org
Holy hockey style mallet! How do you take a shot with that thing?
Heavy plastic mesh is a great idea, btw.
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
yeah damon, *what the fuck are you thinking?* who shoots like that? where do you come up with this shit?
I guess it must be an AUSSI thang..
TOP CENTA 4 EVA !!!!!
Awww,
it's great for shovelling snow too ;)
In other news,I filled the end with a plastic/epoxy putty yesterday to make a cap on the short end. Will have to wait a day to see if it will withstand the impact of shots. Apparently it's suitable for sanding, nails, screws etc when it's set...
Lucky, to answer your question. I am having serious trouble playing with anything "normal" after trying this about 6 months ago, strange it took me so long to give it a go after playing with Piet all last summer.
Advantages? everyone would do better at polo if they dribbled and passed a bit more, with this mallet, those things are easier.
Don't get me wrong, I've got 20 other mallets sitting right here, PE, ABS, big small, short, long angled, off centre etc. But this is working _really_ well for me. (thanks Piet :)
http://www.bikepolo.com.au/2008/11/bff-tournament-results/
http://www.bikepolo.com.au/2008/10/tournament-round-up/
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urbanbicyclist.org
this has got to sound awesome when bombing a hill.
Strangely no (must bomb faster)
Here's a better photo 
and the handlebars...
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urbanbicyclist.org
Strangely no (must bomb faster)
Here's a better photo
and the handlebars...
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urbanbicyclist.org
everything about this mans setup screams INNOVATION!
And I for one applaud it, good day to you sir.
"If you're not cheating, you're not trying hard enough"
I've been trying to figure out how your bars are better like that than normal. But I don't understand, doesn't that make it squirly?
More space for swinging on the drive side and the longer bar on the non-drive (steering) side will give you more leverage, thus more control over your steering. That's just a guess.
My bars are identically cut with the same intent: short on right for swing clearance and longer on the left for steering. I also use the locking grip on the left side. It all works very well and I recommend it. And Mark, as you guessed correctly, you'll be leaving our on-line studio tonight with a brand new Lightspeed titanium toaster oven, courtesy of bikepolo.ca.
And yes, wheel covers.
chicagobikepolo.com
This was posted on the london forum but here we go:
Strong wind + disc wheel = FAIL.
Yesterday after a long day of polo I was riding along Southwark St, from Blackfriars Bridge towards London Bridge, and as usual when it's windy and I'm on the polo bike, was holding tight onto my handlebars, wobbling a bit at times but keeping a normal pace (on my road gear not my polo gear).
Then as I approached the crossing with Great Guilford St., a hurricane-like gust of wind caught my disc wheel, and literally swept the bike away from under me. I unclipped and flew forward, doing a roll on the floor (unscathed thanks to the many crashes I've taken at polo + years of skateboarding I guess).
Two nice and very posh old women on the sidewalk screamed and came to help me, then couldn't believe that I was back on my feet and laughing (couldn't stop laughing). As I was explaining them what happened, showing the disc, another gust of wind almost threw the bike in their face, then another gust made one of them loose balance and cling to the other. Insane. Katrina-style wind I'm talking about here.
Now I'm trying to get a hold of CCTV footage.. will keep you posted
Yorgo
LONDON: http://bricklanebikepolo.wordpress.com/
PARIS: http://panambikepolo.blogspot.com/
Indeed, the short side is as short as I could get it whilst still sliding the lock on grip. The other side is probably longer for reasons of caution rather than leverage. (just felt like it and figured I could always cut it down more later.
I suppose with a non locking grip I could go even shorter but this length works for me for now... plus it rides on the road much better than I figured it would.
Plus it looks cool on the street so as a parked bike, it's a mobile advertisement for bike polo.
As for the london wind comments below... try the mesh :) (have seen lots of people cutting holes in their discs too...
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urbanbicyclist.org
I've made a set of wheel covers out of aluminum ducting (bought at a local hardware store) for Chariot Wars last year. It's not cheap, but for anyone familiar with Chariot Wars down in Portland you know that those covers took harder hits than anything polo could have thrown at them. Pretty lightweight (not that weight was an issue as I was pulling a damn chariot), and since they're just pop-riveted together they were easy to assemble. This was only done on a mini though, so I'm not sure how well the system applies to a larger wheel.
Also in regards to the wind issue, I've got a rare downhill BMX bike from the 80s (also called a F1 BMX) with full discs that came stock on the bike. Needless to say it's unnerving to have a side wind hit me when I'm bombing downhill at 50 mph. Nothing like having mother nature make a lane change for me. Especially when there are other bikes (or cars) around. No wrecks yet!
is it standard practice to have a really small bike for the chariot wars ? i would think you would have a better time on a bike that fits you, looks like fun riding around in that chariot though .
In Chariot Wars, anything goes. Nothing is standard practice. So long as you have a bike pulling a person in a chariot you're good to go. Last chariot rolling wins. My Chariot team won 4th out of 16 teams. Not bad, and considering 1st and 3rd places were 20" BMX bikes... Though James from EastVan took 2nd place on his full-size polo bike. Though we've since found out that 26" wheels taco really easily when they go up against a minibike, and Quick Release axles are just a bad idea all-around when you're talking about Chariot Wars. But I digress, we're talking about wheel covers, right?
Bike Polo Chariot Wars?
;)
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urbanbicyclist.org
Here's some inspiration to build those covers. This was from a strap buckle on a fixed bike catching the spoke.
we all need steel aerospokes with magnetic wheelcovers
"Bike polo is the sport of gentlemen...
Gentlemen with mustaches"
You can still find old or cheap wheels with steel rims.
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
it is kind of a mad max sport!
its not the rims im worried about haha.
In line with the original topic, has anyone used the "professional" aero disc wheel covers?
"Bike polo is the sport of gentlemen...
Gentlemen with mustaches"
.
^^ Richmond Recycles has a stockpile of those in the back, thought about using em before.
Pro wheel cover:
Valve stems
Spokes
Ball going through spokes into the goal
Con wheel cover:
Wobble your ride a bit
Wind problems
Taking a step back and thinking about it, spokes are designed to resist forces from the road side of the rim, not from right angles. Is there a way to use a spoke's inherent strength, but protect it from the other angles? Some sort of load equalizing web or net? Rubber woven through your spokes? Something that would keep mallets (and the damn ball) out of your spokes, but would spread mallet trauma throughout the web, without having 100% coverage, thereby reducing wind problems?
Sasha
>Some sort of load equalizing web or net?... Something that would keep mallets (and the damn ball) out of your spokes, but would spread mallet trauma throughout the web, without having 100% coverage, thereby reducing wind problems?
Like my mesh?
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urbanbicyclist.org
The cover has to be rigid enough to spread the force of the ball over multiple spokes in the event of a direct hit. Rubber woven through could help if the ball were to hit a spot between spokes and would likely prevent the ball from flying through, but I don't think it would soften the blow for direct hits which are most likely to break a spoke. If your wheels were spheres the ball would never hit the spokes 'at a right angle'... but alas we don't all play polo on bat-bikes (http://www.jeffpidgeon.com/uploaded_images/bat-pod-767743.jpg)
Get the best of both worlds and use mini bungee cords to hold the covers on during play, then take'em off in a minute and strap'em onto your bag for the ride home. (see front wheel http://legitbikepolo.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/polobike2.jpg)
Boston/MPLS
http://legitbikepolo.com
Wheel cover didn't help this front wheel. To be fair its 4 years old, factory built, ridden through two winters and used for polo for 2 years. Can't believe it made it this long.
My parents bought me one of those Huffy Sigmas back when I was 12 years old. Boy, does that bring back memories... namely, of a few older teenage BMX kids in the neighborhood calling me "gay" for riding it.
I would rock that thing like a mutherfucker on the polo court if I had it back now.
{}------- lexington -------{}
can be had.
Hey - is anyone selling those snap-off fabric covers that guy Jared had (Burbonic Plague) at Madison?
pester Burro Bags about it. I sent them a tweet about it shortly thereafter Madison, and they said soon. Might want to pester them again.
Thanks - I filled out a form on the Burrito site.
Hey, there have been MANY reformations to the wheel covers than you saw at NA's this past year and we have been holding off on releasing them becuase of this reason. We have finally found a final design we are happy with and made production runs to find out costs and production times. They will be released by the end of march if not sooner. I am really proud of the final product and would not dream of selling something to my fellow polo players without extensively testing the product. You will not regret the wait and i can't wait to get the feedback from everyone. Stay tuned for the big drop.
In addition to the final design, i will also be offering custom screen printing for poeple who want to order custom wheel cover sets for teams/clubs etc. This will all be worked out in the near future. Stay tuned and keep an eye out for some of the newly designed wheel covers that are out and about. I've given a few away to friends to test out.
i did some 3d modelling to determine the precise dimensions for a wheel disc. these dimensions should (theoretically) give you a 600mm outer disc diameter with a 60mm hole and 55mm of rise
here are my custom wheel covers
more to come
i rock the planet express on my bike :D
i made a few more for the Labor Day Polo-Q in LA.
if you're interested, shoot me an email. acwainscott@gmail.com
hey Jarred from Florida rocked some canvas removable (snap on) wheel covers at NA's... wondering how these worked out and what they were made of exactly? i'm pretty sure his team played with them as well....
Burro Bags. see my post above. They were made from the same canvas as the messenger bags and attached via button snaps. When i spoke with jared there, he appeared to be enjoying them. Apparently they play slightly different with the ball handling as they tend to deaden the ball upon impact and drop it right next to the wheel instead of bouncing off of the plastic like most of us are used to. They appeared to be simple enough to make if you're handy with a needle and thread and attaching buttons.
that's interesting.. guess you'd want a different cover depending on which position you typically play. at goal, i want something that will pop off the cover and give one of my guys a break away or just get the ball quickly away from the goal. at the same time, maybe it'd be good to have it dead so i could decide where it goes..
anybody got any pics of his cover? i'm curious
They are made from military grade cordura, Recycled vinyl from billboards. High Strength 3m (500LB test, i think) velcro. All materials produced and sourced in The US. All production made by Burro Bags ( independant american business owned by cyclists/punks/artists ), Designed by me with the help of Chris at Burro. Tested by myself, Jason F-off, Chris Simpson, NIck redbeard, Sam FTL, Sara Woijic(NYC) and a hand full o fother players.
I dont mean to sound rude but the extent and quality we go to, i doubt they would be reproduced with a "needle and thread". HEavy duty industrial sewing machines are used, high quality materials and thread, and years of proffessional experience are integrated into our wheel covers. I am really looking forward to releasing these to the community!
needle and thread comment was not meant to be demeaning and apology if it was read like that. I know burro guys make quality stuff (i use their pedal straps) but it was more a point for the impatient DIYers out there.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/miguel-reyes/4822908383/in/set-721576244465...
Found one in the NAHBPC pic thread. Green and yellow bike has one.
if anyone wants a custom made wheel cover for $15 - 20 and you are going to be going to the SF Ball Whacker's Ball, get your orders in soon!
Halloween is only 3 weeks away!
This was the wheel cover i had printed up as a give away at the SF Halloween tournament.
2 of them went to Nora and Mario for furthest traveled!
Been meaning to post this forever! I'm sure some of you have figured this out on your own but just in case.
One of our local players, Jeff, came up with a great way to attach wheel covers to your bike. Hook and Loop(Velcro) cable ties.
Low profile, cheap, less stress on spokes, removable and reusable.
For sale at your local computer or big box store. They also make great pant leg cuffs.
Polycarbonate wheelcovers.
Colin
those are nice! well done on the cuts. how much heavier is the polycarb compared to the coroplast?
I want those clear covers that Seabass uses. Where do I get those?
There's a shop up here called TAP plastics. They have multiple colors and they're light and easily felxible. Not that you have to worry about it but when the transparent plastic gets cold it shatters from a hard shot.
those are nice! well done on the cuts. how much heavier is the polycarb compared to the coroplast?
Thanks for the compliments, these are pretty shonky compared to mark2, polycarb gets a bit melty if you use too high a blade speed and doesn't seem to like letting the blade turn corners. Using a jigsaw and a wooden circle-jig (much better results with circlejig mark2).
On my ones using Lexan branded polycarbonate per side they come to:
2mm thick = 450grams
1.5mm thick = 335grams
You can get lower density polycarbonate aswell which would bring the weight down by a fifth again to 270grams or so.
Structurally they're really pretty good, so if you need them even lighter you can drill out loads small holes in the playing surface without compromising them and make them EVEN lighter.
for comparison corex seems to run from 220 to 350grams a side depending on thickness and size - 350g weighed by me and 220g by another lad on that london forum.
I want those clear covers that Seabass uses. Where do I get those?
These WERE originally clear - may be the same stuff ... spraypainted on the rearside so that no paint would rub off in play but it's given a lovely gloss finish. Don't paint them at all if you'd like to be able to see-through them.
Colin
Edit: I was being a tit. Thought I had 1mm, but having checked it it's 2mm ... edited for the benefit of people making their own.
I'm using the same polycarbonate cover since a year here in Grenoble. A bit heavy when you have both wheel covered but really indestructable... but pretty shitty to fix on the wheel.....Mine is 1mm thick, but I'm unable to find some thicker one, 0.75 could be perfect....
Hey jinxy, what type of paint are you using on your covers? Any particular tips?
i use vinyl decals, and sometimes have a graphic printed onto the vinyl. like my Little red riding hood one, i used vinyl and acrylic paint to fill in the highlights and shadows. for the AZ tournament i found a printer to do a direct to coroplast full color digital print. :)
these are sulky covers aerospoke makes for horse racing. some sort of poly carbonate. stupid durable. i like the hardware they made for them. a really nice fit to put on and take off really quickly.
No they are not sulky covers that aerospoke makes for horse racing.
The ones they make for horse racing are really really heavy and completely different. These are pieces of poly carbonate that Aerospoke cut for these.
Can I get a pair of 'em boots and a slice, please!
dingo... i think you just put me out of business lol
great cover
Dillman, May 2008
From THIS
To THIS
what kind of material are you using?
looks too glossy for it to be HDPE. ABS maybe?
if you got your hands on some polycarb, even better.
if its ABS or a PETG it might become brittle over time. but yes, very curious as to how these hard covers play.
Yes, more polycarbonate.
These are the mk.4 ones. I had some 2mm ones which are still perfect after 6 months of use. Just need the grime wiped off.
Painted on the rear side, 1.5mm thick with a larger centre-cutout they should be around 300grams. Also, difficult to see on these photos but the leading hole on the edinburghbikepolo.com side is larger on each pair - so that the head of the ziptie will sit more flush. I would probably have chosen nicer colours but it was a case of using whatever was at my workshop already.
HDPE and they are STRONG!
http://fixcraft.tumblr.com/post/5134085070/sneak-peak-at-fixcraft-v2-pro...
Hi there to all,
Over here in Portugal due to the fact that we play near the sea we have a lot of wind, and the traditional wheel covers give us a lot of trouble, even the ridind must be changed to deal with that, cause your bike insists on turning with that force of nature.
First we used only the enough amount of cover in the wheel, like a ring covering the main spoke holes.
This is our new solution, we buy it at the local garden shops, it´s a plastic net used outdoors.
Pros: No wind problems, really lightweight, no balls thru, easy to transport just roll it up and there it goes, no strange noises, cheap, easy to cut and customize at your own taste.
Cons: Less resistant than PvC or Polycarbonate
Anyway it´s a different one, and it works perfectly, you can see the pic as an example on my PK Ripper.
PEACE!
Hyenas Jungles´ Finest
I have recently been running a set of composite wheel covers, made with dual layer glass fiber that were custom made by http://universalcomposites.com.au/ here in Adelaide, Australia.
These have been amazing, lighter than core-flute and bullet proof strong (not literally).
I got these because I've had enough pedals, balls, track nuts, mallets, and legs, that have gone through all my other wheel covers.
In the most recent Australasian nationals these glass fiber covers took a hammering from other players and all that has happened is one cable tie that secures them popped when someone wall checked me into a barrier and their pedal attempted to ravage my spokes. The disc has just a small scratch and all my spokes in my nice new wheel are 100%.
The covers allow easy access to the valve and nipples to inflate or true, as they simply pop out to allow access.
They fit ultra flush, and they can't pop out while in use due to the formed shape.
They can be easily painted and take stickers super well.
If you take your polo seriously contact this guy at universal composites to get a set. They cost me a bit due to being prototype, but the cash I've already saved in spokes, truing, and stealing core-flute has more than made up for it.
Also they let me run lighter 32 spoke rims, because they distribute the force so much better which means lighter wheels which means faster polo.
The future is here...
Colin forgot to mention the THUNDER it creates when someone bangs it!
Was Neil running a set of those as well?
Wanted to have a closer look after seeing the sample that V had but didn't get the chance.
They look like a seriously good solution.
AAAhhahahaha! Amazing signature Wall!!
Did i mention my man-crush?
Wondered how long it would take you to notice the sig.
About that man crush, how many in a triple / quadruple / quintuple dutch rudder before it becomes a plain old cirlce jerk?
Because I think we may have had a circle jerk earlier with Praw and Mossko in another thread and I don't want to break your heart later when you find out that it's only physical Lewis.
I could never love a vegan.
Fibreglass is not very resistant to repetitive flex and blunt impacts as it wants to delaminate and crack
It's a very difficult material to get to work properly because to get it to survive for any period of time you need to make it using many layers which makes it very heavy. Many of the plastics are stronger and lighter. It's the wrong application for fibreglass.
and yes, I HAVE used fibreglass covers.
Wheel covers inspire me to have stupid fun:
I've looked at various metal grating/sheets at home depot for a while now, but I can't figure out a way to make wheelcovers out of it that wouldn't weigh a million pounds. Corrugated plastic (coroplast.com has great pictures of the stuff) is what most people use because it's fairly light, not impossible to find, and free or close to it when found. I've seen other plastic sheeting and whatnot used, and it all works great.
I play with front and back coroplast covers and it slows me down significantly. It's not just added weight to the bike, it's added rotating weight which affects speed much more than say, a waterbottle. While beefy metal industrial covers could physically be made and would provide ridiculous protection, they'd destroy your speed. Also I'd be skeptical about playing with them/against them unless they were very finely made/no chance of metal edges sticking out to displease our poor flesh.
Wind problems'd be the same as with any other covers.
Also, for those looking for a bit of guidance on making covers, a little somethin I threw together http://legitbikepolo.com/how-to-make-it/ (bottom of the page)
Boston/MPLS
http://legitbikepolo.com
Boston/MPLS/Elsewhere
currently running Photo Blog www.gustavHoiland.com
formerly of http://legitbikepolo.com