UB Fields Saved from Development and Open for Polo

Way back in the beginning of time, the University of Baltimore threw us off of their fields and threatened to have us arrested if we played there again without permission and proof of insurance. Bicycle Polo insurance? Where do you buy that?

So it is welcome news that the Mayor and the People of the City of Baltimore have secured the fields as a public park. Although this has been in the works for a while, the NEWS came out today.

This is a great thing as it makes a really first rate field available to us without the threat of arrest.

Bike Polo is NOT A CRIME!

First Polo Video

I shot some video at today's game using my little digital camera. This is very short and lacks a certain professionalism. I think the cinematography is outstanding. (What exactly IS cinematography?)

While the quality is hilarious, it gives a little bit of a feel for the game. This was kind of a test. I hope to get longer and better video up in the coming weeks.

September 17th Looks Good

The weather should clear up and present us with a great day for polo. We will be at our fantastic new field (see map link to right) and having a great game.

I may be late, but Dan will be there with the gear. See you there!

What makes a polo bike?

One question we get quite a bit is about what kind of bike you need for polo play. The basic bike is the garden variety mountain bike. Many prefer the older non-suspension bikes that you can often find at yard sales or even in a nearby dumpster.

From there, there are two important changes. First, you want to reverse your brakes so that your left hand operates the rear brakes. This is important because your right hand will be busy with your mallet. If you clamp down on the front brake, you could easily go over the handlebars. On my bike, I have removed the front brakes altogether. Others prefer a system where both brakes are operated by a single left hand lever. Either works well depending on your style.

The next thing is the addition of polo bars. These are small, U-shaped bars that will allow you to swing your mallet on either side of the bike. You can get these from Boxwood for ten bucks.

From this point, you want to put your bike on a diet. Get rid of everything you don't need. I ditched the front derailleur, all of the reflectors, racks, and anything else you can dump. In the end you have a lightweight bike that is built to serve one specific purpose. If you need help building your polo bike or you want to try one out before you do your own swap, feel free to stop by on Sunday or get in touch with us by email.

Welcome

Welcome to the new and better-than-ever home of the Mt. Washington Bicycle Polo Association. We play pickup bike polo every Sunday afternoon. During the summer months we play at 4 PM at the University of Baltimore Fields at 2101 West Rogers Avenue. You can see the map in our "Links" section to your right. Once daylight savings kicks in, we shift to 3PM.

Any changes or cancellations will be posted here.

I have also posted links to the rules. Yes, there are rules. The rules are what make this a safe game, most notably the Right of Way Rule that has a link of its very own. It's that important. The rule basically says that the direction of the ball creates a line that cannot be crossed. This keeps players from cutting each other off and t-boning each other. That having been said, this game is not exactly 100% safe. We have been playing for many years and have had a broken collarbone and a number of cuts and bruises. I like to point out that we play on nice soft grass. And there are no cars out there trying to kill us. So "safe" depends on your point of reference.

I will be updating this blog with new pictures and even hope to get some video posted soon. In the meantime, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like to get out there and play.