Gear

Tired of using loaners at newbie night? Let's get geared up!

Mallets

• People in the Slack may have old spare mallets to donate to newbies
• Mallet parts and a mallet guide can be bought on Heckler's Alley
• They're selling a complete Donata mallet setup for $45
• Our local polo shop Whisper Wheelworks also stocks Donata parts
• Mallets consist of a head, a shaft, and some part to connect the two
• Shafts are either aluminum or carbon fiber
• Aluminum are heavier and can bend but usually won't break
• Carbon is lighter but is much more likely to snap
• Depending on which shaft you get, you'll need a different part to connect the head and shaft
• For example, the Donata shafts and some (but not all) other aluminum shafts use this connect
• Carbon mallets are skinny and have a completely different mounting device
• Milk mallets don't use a connector at all, but they need a compatible head
• There are many different shapes of heads
• If you don't know which to get, try a Donata like the Tutori or Bellela
• Mallet heads do wear out, which is annoying because they are 30 bucks each
• Rotate your head every few months to get the most life out of it!
• How to assemble a mallet:
• Use a pipe cutter to cut the shaft down to your preferred length
• Make a grip out of hockey tape (or buy a grip)
• Put a plug on the bottom of the mallet to protect people from the sharp edge of the shaft
• No plug? Just tape a coin over the end

Gloves

• The most common choice are lacrosse gloves
• New lacrosse gloves are expensive, so buy used ones
• Look on ebay, marketplace, or other sporting goods sites. They should be around $40 plus shipping
• Common brands are Brine, Maverik, Warrior, and STX
• Check a sizing guide to see if you need 10", 12", or 13"
• Another option is the $30 Mechanix Impact Resistant gloves from AutoZone
• Available in the autozone store near the courts
• Not as much finger protection as the lacrosse gloves

Balls

• We have dozens of balls available in the shed on the courts
• No need to buy your own, just ask on slack! We often do group orders
• The balls are color coated, because they are suited to certain temperatures.
• In hot weather, the cold weather balls are too soft
• In cold weather, the warm weather balls are too brittle (and will break)

Ball	Hot	Cool	Cold
Color	Orange	Pink	Yellow
Temp Rating (F)	60	50-70	<50

The Polo Bike

• Single speed track bike
• Steel or aluminum frame
• No derailleur, back wheel slides horizontally into frame to tension chain
• Flat handlebars (so bikes don't get tangled up)
• Polo bikes are not fixies. Contrary to popular belief, modern polo bikes all have freewheels
• The back wheel is close to bottom bracket
• Closer wheels makes the bike more agile
• Smaller bottom bracket gap is better for blocking shots
• Front brake only
• Strong wheels that can take an impact (32 or more spokes, double walled rims)
• 700c or 26" wheels
• 26" is smaller, lighter, and more maneuverable
• 700c is better for blocking shots and for tall people
• There's also 650b if you want a compromise between the two

Frame

The cheapest option is to ask around for a used frame on our slack channel or on FB marketplace. You can probably find something usable for ~$100.

If you'd rather buy something purpose-built for polo, the Enforcer frame is the most popular choice.

• Runs at $300 for new aluminum frame from Portland
• Steel or Aluminum options
• Comes with a fork
• Popular even at the highest levels of play

Wheels

• Strong wheels (>=32 spokes, double walled rims)
• Cheap wheels are fine to start with, but will probably get bent/taco'd
• (Optional) Wheel covers
• Prevents ball from going between spokes when playin as goalie
• Also can prevent spokes from breaking

Brakes

• Having a strong front brake is crucial to playing polo
• No need for rear brakes on a polo bike
• Hydraulic disc brakes are the best option
• Rim brakes are fine to start
• but does not provide enough stopping power
• more brake power for wet weather
• and for certain tricks
• If you have a disc brake, you need a rotor guard
• Protects the disc from impact, and protects other people from the sharp disc
• Many people make their own and there are many unique designs
• You can find rotor guards for sale on Heckler's Alley

Pedals

• Flat pedals to start
• Plastic pedals because metal might cause injury to yourself
• Eventually you can try playing clipped in
• Time Atac are considered the best for polo
• But many people play with SPD or Crankbrothers pedals too

Gear Ratio

• Single speeds with gear ratios of 1.5 to 1.8
• So the gear on back wheel would have around 15 teeth
• multiply that by 1.5 to 1.8 to get front chainring size
• so then the front chain ring will be around 22-27 teeth
• Smaller gears will make your bike a little lighter too