Madison's bicycle polo enthusiasts display an impressive array of bike-handling skills. In a game that calls for players to keep both feet on the pedals at all times -- while wielding a mallet, accelerating, braking and maneuvering all over the court in pursuit of a street-hockey ball -- the ability of six players to avoid collisions and crashes is all the more striking.
Note the players' occasional use of their mallets as a third point of contact with the ground, which allows them to keep both feet on the pedals while their bikes are at a standstill. Also note the players' acceleration: They are riding one-speed bikes with low gear ratios that afford a high degree of power transference from pedals to velocity. But these are not fixies. The rear hub has a freewheel; this is the players' preference, but it suits the freewheeling nature of this demanding sport.
More information about the sport and the upcoming Midwest Championships is available from the story in Isthmus about the group.
