Why don't you play polo?

post-millennial ennui+malaise combo

I know to the SEs it seemed like they didn't want to talk to you lot, but they had no idea who you guys were, that you were from the forum, they thought you were just some randoms asking them to sit at your table.

It's kinda sad, that we don't really know each other.
I haven't been on the forum for long, but I have met hordes of people so far. 2/3 of my phone book is filled with forum names, which says a lot.
Yet many polo players still don't know who are we?

We need to do something about it PRONTO! We need some sort of social linkage event or swap charge d'affairs or something.

Serious question: where did the no polo no talk thing come from? I don't actually know the back story.

It probably doesn't help!

Before my time, but im told it evolved partly to stop people walking into Polo threads and telling players how to set up their bikes/giving opinions on rules etc. when they had no frame of reference, and then became a bit of a self deprecating in-joke (which, like everything polo, some people take far too seriously)

latent homosexuality

lack of white wimmin

Grow up.

Grow up.

Wtf is your problem, spanky?

I think it might useful if the regular polo peeps stayed off this thread for a couple of days, instead of diving and defending themselves & their mates.

Kev's trying to find out why non-polo people don't play. The polo scene being a 'scene' may be part of the reason, whether we like it or not.

It would also be nice if the non-polo people refrained from outright abuse, though.

Ignoring all equipment which is a doddle to find, for me it's the commitment on time that I feel it would take. I have so little free time and know that for a long time I will be shit, and that to not be shit will take practise, but I don't know where I will find time to practise as I'm over-committed to doing so much other stuff already.

Then secondary reasons kick in: If I concede time is hard to find and I will seldom play, then the equipment seems to be a burden... not just buying it (it's cheap), but for me living in a small flat it's the storing of it. I really have no space as it is for anything.

So I would need a drop-in newbies throw-in polo, conveniently located (West or West-End), and with equipment to borrow when I got there. Hell, I'd even pay a contribution to the maintaining and storage of said equipment.

Then I'd need that to be available on a predictable schedule and at the same place, in a way that even if I couldn't make it for a week or two, I know it didn't vanish before I tried again.

So time is the biggest reason, but other reasons cascade from that. I do want to play, and don't mind being utterly shit, finding time is just very hard when I already feel like I'm not on my main bike enough (commuting to Reading a couple of times per week leaves me subject to Boris Bikes).

We need to do something about it PRONTO! We need some sort of social linkage event or swap charge d'affairs or something.

Yeah, hear that. Hopefully a big polo crew will be coming on the East ride.

Hopefully they're not surprised there will be other people who ride fixed gear bikes.

Watched it a few times, makes me chuckle but not that desperate to join in tbh. Found that the poloists I've met are just as friendly/cunty as everyone else on the forum is on any given day.
Don't do mad barspins or race either. Different strokes an all that.
Good luck with the new newbie sessions, it would appear there's no end of polo players compared to a couple of years ago so no doubt it'll go from strength to strength regardless.

Boris Bikes polo... Sounds good.

Hopefully they're not surprised there will be other people who ride fixed gear bikes.

Ironically, most London polo bikes are now free-wheel!

Anyway, trying to bow out of this thread... fail.

Ironically, most London polo bikes are now free-wheel!

But you don't really use them to get around, do you?

I'm still giggling when I think about Eggpie taking train home from Earls Court when on polo bike.

Can you all come on your polo bikes for the east ride? That would be aces.

Can you all come on your polo bikes for the east ride? That would be aces.

I might. Most of us did Eilidh's ride on our polo bikes.

I hung out with the polo crowd a couple of years ago and found them to be a good bunch.They let me use their bikes and malets whenever I needed to and I got the feeling they wanted me to learn the game and get involved.It's probably true that I spent more time drinking beer and spectating than playing but there was a fun and friendly atmosphere at the courts which was absolutely ruined whenever Buffalo Bill turned up.

but there was a fun and friendly atmosphere at the courts which was absolutely ruined whenever Buffalo Bill turned up.

Not my fault that I effortlessly usurped your place as the oldest man in polo.

I'd love to be the oldest man, but teenslain is four years older than me.

he doesn't play polo though ;-)

He haz polo bike.

I dont consider it cliquey - in that anyone can walk right into it and get involved, its not a closed group. Polo people definitely do go to other events (e.g. film fest at Barbican). One of the polo crew (gormley) came third or fourth at rollapalooza in LMNH.

You took our Gormley!! We want him back

When I arrived over here first I went to several non-polo events like the group rides around town.
Admittedly I gave up on them for a couple of reasons - first of all several people riding brakeless were doing it really dangerously in a group, fishtailing to stop the bike but with people on either side of them.

Interesting point. Personally this phenomenon is more devisive than any percieved polo cliques. I WILL NOT do the bridges ride because of this. I guess my work has made me a somewhat santimonious dick. Face it. This place has long since paced that critical mass. The best rides are spread sotto voce.

An NO Chris We don't like your types; we're all about panniers and signals. Sorry.

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Festus, can cycle trainers become cliquey? Or CTUK Massive and BikeWorks Man Dem?
I want to belong.

polo lol

pololollol

to answer the OP and to quote king cornelius "i don't like going slowly and I don't like falling off".

*aside - for someone who doesn't like falling off, he does enough of it doesn't he? maybe he should slow down?

I guess my work has made me a somewhat santimonious dick.

It was the sanctimony that first attracted me to the job. I'm hoping eventually to find work where I can be paid to be sarcastic too.

I'd certainly like to give it a go but haven't got the equipment and I don't think my bike is upto it?

I'm down New Cross. I saw a few cats with their mallets cycling away from Burgess park a while back, you got a spot down there you use? What times you meet?

Love to come down and see what it's all about.

Cheers m'dears :D