All photographs by Phil Hill

GOALHOLE would like to thank Phil for letting us use his photos.

You can see more of Phil’s bike polo photos here

Flying Machine Bicycle Studio and Perth Cycle Polo (PCP) hosted a unique bicycle charity event, Velodrama, at Midvale Speed Dome on Sunday 23 September. The event attracted about 40 cycling enthusiasts including the members of PCP. The event was held for a good cause so all the proceeds went to the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research.

Velodrama was the combination of track racing and bike bolo. Participants of the Event were able to experience the world of track racing and bike polo in the same day at the same location!

Bike polo on the track – Mattie in action!

Bike polo was played at the indoor hockey court which in the middle of track racing track while a track racing lesson was hold on the track. Playing polo surrounded by velodrome created such a unique atmosphere.

Derren waiting to get into the battlefield

The size of the court was 44m X 22m which is much bigger than an ordinary polo court and surface of the court was very dusty (as they have just completed its renovation and did not clean up the dust all around the court yet) which made the floor very slippery to play on but had hard and about 1m high beautiful barriers around the court.

Also, homemade lemonade, hotdogs and muffin were sold for those hungry bicycle lovers.

Yummy food and drinks

It was another great but definitely something different from ordinary Sunday polo sessions.

The day was ended up at the Flying Scotsman (Scotto), the home bar to PCP with $10 pizza and pint.

By Yohei Okamoto

Yohei has his own blog which you can check out here.

Yohei is also taking part in the Ride to Conquer Cancer – help him reach his fundraising goal here.

Owner:  Ned Collins

City:  Perth, Australia

Frame/Fork:  Eighth Inch Scrambler V3 / Modified SE Landing Gear forks

Bars: Squarebuilt (previously nameless 1″ risers)

Seat/Post: Eighth Inch / Brooks

Pedals:  Time ATAC – ROL

Cranks/BB/Chain ring/Sprocket:  Profile

Brakes: Avid Ultimate Single Digit

Wheels: Velocity Chukker 48 spoke

Why did you choose this bike?
It’s a tried and tested polo bike

How long have you played on this bike for? Have you played on anything else?
6 months. (Ned used to play on the blue bike pictured below)

What are the best things about your bike?
The geometry and it’s a tank.

What are the worst things about your bike? What would you change?
It’s not Scotty’s bike.  I want to paint it pink and put tassles on the handlebar ends.

By Mike Critch

Photographs by Mike Critch, Anastasia Andreevna Mityukova and  Violet Verre Photography

Want to see other players bits?  You need to go here

Owner:  Daniel Justice

City:  Perth, Australia

Frame/Fork:  Tommaso

Bars:  Squarebuilt

Seat/Post: Bontrager / Bontrager

Pedals: Generic swap meet jobs

Cranks/BB/Chain ring:  FSA vero / Fucken shithouse rocket brand

Sprocket: White Industries 22T

Brakes: Sram apex

Wheels: Front: Ukai with pink Fixiepop / Rear: Nothin rim with Gatorskin

Why did you choose this bike?

It was a swap meet special

How long have you played on this bike for? Have you played on anything else?
Since AHBPC2012 – less than 6 months.  I have also played on an Indi 500 step through a Trek mountain bike and a Specialized Langster (pictured below).

What are the best things about your bike?
It has a puffy name tag

What are the worst things about your bike? What would you change?
Back tyre is not a pink Fixiepop

By Mike Critch

Photographs by Emily Dimozantos and Mike Critch

If you missed checking out Mike Critch’s bits, you can see them here.

Owner:  Mike Critch

City:  Perth, Australia

Frame/Fork:  Redline Monocog 26″

Bars: Titec – Hell Bent

Seat/Post: Cinelli Unicantor, Redline post

Pedals: Redline

Cranks/BB/Chain ring: Redline / Redline / Shimano 30T

Brakes: Diacompe V brakes – Dual Lever

Wheels:  Front – Alex, Rear – Velocity

Why did you choose this bike?
It was the most suitable steed in the stable for polo with cro moly tubing.

How long have you played on this bike for? Have you played on anything else?
All my polo life.

What are the best things about your bike?
Solid, BMX roots, 26 inch. Set up for left hand so no one can borrow it.

What are the worst things about your bike? What would you change?
Stronger rims/wheelset

By Mike Critch

Photographs by Marty Drdy

If you missed checking out Ash Williams’ bits, you can see them here.

Owner:  Ash Williams

City:  Perth, Australia

Frame/Fork:  Eighth Inch Scrambler

Bars: Origin 8

Seat/Post: Charge bullet / random

Pedals: Shimano XTR

Cranks/BB/Chain ring: Origin 8 Bullets / Surly 110 x 34T

Sprocket: White Industries

Brakes: Campag Veloce/10S – Paul lever (dual)

Wheels: Shimano front / Velocity Deep V rear

Why did you choose this bike?
Fuckin’ sick, unique

How long have you played on this bike for? Have you played on anything else?
3 years… I used to play on a fixed gear Raggling.

What are the best things about your bike?
Bar ends.

What are the worst things about your bike? What would you change?
Nothing. There is nothing bad about it, if there was I would change it.

By Mike Critch

Photographs by Violet Verre Photography, Marty Drdy and Mike Critch

If you missed checking out Patti’s bits, you can get a look at them here.

Owner: Derren Hall

City:  Perth, Australia

Frame/Fork: Eighth Inch Scrambler

Bars/Stem: Easton Monkey Bars

Seat/Post: Selle Italia Trans Am / Thomson Laid Back

Pedals: Gusset Wonder Woman

Cranks/BB/Chain ring: White Industries / Shimano / White Industries 30T

Sprocket: White Industries 18T freewheel

Brakes: FSA / Miche

Wheels: Deep V front / 48 Hole Chukka rear

Why did you choose this bike?
It’s steep geometry and value for coins.

How long have you played on this bike for? Have you played on anything else?
3 years…Yes. A bastard.

What are the best things about your bike?
In built bottle opener, cranks make me hard and it’s a great commuter.

What are the worst things about your bike? What would you change?
Pedals that strip Wall’s shins.  It needs a shark with laser beams..

By Mike Critch

Photographs by Violet Verre Photography and Mike Critch

If you missed checking out Craig Johnston’s bits, you can get a look at them here.

We always begin these things saying “what to say about Scottie…?”

He is my twin, plays like a beast and is a great dude. If you didn’t know he and his team were champions of AHBPC12-Perth, holding the trophy over their heads for their home crowd.

Scotties bike choice has alwas facinated me, from his breakless Charge plug with a Mishka Eye disc cover, to a 26 front 700 rear abomination of a polo bike. This bike (piece of sexiness) is the culimantion of months of work and planning. I am stoked to get a good look at it.

If I didn’t have a girlfriend, and the bike wasn’t in Perth I would probably sleep with it… Scottie, your bike is that awesome!

Here is Lookin at Scotties Bits (finally!):

Photo credit: Derren Hall

Owner: Scott D’Mello

City: Perth

Photo credit: Marty Dardy

Frame/Fork: Marino custom!

Headset: odyssey headset.

Photo credit: Marty Dardy

Bars/stem: Volume thrasher trickster bars 1.5″ rise I think… Odyssey v3 stem

Grips/Bar ends: Black Oury grips. No bar ends, should probably get some before I injure someone.

Seat/Post: Sadio pivotal seat with a odyssey convertible pivotal seat post

Pedals: Odyssey twisted pedals to BO gear straps! The best straps ever!

Cranks/BB: Profile 165mm titanium 48 spline, profile titanium, 19mm internal euro bb.

Photo credit: Marty Dardy

Sprocket: 30t Sadio 48 spline.

Brakes: Paul motolite v brakes front and rear. Paul dual pull leaver. Some standard shimano brake cables.

Photo credit: Marty Dardy

Front Wheel/Tyre: Profile titanium 48h hub to 26″ salsa gordo rims with 1.9 26″ continental town and county tyres

Rear Wheel/Tyre: Same as above.. But with a 18t white industries trials freewheel!

Why did you choose this bike? 

I chose this bike, because I was looking for a custom polo bike, and marino was the best I found, and right in my price range. I also love the look of triple triangle frames with the curvy seat posts so I fell in love with it right away. Its my dream bike. Also the frame weighs a fair bit less then my old charge.

Photo credit: Derren Hall

How long have you played on this bike for? Have you played on anything else?
I’ve been playing on this frame for 3 weeks now. and I’m in love with it. it’s perfect. fast, tight, and quick around corners. i used to play on a charge plug, with a leaf fork, and a mixture of parts. the thing was falling apart, wheels buckled, brakes rubbing/ not even working. it was time to retire it and step up.

What are the best things about your bike?
WHERE DO I BEGIN!? straight away the brakes actually stop me. the freewheel engages faster. the turing on it is quicker. its lighter for max bunny hops! the wheels are strong as fuck and actually true. (for now)! oh i could go on and on! but i won’t.

Photo credit: Derren Hall

What are the worst things about your bike? What would you change?
It needs more stickers! And a BO gear top tube pad! and fatter tyres, oh and cleats so i can actually beat ned in the joust -.-

Photo credit: Derren Hall

Who did you get to build the wheels?
Liberty Cycles in Perth built the wheels for me. They were great to deal with, and did an amazing job. They had them finished same day I dropped them off. So I was on the court straight away! Liberty were one of our major sponsors for the 2012 nationals. Great bunch of guys, friendly and helpful. If you are ever in Perth you should drop by and buy some shit!

Photo credit: Marty Dardy and Derren Hall

By Ollie Wykeham

Don’t forget to check out JT – Jeremy Teague’s bits here.

Some members of Perth Cycle Polo recently travelled to the town of Kwinana to teach kids how to play bike polo.  Our guest reporter, Mike Critch, tells us how it went.

Members of Perth Cycle Polo were invited down to the Town of Kwinana’s Youth Space to host a workshop for the April School Holidays. The 4hr workshop introduced the rapidly growing sport of Hardcourt Bicycle Polo to the young attendees, captivating their imaginations and harnessing their natural abilities through a series of on and off-bike skill sessions.  The workshop started off with the basics; ball and mallet control, passing and dribbling and finally shooting at goals and it wasn’t long before the hungry swarm of kids became eager for some actual real polo action. Not to deny their requests, PCP ran through the basics of a polo match from the joust, to tap-ins and the importance of heckling on the sidelines (albeit censored versions for under 12′s).

With their new found ability of everything ball and mallet, the kids got down to business and began dual wield polo: war-hammers in one hand, bike in the other. And they took to this like fish to water. Not satisfied with dribbling a ball between cones and riding, some members of the group grew impatient and started slamming balls into the Goalhole, at their own accord, like it was going out of fashion. To keep the crowd happy, PCP showed the little tackers the game of bottom bracket.  Once we were satisfied that there was a reasonable skill level across all the attendees, it was time to have a proper game.

And what a game it was! I don’t know if it was the remarkable coaching, or the natural ability and dexterity kids have on a bike but they were sure impressive for first timers (better than most of our first times!). They were passing, calling for plays and striking like little ANZAC’s, even slipping a couple past one of the PCP members (we won’t mention any names!!) who was sitting in goals making sure there were no ‘cheese sausage’ moves taking place.  One kid pulled of a spectacular cross Crandall (some things can’t be taught) which made me hopeful that one day Hardcourt Cycle Polo will indeed become an Olympic sport.

So a great day had by all. The workshop was received well by the Town of Kwinana, the kids attending and was a great experience for Perth Cycle Polo members to share their knowledge. Special thanks go out to Kwinana Youth Space officer Arbie Pattiselanno and PCP members Ned Collins and Alex Forgie, who not only coached like champions but leant out their bikes to the kids to get them used to riding actual polo steeds.

by Mike Critch

Perth Cycle Polo