NAHBPC 2012 – Crazy Canucks

I had some time to hang out with the current Bike Polo World Champions, The Crazy Canucks, while down in Milwaukee at the NAHBPC. Rory, Chris, and Alex are a great bunch of guys and I had a good time talking bikes and polo with them. This year is their first year as an EighthInch sponsored team and their first major tournament on Scramblers. So far the bikes are preforming great for them. They are strong, fast, and handle great. We hope the advantages the Scramblers are offering keeps them at the top of their game!

The guys finished the first two days of Swiss rounds with a record of 5-2-2 giving them the 7th seed for Sunday’s bracket. After shutting out The Royals in the first round the Canucks lost 3-2 to the Crusaders of Love. They got another victory in the losers bracket but eventually lost 5-4 to Manthousand to give them a 13th place finish overall. It wasn’t the finish they were looking for but they still played well. Some poorly timed mechanical issues along with a couple bad bounces didn’t help their cause. With the competition among the best I’ve seen at a major tournament there wasn’t much room for error. I’m sure the team will be able to regroup and come back strong as they prepare to defend their in title as World Champions in Geneva next month.

Stay tuned for more NAHBPC coverage featuring EighthInch teams and riders next week.

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NAHBPC 2012 – Portland United

I got the chance to spend last weekend down in Milwaukee at the NAHBPC. It was great to hang out and have some laughs with the people you normally only talk to through email. The heat was sweltering but there was more than enough water and beer to keep everyone hydrated.

One of the teams I  spent some time with was Portland United. Eric, Jason, and Arlyn have been playing together on Portland United for two years now and it definitely shows when you watch them play.  Their chemistry is great and they all play to their individual strengths. This is their first year together as part of the EighthInch team and they couldn’t be happier to be riding our Scramblers. Eric told me it’s the best polo bike he’s ever owned. The compact geometry makes it easy to maneuver in tight places and the handling is excellent. The splined crank and sprocket is stiff and responsive making it easy to accelerate and get across the court.

The team finished Saturday with a record of 6-2-1 to put them in the 6th seed going into Sunday’s tournament round. After advancing pretty far in tournament play Portland was eventually knocked out by the Guardians and took home 4th place. It was a nice improvement over last years 9th place finish and it puts them in a great spot going into the World Championship in Geneva next month.

Stay tuned for more NAHBPC coverage featuring EighthInch teams and riders next week.

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Photo Friday – Portland Edition

Our friends from Portland United sent us some photos from the Cascadia Regional Qualifier a few weeks back. The guys took home a solid third place finish and got their new Scramblers dialed in for the NAHBC next weekend. Best of luck in Milwaukee guys, see you in a week!

NEW EighthInch CNC Splined Sprockets

Along with our Butcher frames we also got in our long awaited solid steel sprockets. These new sprockets are CNC machined out of solid steel to eliminate the need for an insert and they will fit any 19mm 48 spline spindle. The tooth sizes available are 25, 28, 33, 36, and 39t.

Kris has been riding his for about six months now and showing almost no signs of wear. Check out his full review here. These are a great choice if you want a strong sprocket for your fixed freestyle bike or need to get that low ratio you’ve been looking for on your polo bike. To see more details or to pick one up stop by your local EighthInch dealer or get them online at WS-Outlet.com.

Butcher V2 Frames Now In Stock!

The long wait is over, we finally got in our V2 Butcher frames this past weekend. Pre-orders will be shipping out today and all new orders will follow shortly. To reward you for your wait we are giving away free Butcher T-shirts with every frame purchase. Just put your shirt size in the “order notes” field when placing your order.  You can find them for sale on WS-Outlet.

Kris has been putting his through the ringer for almost a year now and he has nothing but great things to say about it. From bike polo to freestyle to the daily grind of a messenger it’s been put in every situation and preformed great. Upgrades for the V2 Butcher include a stronger toptube, stiffer rear triangle, and 14mm dropouts (10mm adapters included). For more info check out the full specs below.

• 50, 53, 56, or 59cm
• Raw or Root Beer Finish
• Straight guage 4130 Chromo Steel
• 45/45 Integrated Headset
• 14mm Dropouts (10mm adapters included)
• Mid Bottom Bracket
• Removable 990 Brake Mounts
• Removable Rear Cable Mount
• 700×50c Tire Clearance
• Bar Spin Clearance In All Sizes
• Includes Mid-BB, Seatpost, Seatclamp, and Headset

Click hear to see them in our store

New Splined Sprocket Review

Kris has been riding one of our soon to be released solid splined sprockets for about 6 months now. He posted a short review and as we expected it’s preformed wonderfully. A solid steel ring doesn’t need an insert so there’s absolutely no slipping, the teeth are holding up great, and there is no flex or warping in the ring. Be sure to check out the full review over at Lockedcog. It won’t be long before we have them in stock so everyone can get there hands on one soon.

Portland United Takes 3rd

Last week I got an email from our friends at Portland United. They recently built up some Scramblers with Julian’s, splined cranks, chainrings, and EighthInch riser bars. This past weekend they took their trio of new Scramblers up to the Cascadia Qualifier and took 3rd place. Congrats guys, see you in Milwaukee for the NAHBPC! Check out the full results here.

Lancaster Bike Polo 48h Julian Review

A few days ago Lancaster Bike Polo posted a nice review on our 48h Julian V2 wheelset. I have to admit, it was one of the more entertaining reviews I’ve read lately.  After putting them through match after match the wheels performed great. 48 spokes, triple walled rims, sealed formula hubs, and a $159 price tag, what  more could you ask for out of a polo wheelset? Check out the full review on Lancaster Bike Polo or pick up a pair of Julian’s on WS-Outlet.com.

Bueller Hubs and 14mm Axles Now Available

Our 14mm axles have finally made it in! For those of you who have already ordered Butcher wheelsets your axles are on their way. For all new orders the 14mm axles will be included. With the new axles in were are also able to offer Bueller hubsets for sale. $99 gets you a pair of 36h hubs with 10mm female axles and the 14mm rear axle conversion kit. For those of you needing single hubs you can get just a rear hub for $64.50 or a front for $54.50. Don’t forget we still have 26″ and 700c Bueller wheelsets for only $199.50 and rims for $34.50

Upcoming Polo Tournaments

There are couple of great bike polo tournaments coming up in April. Pedal Junkies are hosting a 3 on 3 bench minor tournament out in Fresno that will have a great turnout. Second on the list is this years Ladies Army tournament in Lexington. If it is anything like last years then it’s sure to be a great time. Check out the flyers and if you are in the area be sure to stop out and show your support.