LexRides

catamount · townie Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 163 Location: lex

The June 2008 issue of Outside Magazine has a short piece on bike polo...not worth rushing out to grab They highlight bike polo in NYC and the writer somewhat bashes the sport referring to players as "hipsters" and ending the piece with this...

brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

Six months, huh?

I guess in her research, she failed to catch that bike polo has been around since the late 19th century, and that there are a number of official organizations for the sport. I guess she also has *just now* heard about it, and didn't realize that cities like Portland and Vancouver and Toronto have been pioneering urban bike polo for years.

I hate it when people feel like they have immediately discredit something, or label it as a trend just because of how or where they first heard about it and what their first impressions are of the people who participate.

brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

I think Lexington's story would be an interesting one to tell... all that we've been able to do with Coolavin, or how diverse our regular group of players is. Because of shabby reporting such as this, people probably think bike polo is played only by gaunt, bespectacled baristas or disaffected, crusty bike punks.

mcrib · townie Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 232 Location: 40502

I love kickball
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brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

Outside Magazine has also listed Louisville as #7 on their list of "Top 20 Places to Live" in this month's issue.

Not that Louisville doesn't have its merits, and I'm not one to perpetuate those lame "my city is better than your city" rivalries... but shit, with all the sucky stuff that is going on in our town right now, and all the really bad "lists" Lexington has been making in all of these stupid polls and studies and whatnot... it's just another kick in the balls.

Grrrrrrrrr. That magazine is now on my official shit list.
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Rowbear · townie Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 185 Location: Lex-town

yeah bike polo isn't new, the bannana seat was invented in the 50s or so for use during bike polo but the sport didn't catch on at that time like schwinn thought it would.

I have my doubts about outside magazine because Todd Balf is one of their reporters and he recently published a piece of shit biography on Major Taylor (world champion african american cyclist from the 1890s-1900s). There was a significant amount of factual inaccuracies and hyperbole, just so the book could have broader appeal to the sport enthusiastic masses.
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jkizzle · cutter Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 519 Location: I.L.L.

well, you have to understand their typical audience. they cater to mostly middle age guys who think they are the next "into the wild" star, only this time theyll make it. something that is catching on in urban environments is the last thing they would think is cool. plus i guess its easy for them to make fun of people who live and play in the city.

i like the magazine mostly for its trip ideas for me to fantasize about, but at the same time, a lot of their reviews seem like the review was based off of 10 minutes with the clothing or bike or tent, which is why i suspect they didnt really give polo a chance.

i really need to come play polo sometime.