Bike polo is ready for new riders

Rating ***

Ever heard of bicycle polo? I hadn’t. To give the reader a better understanding of the sport, Terri Clarke describes it as crocket with bikes instead of horses, ski poles instead of mallets and pavement instead of grass.

After having read the article, the sport didn't really appeal to me. Maybe it’s because i’m not a very big risk taker when it comes to biking. I’d much rather cruise along a path than fight to the death for a ball while on wheels. Did I mention that you can’t touch the ground with your feet? If you do touch the ground there is a clearing rule, in which you must “tap out” and bike to the designated clearing spot before re-entering the game. Not only do good bike polo players require great hand-eye coordination, they use techniques such as one-hand wheelies, fast sprints and 360 turns as well.

The game is played here in Ottawa by a club called the Mallets of Mayhem. They hold weekly games and have participants ranging from age 14 to age 60. A lot of the sports equipment is homemade. From DIY mallets made from ski poles, and cardboard wheel covers to stop the ball from passing through the spokes. I found the article very informative for readers who have no knowledge of the sport. It breaks down all of the rules, equipment, and strategies used in a bike polo game. I recommend anyone interested in playing or learning more about bike polo in the Ottawa area checks out www.ottawabikepolo.com for the mallets of mayhem club, or www.mmbm.ca for details on the Almonte bicycle polo league.

Clarke, Terri. “Bike polo is ready for new riders”. Ottawa Outdoors Magazine. Page 42-43. Spring 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012. http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspxreferral=other&refresh=7b1Mp0F32Jr0&PBID=dd326de9-d87b-4752-a321-811b5e78bb7b&skip