Grab your bike, No… not that one. Grab that one you don’t give a crap about. Why the junker bike? Because I might t-bone you at full speed if you’re in my way, and if you flip me lip about it I’ll smack you upside the head with my mallet. This is bike polo, not the stuffy horse polo matches you see on TV.

Over the summer there’s been some pick-up games organized by the guys at Wilson Backcountry Sports. The usual Sunday meeting place is Owen Bircher Park, located in the lovely Wilson, WY. All walks of the bike geek crowd show up, you’ve got your Downhillers, hardcore XC riders and even BMX riders. There’s a stack of mallets at the game, all made from golf clubs found at Browse N’ Buy with the heads replaced with a wooden mallet. The only other thing you need is a bike and if you want it, protective gear which some might want!

Our rules are simple, try to smack the ball through the two beer cans that mark the goal. If you touch your foot to the ground you have to ride in a circle before you can get back into play. Other than that, get the ball AT ALL COSTS, your only friends at this point are your teammates. It doesn’t matter if Andy was the best man at your wedding, mercilessly take him out if he gets near the ball.

Now I can’t tell you how fun it is to get out and play. With all the competition that goes on out in the field, it all remains lighthearted fun. After a few goals get scored, everyone calls a time out an heads to the sidelines to rehydrate with our good friend Mr. PBR. But then it’s back to field to do your best to get one more cheap shot in on one of your friends! It’s too bad that the oncoming winter is going to shut the bike polo season down in our neck of the woods, but I’ve already heard talk of possible indoor games at various locations. That’s awesome!

I highly encourage you to check out the Photo Slideshow Here. There are some good shots of the carnage that goes on in bike polo. I encourage you even more to get out and try the game yourself.

If you’re dying for more info, go check out some of these links:

• Wikipedia - Cycle Polo
• U.S. Bicycle Polo Association
• American Bicycle Polo Association
• Seattle Bike Polo
• YouTube - Bike Polo in Denver