Loaning/Borrowing people's equipment.

I am sure that there about 5 people reading this thread right now that would happily take your money and supply you with a polo bike, but honestly, it's not hard to build a bike, and given that you are likely to trash a polo bike several times over in the course of a season, you might as well learn some basic maintenance skills, or you will find yourself spending a small fortune on repairs.

Absolutely, I'm sure it's not hard to learn, and I appreciate once I have learnt it then it will be much better for me in general anyway (as apart from anything else I won't have to go to the bike shop any time something seriously fucks up on my bike).

But the reason I would buy a OTP polo bike, if such a thing existed, or one made by someone else, is because 1) my interest is in playing polo, not how to build bikes 2) because while it has to be right for me, at the moment I don't have the knowledge to be able to know what I need for polo. While some might say "you can play polo on any bike" and I'm sure you can, I'm sure there are better or worse bikes to play on, in terms of geometry, sizing, strength and these are the sort of questions you lot are much more likely to be able to answer than I am, which is why I was asking your advice.

Now as I don't have the option to buy one OTP, I have to learn how to build one, and that's not a bad thing, but I will have some questions, already rik has been very kind to help me with quite a few of those.

What's up with deleting peoples posts?? That shit is seriously not on, especially when it's someone we know!

Seriously, gone too far now.

It was me, i deleted vidal's repeated 'chukker' posts in many thread, can't remember how many, more than 2, less than 5.

he has his chance to make his point about the use of the word 'chukker' in the league thread, and it should stay in there.

he has his chance to make his point about the use of the word 'chukker' in the league thread, and it should stay in there.

Had his chance(s), more like! ;-)

exactly. some of you may want to accuse me of being on a power trip, but no, i know vidal can argue his case well (even though i disagree strongly with him), and want him to do so in the league thread. sinking to the immature level of posting the word in lots of threads, in my opinion, is pointless and achieves nothing.

Gabes, was it one of the new players who borrowed your bike without asking?

I'm reading your OP as this not being the case, but want to clarify. There were 14 new players there and we said they could borrow a bike - i think those of us who were co-ordinating it generally asked on their behalf, so i wouldn't want them to feel like they did something wrong.

it was a new player, but saturday wasn't their first day at polo, all the saturday newbies asked, every time. my problem is with new players coming back day after day and asking to use my bike/mallet. For a couple of days its ok, but beyond that, like Em said, the wear and tear and potential damage costs money.

Polo bikes are our number 1 bikes.
Lending your bike with the possibility of somebody damaging it is a tough call. I want new people to play but think it's now fair enough to ask them to come along on an old bike or something they don't mind bashing up a bit.
I continue to lend my bike out and sit there in hope of it not getting ridden into the wall.
Saturday saw Brians wheel take a hammering and lots of head on wall incidents.

If we could build a few very cheap beaters especially for beginners days that'd be great.
Though we'd need to find storage and have someone bring them to the court...

I never borrow a bike when first when to polo, i use my normal bike with street gear, I was slow.
with time I like the game and change my normal bike, to be my polo bike, even is that mean to communte witha polo gear, that is a cheap price for play polo.
just my experience

FWIW, it would be easy for me to store 2 bikes in my block, and it wouldn't be too difficult to bring them to Downham.

It may be a bit late to sort it out it now - but we should definitely think about it for next year.

Hopefully, all of the people who had a go on Saturday will be back with bikes and mallets. The guy Venn (best newb of the day) was totally addicted after 1 game, and I reckon he'll become a regular.

I have a lead on some bikes that may get donated to the LHBPA. I will return with more info when I get it. Chukker.

I love the ignore function.

It's a difficult one to call, my bike gets loaned out a lot as it's a freewheel

some people ride it like they own it, other people ride it like they stole it… but prav loaned me his bike for a fair few games at the start.

Deffo want people to feel they can just rock up at WeLo and get stuck in and if loaning my bike is part of that then groovy but I do wince when I see another wheel buckled due to disregard for equipment rather than user error

I have no problem lending out my bike or mallet under any circumstances (except when I'm using it). You bend it, you mend it. That's all.

John broke a bamboo mallet and was super apologetic. He went off to the garden shop and bought some bamboo to make another one at the court! You bend it, you mend it indeed.

Awesomeness.

Exactly mike, I have no problem at all with people asking, replacing, respecting.

I hate lending my bike because i sit there worrying that something will happen to it.
I try and be cool with it but it always makes me uncomfortable
and yeah like Riiik says I built a bike for polo after my first day playing
it was a beater but my current one is not i sold a few weeks of my life to pay for it
and that was so I could destroy it on the court and no one else.

I guess what I am trying to say is I feel your pain Gabes
we all feel like cunts for saying no but sometimes it has to be done.

it is Rik

no, it's Riiik!

Vidal your making me chukkle.

I never borrow a bike when first when to polo, i use my normal bike with street gear, I was slow.
with time I like the game and change my normal bike, to be my polo bike, even is that mean to communte witha polo gear, that is a cheap price for play polo.
just my experience

+1 same here buddy!
I even remember you switching my brake over to the left hand side for me, good times :)

:)

I only used Gabes bike when I started.

that's why i hate you so much.