In a freshly paved cul-de-sac in a rundown Central Durham neighborhood, a new sport was played last weekend for possibly the first time in that area's history: bike polo.

Six young men battled out one heck of a game as two teams played the first to five points. Like its equestrian cousin, bike polo is like hockey in terms of scoring. But this version replaces the horse with a bike.

There were many casualties that added cuts to already scarred legs, and a few onlookers had to leap to safety from their front-row seats along the curb.

This event was a part of Sunday afternoon's opening of the Durham Bike Co-op at 723 N. Mangum St., in the historic Little Five Points intersection. The group is renting space from the newly established Bull City Headquarters and is sponsored by SURGE, or Students United for a Responsible Global Environment.

The DBC is a collective bicycle workspace where those already into cycling can meet other cyclists and talk shop, and those interested in becoming more involved can learn about the bike scene in Durham. It is open on Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m., and membership dues are based on a sliding scale.

No bike? No worries -- the co-op has made available dozens of bicycles it received from the Carrboro ReCYCLEry. If you are willing to work with one of the volunteers on repairs, you can keep it.

"We'll help people put in time to fix them up," said Alison Carpenter, who worked for the city as the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, but who now works for SURGE. She co-founded the DBC. "It's theirs if they're interested."

Carpenter said they chose to open the co-op in Little Five Points because of its affordability, and also because the neighborhood provides a good place to breathe more life into the city.

Supporters were excited that Durham now has a group that will bring more attention to the benefits of biking for individuals and the community.

"Often times it makes more sense to bike," said Colin Booy, a graduate student at Duke University and co-founder of the DBC. He sees things he wouldn't have explored if he drove, saves money, and is able to socialize through his passion. "It's mentally pleasurable, it's very fun."

David Zielinski, who doesn't even own a car, said, "Bikes are a little bit tricky but are a thousand times simpler than a car" in terms of maintenance.

Adrian Hands, who is coping with diabetes, biked to Durham from Raleigh Sunday morning -- all 27 miles. "It keeps my blood sugar and blood pressure under control," he said.

The group hopes to promote biking as a way of life in the Bull City, an area that is bike friendly in many ways, such as the relatively even grade of the land and a growing downtown area. However, there is much to be done to convince residents that cycling through town is worth it.

Phillip Barron, another co-founder who rides 10 miles to work each day, said of Durham: "We need more bike lanes on the road. We need better roads."

The Durham County Commissioners adopted the Durham Comprehensive Bicycle Transportation Plan in November 2006 as a means of improving the city's biking accommodations.

At the time the plan was adopted, less than one percent of the county's roadways were considered part of the bicycle network. The plan calls for an increase of that to 34 percent, or 852 miles of bike-friendly roadway.

That means widening roads, paving shoulders and updating signage.

Dale McKeel, the city's bicycle and pedestrian planner, was both an attendant and beneficiary of the Sunday opening. He blew the front tire and tube of his bike, and had ridden all the way to Little Five Points from Hope Valley. They were able to patch up his tire, and he rode home safely that afternoon.