Gear ratio and wheel size. After rolling my tire off the rim during pick-ups Friday night before the NACCC, I started playing on the tramatized Specialized (the seat post and bottom bracket both were chiseled from the frame). Gear ratio has also changed over the years, from 34 x 16 down to 32 x 18 (which allows me to achieve Schultz speed). I went with a short 90mm stem instead of a 120mm, and ditched the super high riser bars.
Biggest change in equipment?
After 5 years of polo on a road frame with skinny 700's; first high ratio fixed, then a slightly lower ratio fixed, then a really low ratio freewheel with a front brake, I have made a huge switch. Early 90's steel mountain bike frame, 26" x 1.5" freewheel with a really skiddy back brake. I'm sitting more upright and further back over the rear wheel. I feel like I have more reach with the mallet behind the bike. Once I get used to the short wheelbase and tight handling, I think I'll be more confident and aggressive with my offense.
What's the biggest equipment change you've made, and what effect has it had on your game?
After playing for a year and a half on maybe up to 8 or 10 different bikes. Some were geared and I'd roll in the easy gear, some were single speed or fixed with gears ranging from 49x16 to 39x17. but none of those were "polo" bikes.
My first real polo bike was a 55cm Black Nishiki. Fixed, breakless, plastic platform pedals, short flat bars, 40x21.
Since the summer of 2006 that set up has gone thru some changes.
added a front brake to stop faster.
switched to freewheel.
switched to a 34tooth BMX ring to get going faster
broke frame and bought a red 57 nishiki. My road bike is a 61 by the way.
somewhere along the line I snapped that frame and bought a aluminum IRO
bent the shit out of the spider arm and ring in a game...
switched to a trials drive train, 20x12 freewheel in front and a fixed cog on rear
switched back to NORMAL drivetrain after a bad crash caused by shitty trials cranks
moved brake to rear to stop the rear end from lifting when/if i'd run over the ball as i was brakeing.
I think from here I had the set up I wanted/ Liked most.
freewheel, rear brake, about 1.6.to 1 ratio.
then it was a matter of upgrading parts
better brake system. BMX lever, new caliper, Better pads.
better pedals. Real BMX pedals, still plastic but with more surface area.
Higher spoke count wheels.
Milwaukee Pologuard
White Ind. freewheel
New chain.
A bottom bracket from this decade
a few things that have not changed..
I still have the same Kashimax saddle with the full side profile
I still plug my bars
I still have a disk wheel, OG since 2006
Something I still need to address it the Aluminum frame. I have done well on it but I dont think AL is the best for a polo bike. I want to switch to steel.
At some point I decided I wanted my polo bike to work, and work well.
I want to stop playing when I feel like it. Not when my bike feels like it.
Doug D
Brooklyn, New York
http://www.hardcourtbikepolo.com/
I havn't changed to much in the 2 years, still frontbrake 700 c/freewheel. i have gone through 3 frames though. I'm hoping the new iro mark v will stand up alittle better.
How do you like your IRO, Doug?
i like this quote
At some point I decided I wanted my polo bike to work, and work well.
I want to stop playing when I feel like it. Not when my bike feels like it.
Doug D
Brooklyn, New York
EVBP
Bought it in a pinch.
Snapped my red Nishiki and needed a frame fast
New old stock Aluminum IRO frame/fork for $100
Doubt the toughness of AL
But I've played in seven big tournaments on it and it's done well, so far.
I feel like it's days are limited
I want to be on a steel bike
Doug D
Brooklyn, New York
http://www.hardcourtbikepolo.com/
Back in the day, like with many Ottawa players it was shitty mountain bikes. Crap brakes, small toy like pylons, hard gears, golf club shafts (no wooden heads though),crap equipment all around and smash up derby style play. Good times. Of course we all moved on the the modern day appreciation for good equipment, and good polo.
I have had the road bike with a mtb riser bar, freewheel and rear brake set up for most of my playing career until recently, and i feel a great personal improvement in my game. I have gone fixed and have a tall rise handle bar that puts me in an upright position with the bar ends parallel to each other. I feel i have more control of my bike. That just may be from the fixed wheel alone, but being more upright forces me not to lean way over the front of my bike but to play the ball close. It has greatly improved my stick handling skills and it also makes me feel more imposing as a player.
Yeah, because you weren't at all imposing before. The biggest change in the game for me was the switch from wood mallets to skipole/ABS. Nothing that I've done in eight years has changed the way I play more. I feel like most of the players who have come to the game more recently started fixed (some brakeless) and are beginning to experiment with free. Like Angelo, I went the other way, and I also think that fixed makes me a better player, but I don't think there's one right answer for everybody. I like having speed control on both wheels. It does seem, though, that there is a majority of players who are moving towards freewheel, rear brake, 700c, riser bar. Bars also seem to be getting wider; the itty-bitty pogo stick handlebar seems to be going the way of the Dodo.
Ski pole/ABS is what did it for me as well. I switched in early 2007, and it changed my game. I am a huge proponent of the freewheel with a back break setup.
Ange, it's interesting that you mention being upright, cause I feel like the same way. I don't like mountain bikes, because I feel like their geometry has you stretching and slumped over. I always reccomend the upright setup on a road bike with a freewheel and a back break.
i like to be bent over with my legs splayed out.
biggest improvement to my game, getting an identical bike to my other one so that when one breaks i have a swap out. also going from two personal mechanics to one is better as well. fewer pockets to line.
Is bragging about barely being able to stay on a bike and breaking bikes funny? If it is, it's definitely not relevant to this conversation.
Lucky asked a serious question that could turn into a thread that newcomers, or someone who is looking to make some changes, gets some serious advice on equipment. Instead they get to read your hilarious "joke" about your supposed mechanics. I like the part where you got rid of one mechanic, in order to cut down on the apparent cost of them. Smart. I get it...so now you only have to pay one person instead of two. It's cheaper. Hilarious.
Doug you are lying!!
the biggest change I've seen you do is the switch to a DAY-GLO PINK paint job on the IRO! Very pink.
Yorgo
LONDON: http://bricklanebikepolo.wordpress.com/
PARIS: http://panambikepolo.blogspot.com/
Looks like changing gear ratios is whats had the biggest effect on people's play.
I don't know from frame geometry, but this particular MTN bike has me sitting more upright and further back than the road bike I was playing on. They were both undersized from what a bike shop employee would recommend I get for either MTN or Road riding.
I don't (ever) know if Ben is being serious, but I do check craigslist and ebay for a second frame of this make, vintage, and size every once and a while. If another affordable one comes along, it'd be nice to have around.
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
The biggest change for me was having an actual polo specific bike. When I stopped playing on my road fixgear and swapping rear wheels out or chains, and i could focus on putting the parts i wanted on a specific bike meant for polo.
it also shows a higher level of commitment if someone builds up a polo specific bike, it means you can expect to see them show up regularly and they are excited to be playing.
other than that obviously gear ratio lowering improved play
no dice nyc...MKE!
Most important changes I've made: having a tiny polo gear, upright handlebars instead of low, narrow bars, and a normal-sized street gear I can swap to when I ride my polo bike around the city all day.
i have been playing the same ratio same bike the only thing that has ever changed was my forks the whole 5 of them in 5 years of playing i do have a free wheel mtb bike to play on but i still go back to my fixed brakeless nishiki road bike love the hell out of it and it stops in the rain really well.
portland axles of evil bike polo
I switched to MTB from an old 27" road bike a while back. That's probably the biggest change in my game due to equipment - stronger brakes, felt like I had more control, so would sprint faster. More stable somehow - flat bars? Geometry changes? Dunno, but it definitely allowed me to play more aggressively. Unfortunately the bike was a piece of shit Huffy that I got for free, super heavy and generally a hunk of junk.
So just recently I bought an SE Stout, singlespeed 29er. Aluminum frame, which rattles my teeth, but damn I love that bike. I threw some Time ATAC clipless pedals on it, which are handy for those awkward moments when your pedals are in the wrong orientation, but you need to sprint from a stop. No broken ankles yet. They release pretty easy.
Jesse
Collar City Bike Polo
Troy, NY
One of the biggest changes for me would have to be drinking.
the polo of 2005 involved me riding to practice and stopping by a bodega on the way. picking up at least to 40's and getting nice and shitty drunk.
now i ride home to VA first, eat dinner with my fam, then drive into DC. because i'm driving home i don't drink (as much).
less drunk = better player
who would have thought...
I think its a fine line when it comes to drinking and playing. On one hand if you've got a good buzz going on you may be more aggressive, willing to reach that extra inch or take the fall to stop the goal(unless your ben hunter then you dont have to be drunk to do that). You dont think so much of that it may hurt if you fall as well as i probably doesnt hurt as bad to fall when you are drunk due to being numbed up.
Down sides are sometimes things can get heated on the court and if you add a drunk player to the mix and a argument happens it can get worse quickly(seen it happen to myself and others)
I've just been drinking at polo since I started so it doesn't feel right to play and not have a few beers in between games.
Enough said.
chicagobikepolo.com
So, you stopped drinking too.
it appears, from these pics, that your ball handling skills have improved too
-hero squad * milwaukee, wi-
Oh hi there, little buddy!
Looks like the green hat has remained integral.
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Minneapolis Bike Polo information list
A Blog about bikes
Thats not the fukking wack ass fork i remember
Doug D
Brooklyn, New York
http://www.hardcourtbikepolo.com/
So the Lucky Flap is the secret to your success, then?
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
I hate you all
3...2...1...GO!
Mallets Of Mayhem
how is saying that you hate all fo helpfull to furthering a very inlighning and pretensious post that lost of newbies and old farts can talk about how to dick around and take this shit way too seriously. is that supposed to be funny,...
A few more games on the undersized MTN bike. Still not totally used to how differently the bike handles. I do like the wider tires, I'm pretty sure they are contributing to me dabbing less. Also, I definitely have more reach behind my rear wheel than I did on the road bike.
There's a guy in St Louis who plays on a BMX and he's got a 360 degree reach. He never drops the ball while dribbling.
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
lately, my biggest switch has been from 37" mallets to 40". I'm kind of a small guy, so the extra bit of reach has really helped me be able to steal balls better and generally fuck with the person who has the ball. Before that, I really felt like I had to get right up on the person to get at the ball, and that usually resulted in some sort of collision or foul on my part.
Right before NACCC, I switched from 38x18 to 34x18 and that has made a whole world of difference in my ability to get around the court.
Now, I am considering going from BMX platforms to clipless. Several of my friends have made the switch and claim that they dab less, and of course have more power.
I ride a fairly small-sized mtb. Freewheel. Rear brake. Risers. Tires that will give me low rolling resistance.
I agree with Doug's philosophy... I want my bike to work well no matter what. Sometimes my polo friends will rib me because I have a *nice* polo bike, and that seems to go against what we put these things through on a weekly basis. The truth is, when I see other guys I play with whose bikes are constantly falling apart and their bikes feel like shit when you get on them and ride them around, I'm always thinking to myself, "damn, I'm glad I actually put some time and effort into my polo bike". Because ultimately, I want to enjoy riding whatever bike I'm on, no matter what I'm doing with it. I strive for an over-built frame, with simple, strong parts. No sketchy shit that's going to snap because I pulled the brake lever too hard. I like tinkering with bikes; taking shit apart and putting it back together again. When something needs fixing or adjusting, that night after playing I usually stay up and work on my bike.
I think it also helps that as you get better at playing, you're not having as many catastrophic, dramatic collisions that end in broken equipment. You're also not blindly and wildly wacking away at someone else or their bike trying to get the ball. I remember in our first year of playing, there were always broken bikes and broken bones... now everyone seems much more skillful and in control.
{}------- lexington -------{}
When I first started playing, I was living for a year in Vancouver. A year detatched from all my networks, resources, tools, and boxes and boxes of junk, so my ability to innovate was limited...
My life was reduced to:
1 bike (!), 1 Suitcase and 1 backpack
I started out on my (then) brakeless track bike (fixed) - gear ~ 63inches http://crankysundays.blogspot.com/2008/12/mmmm.html
I changed the bars and added a brake. After a few months, this is what my Mavic Open Pro 32 hole rims looked like :)
I also played 2007 with a 35" (90cm) mallet and 1.5" (40mm) x (13cm) 5" (Canadian) Cellular Core ABS Head (Light!)
-- Fundamental Shift Occurs --
Changed Hemisphere, Mallet and Bike
When I returned to Australia I started playing on my Kona Dr Dew Hybrid, freewheelin but never changing gears (I use a ~48" gear), still played most of 2008 with the bike unmodified.
I also changed to a mallet with a Pieter style angled head and have never looked back. Despite all his encouragement, I didn't give it a go till I was on the other side of the world! Still I think it goes really well with the freewheel.
Specs: 40" (1 metre) long, 2" (50mm) x 8" (20cm) head (though mine is PE w/extra drillium)
A few weeks ago I dropped the gears and front brake and chopped the handlebars, added the wheel cover.
--
urbanbicyclist.org
what's yer new ratio dingo?
TOP CENTER 4-EVA
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Umm. 30:16 or 18 (whatever came in the little spacer kit I bought) it was a bit of a rushed job because I got excited.
I like still having my disc though, so my options are limited in terms of running a single speed drivetrain... I've lost 2 hangars (@$50 each) this year due to mallets in the derailleur... this setup doesn;t really reduce that risk in anyway (though everyone is must better these days, or am I just better at staying away from them :)
I'm thinking single speed with an xcentrix bottom bracket and rear disc with some kinda custom guard to protect my disc bolted to the rack mounts on a 2008 hybrid. but thats a whole new bike...
urbanbicyclist.org
HA! I went to Vancouver from Chicago with my "true track" gear of 52/19. Within a couple of days of riding around town, I had bought a front brake set up and a 39 tooth chainring. That town is hill-y! I walked a lot of those descents, I was so used to flat land.
That was November, 2004. I asked all the couriers I met if there was Polo there, no one had heard of it.
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
that's cuz vancouver couriers are punk rock alcoholic douchebags who spend too much time hitting each other over the head with beer bottles. okay, not entirely true. we had a couple of female couriers that used to play. yup, definitely hilly. my road ratio is similar to yours lucky (49/16) but i was wondering about his polo ratio.
TOP CENTER 4-EVA
I just made the switch back to a steel frame.
and Milwaukee 48's
Doug D
Brooklyn, New York
http://www.hardcourtbikepolo.com/
Nice one Doug... i vote clear coat.
(or get it chromed :)
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urbanbicyclist.org
Agreed, that is very sexy.
Golden Polo
I switched from a 130 bcd crankset to a 110 with 74 bcd inner ring one, so I felt compelled to get a really ridiculous ratio. So I went from 42/19 to 30/19 fixed.
It hasn't affected things too terribly, but I can outrun people and I wear out tires more often.
Good luck with that confident and aggressive offense, Lucky. After seeing what Cole did to Abe's wheel at the 'peens, I'd have substituted "confidence and aggression" for "fear and apprehension".
oh, also, Sugino GS crankset for sale (super cheap)...130 bcd... needs chainrings...