1. Bikes Direct Lauds Design of Hardcourt Bike Polo
Bikes Direct has watched with excitement the resurgence in popularity of Bike Polo,
specifically in the Hardcourt Bike Polo variation. While traditional Bike Polo is guided
by an overseeing organization, conforming to firm rules, specific equipment and a set
field size, Bikes Direct says that Hardcourt Bike Polo has adopted a DIY-ethos and that
although well-organized, Hardcourt Bike Polo is much less rigid than its older sibling.
Still a relatively new incarnation, Hardcourt Bike Polo originated in Seattle in the early
2000s by a cyclist introduced to traditional Bike Polo, reports Bikes Direct. Without
regular access to turfed areas, Seattle players took to the pavement. Soon Hardcourt Bike
Polo emerged as its own sport, adds Bikes Direct, still bearing traces of its roots in
traditional bike polo but distinct enough to be recognized as its own entity. As Hardcourt
Bike Polo spread to other cities, each city contributed its own unique aspect to the sport.
As such, Bikes Direct points out that Hardcourt Bike Polo represents the diversity of its
players, and Bikes Direct is happy to see that it has been emerging within the fixie
community in its own hometown.
Hardcourt Bike Polo games can be played on any paved surface, from parking lot to
outdoor basketball court to street. Bikes Direct explains that the game consists of two
teams, each with three players. Players use handcrafted mallets, similar in appearance to
croquet mallets. Players hit a plastic ball into the opposing team's goal area, and contact
is not prohibited between players on opposing teams, notes Bikes Direct. Some players
end the game by time, others when one team reaches a pre-determined score.
Many Bikes Direct staffers have been spectators at Hardcourt Bike Polo games and have
noted with interest the many modifications players make to their bikes, typically either
fixed gear or free-wheel single speed. Bikes Direct staffers familiar with the sport
explain that these modifications are made in order to maximize playing potential on the
court. These modifications include changing drop bars to riser bars so that the rider can
maintain a more upright position during game play, shortening the width of the
handlebars so that he or she has room to swing the mallets, and most expressive of all,
creating solid covers for the wheels in order to block the ball. Because the wheels have
such a large surface area, these covers provide a great canvas for players to decorate,
adds Bikes Direct.
There are many blogs dedicated to Hardcourt Bike Polo, says Bikes Direct, and these
blogs often feature photo galleries of players' bikes. Bikes Direct is always excited to see
customers' bikes that have been modified for bike polo play. Both the Mercier Kilo TT
and the Windsor Hour, two of Bikes Direct's best-selling fixed gear bikes, make regular
appearances in these galleries. An interesting development, according to Bikes Direct, is
the increased use of mini velos by Hardcourt Bike Polo players. Bikes Direct is
especially happy to see these bikes being used because they will soon be stocking mini
velos by both Windsor and Mercier.
Long popular in Japan, mini velos have only recently begun making waves here in the

2. United States, reports Bikes Direct. What differentiates mini velos from their standard-
sized counterparts is their 20 inch wheel size, explains Bikes Direct. Due to their small
wheels, mini velos are incredibly nimble and are a natural choice for Hardcourt Bike Polo
players. As talk in the Bikes Direct office has increased around this style of bike, Bikes
Direct staffers have become more and more intrigued by these quirky bikes. Mini velos
have frames very similar in style to regular road bikes, and the Windsor and Mercier
models that Bikes Direct will soon be stocking bear a striking resemble to the companies'
popular fixies, the Windsor Hour and the Mercier Kilo TT. And just as fixie riders love
to customize their bikes with different styles of bars, saddles, colors, and wheels, Bikes
Direct has noticed the same trend amongst mini velo riders. Bikes Direct hopes that mini
velos will reach a wide audience in the United States as they have in Japan. Originally
designed to provide a minimal footprint in a country where space is a premium, Bikes
Direct says that mini velos can provide that same convenience to United States customers
who lack large amounts of storage space.
Bikes Direct hopes that the mini velos they will soon be offering will be as well-received
as the track bikes they carry. Bikes Direct staffers who have had the opportunity to ride
samples of these mini velos have been won over by the speed and agility of these bikes,
and Bikes Direct wants to assert that although mini velos are diminutive in appearance,
they sacrifice nothing in the way of parts and components. Bikes Direct says that these
bikes are meant to be ridden, and are equipped to provide a high quality ride.
Bikes Direct staffers are eager to hear customer feedback on what they think is a really
exciting addition to Bikes Direct's already great line-up of bikes. All contact information
can be found on the Bikes Direct website at http://www.bikesdirect.com/contact.htm.