Filed under: Mallets/Wheelcovers | Tags: bike polo, removable, wheel cover, wheelcover
Making up a bunch of wheelcovers for the Boston crew due, experimentin’ with the design, and shamelessly throwing legit all over it. I’ve been using a front wheelcover with a similar design to this one (except with smaller holes) since the NACCCs in Chicago last year, and I’ll be darned if it hasn’t saved me from untold inconvenience and hassle.
Covers are attached with two mini bungee cords that you weave through the holes and then secure by puncturing the cover with the hook on each end. Wheel stays on, covers fold up, and then you’ve got two bungees to strap your mallets to your top tube with.
Why??? Because it allows me to commute to and from bike polo without constantly fighting the wind. Strong enough winds could render my front wheelcover equipped bike virtually unridable, and I’d much rather spend the 2 minutes at the court attaching a cover than struggle in the wind for 20 minutes each way.
See how I make these wheelcovers on the “HOW TO MAKE IT” page on your left.
I came upon some collapsible hiking poles today and made one into a mallet. The other pole… well let’s just say I hacksawed the handle off while it was in the collapsed position… and cut off both the handle as intended and the internal mechanism that tightens the pole up and allows it to expand.
Polo tomorrow, we’ll see how it performs. If anyone of my strength or stronger tries to bend and break the bottom piece over their knee, it will indeed snap in half. The top piece is much stronger.
Filed under: Mallets/Wheelcovers
The idea of gifting a mallet to nudge a friend to get on the court hadn’t occurred to me until someone enlisted me to craft such a present. ~$15-17 shipped, mallets could make for fine holiday giving. gus@legitbikepolo.com – made to order and highly customizable.
Filed under: Mallets/Wheelcovers
I don’t like broken spokes. Neither do these people. Learn how to make covers for your wheels on the “how to make it” page, or email me about having a set made up Legit. $10 a pair in any wheel size with your choice of bungee cords (easy to take on and off, highly recommended for front wheels) or zip ties (for more permanent installation).
Also, revolutionary Boston bike polo innovator Toby tries out his latest move. Wait, what’s that about like contact?
Filed under: Mallets/Wheelcovers, photo | Tags: bike polo, boston, wheel cover, wheelcover
Boston’s own Jav and Howl sporting some Legit wheelcovers. Upon closer inspection you may see that Jav’s (on the left) are held on by a couple mini bungee cords, allowing for quick removal when the wind picks up. See how to make’em on the How To Make It page or I’ll make them custom for $10/wheel. I learned from Doug this weekend in NYC that there’s a plastics shop near 6th and Canal that sells 2×4′ sheets for $6. Broken spokes suck.
Picture by kmbalcos
To those in the yankee city (in which I’ll be for the weekend), you better watch out. Newcomers are … coming, and may possibly be equiped with some fine sticks in hand.
Also, i’ve got dozens of these swirlies all over my workspace now (which consists of a cardboard table supported by a window frame and two mallets that didn’t work out)
Filed under: Mallets/Wheelcovers
One lucky Sarasotan is bout to wreck the local competition with a mallet from the legit factory.
Yes. Sarasota Florida. They play polo there. Better watch out.
I’ve built enough mallets to supply a small army. The entire build process is shown in the ‘legit style’ video on the HOWTOMAKEIT page. Minneapolis folks, if you’d like one, please contact me soon as I’ll be leaving shortly. They’ll arrive at the NACCC on Saturday or Sunday as my parents stop by the action (we’re road tripping from MPLS to Boston with a polo layover in Chicago), so please contact me if you’d like one. They run for $10, the same price I paid for the first and only mallet I ever bought.
I’ve been experimenting with handles as of late, and in addition to the standard handlebar tape and hockey tape wraps, I think an innertube layered handle looks promising. I stretched a tube over the handle, then wrapped over it with more innertube (as one would wrap bar tape), and then (barely managed to) stretched another innertube over that. The rubber is nice’n grippy and there’s no chance of any unravelling since there’s such a tight sleeve over the whole thing. Dang comfortable.
Also if ski poles are scarce in your area, experiment with other materials! Broom sticks usually turn out well, and if you never ever want your mallet to break or even get scratched, make it out of a graphite hockey stick. Keep your eyes peeled on garbage day and good luck on getting a tight fitting head onto these non-ski pole shafts.
