NEWS/REC REC PATR IC K S W EENEY
HOI POLO-OI Not a pain in the ass: the Carbon Comfort seat.
BETTER BIKING THROUGH SCIENCE It’s as easy as riding a bike. Sure until you’ve been sitting on that bike for a couple of hours and you’re becoming painfully aware of your bike seat—pain being the operative word. Suddenly what seemed like a utilitarian part of your bike has become a streamlined torture device, causing pain in places you didn’t know could hurt and creating irritation that has you wondering about the likelihood of walking for the next week. It was that sort of pain that led avid bike rider Jeri Rutherford to build a better bike seat, one that wouldn’t leave riders hobbling. So the Carbon Comfort bike seat was born—an invention that has the Treasure Valley resident turning into an international businesswoman. The Carbon Comfort seat was years in the making as Rutherford explored the true causes of bike-seat pain, as well as played with materials that would provide both flexibility and strength. The end result uses ultra-light carbon fiber, which allows the seat to bend and flex with the rider. Deep cutouts on the side mean less friction and range of motions, while the wider back of the seat has added support for pressure points. Additionally, the design creates a type of shock absorber, mellowing out the most jarring bumps. Rutherford’s website even includes medical scans showing improved blood flow in riders’, um, seats, compared to a standard bike seat—especially for men’s “soft tissue.” Rutherford turned to a manufacturer overseas to construct the Carbon Comfort seat, but she’s the driving force behind the sales effort. She’s working on signing up distributors across the globe, while handling online orders from across the country and around the world. Curious bikers in the Treasure Valley don’t have to depend on a website to check out the seat, though. The Carbon Comfort seat is available at McU’s Sports in Boise, and retails for $85. For more info on the new seat, visit rideouttech.com. Boise State graduate student Benjamin Stein is also curious about how the human body reacts while on a bike. Stein is working on a research study looking at the difference in kinematics and muscle activation while riding on a flat road compared to heading through the hills. He is in the process of recruiting volunteers to help with his thesis study and is looking for any healthy 18- to 55-year-old cyclist willing to peddle for academics. The total time involved is less than two hours. For more specifics on the study, contact Stein at 208-914-4917 or benjaminstein@u. boisestate.edu. —Deanna Darr
32 | MAY 11-17, 2011 | BOISEweekly
Boise Bike Polo is an equal opportunity sport JOSH GROSS Polo may be the sport of kings but bike polo—not so much. The dozen or so bearded and tattooed young men who welcomed me enthusiastically to their regular pickup game at the Civic Plaza apartment complex were closer to those Tyler Durden described in Fight Club: “We cook your meals, we haul your trash, we connect your calls, we drive your ambulances.” In fact, the sport is somewhat anarchic as a whole. There’s a league—sort of. And rules—sort of. But the Boise players have only a marginal interest in either. Especially not the one that says left-handed players You don’t need a crown to play bike polo ... but you do need a helmet. aren’t allowed. In between rounds, the players lob cans tournaments this year. If we do that, then Players zip around piloting a rubber ball of Pabst back and forth to one another and they’ll be more interested.” coarsely holler at anyone who dares to bicycle with a bike polo mallet—a piece of PVC With a bevy of prizes donated from local pipe bolted to the end of a ski pole—as skilldown Front Street that they should forget bike shops and Boise Bicycle Project, Schisel fully as hockey players control the “puck,” wherever they’re headed and join the game. is hoping the tournament will bring in compassing and tossing it back and forth beNone did. But local players are hoping to change that. tween the wheels, and shooting past a goalie petitors not just locally but from Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, Denver and maybe at 15 mph but not always looking where John Schisel, creator of the Boise Bike even northern California. they’re going. One player rode straight into Polo Facebook group and the closest thing “I’d love for more but a dozen would the curb at full speed to make a save, flying to a leader the group has, felt previous make me happy,” said Schisel. “That would like Superman over his handlebars into a efforts to establish a bike polo league were be excellent.” double somersault on the grass. too exclusive. The biggest challenge Boise Bike Polo “Four years of gymnastics,” he shouted “A big thing for me is getting new people faces is finding a suitable location, both for as he jumped back to his feet. He said it to show up,” said Schisel. again after a similar tumble several minutes the tournament and for future regular games. To do so, Schisel wants to put a face “We really need to find another place later but not as gleefully. on the sport locally through outreach and similar to what we have,” said Schisel. Besides raising the citywide visibility for higher-profile events. The biggest of those “This is a regular event, so we need to have their sport—something important not just will be the region’s first tournament, set for a spot that won’t be reserved.” to get new June 17-19. Schisel said it’s also important for the players but It will be spot to be centrally located. The team has also to help an open, or the team find tried to scrimmage at the Eagle Velodrome “throw-in,” but players had difficulty making it there. a new spot enrollment, as For the tournament, the team is looking to play once part of the inthe construc- into the Boise Armory and several other locaaugural Pedal tions, but Schisel said any municipal property tion for For the People Whole Foods will require insurance and many also require bike festival. rental fees the team doesn’t yet have. claims the Anyone can “The face of Boise Bike Polo isn’t big concrete slab sign up, and enough to get sponsors to write a check they curteams will yet,” he said. rently play form on the But the key word there for Schisel on—they’re spot for each is “yet.” hoping the round. Points This tournament could be the thing that tournament a player turns all that around. will boost scores travel And though Schisel feels the tournament Boise Bike with them For more information, visit boisebikepolo.com. will be good for the attention it brings Polo’s status through the to Boise Bike Polo and the local cycling enough that tournament to community as a whole, that’s not his only the League determine the motivation. of Bike Polo, the website listing teams and overall winner. “I’m mostly excited to see how we places to play worldwide that functions as Another difference Schisel introduced do when we get an influx of new players,” a de facto governing body, will decide to from earlier Boise Bike Polo gatherings is place the Northwest regional championship he said. that the game has moved from the grass of Andrew Little, another player, agrees. in Boise next year. Camel’s Back Park to a large concrete slab “There’s a lot of good strategy, and I’d like “It’s a lot more central location than located in front of the Civic Plaza Apartto see how we match up against other teams having it in Seattle or Portland, Ore.,” said ments on Front Street. On a hard court, the in the region,” he said. Schisel. “They want us to host a couple of game is faster and occasionally dangerous. WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M