Tell me about your bikes

You could look at TT riders (or something equally specialised) and compare their emotional responses to the bikes they ride to that of polo players. I have no proof to back this up but I think TT riders could see their bikes as more of a tool/means to an ends than polo players/bmxers/mtbers. When a rider is really throwing the bike around and pushing it to extremes in potentially dangerous situations they need to trust it, it needs to be part of their movements rather than just a vehicle or item of equipment.

It's true, having been in a few racing disciplines and working in the industry, TTers do shine out of the bunch who really don't get attached to their bike, and just want the best thing out that year. Never really forming a bond.

I used to see my polobikes like this. The first 6 or so I had, all in the space of a few months at Beginners, were all from skips and mostly they were just experiments in how cheap I could make a bike whilst I was out of work.

There are two separate lines of thought above, cheap but usable, and expensive but capricious, and I've also observed two lines of thought when poloplayers build their bikes; with cheap easily replaceable parts, and a secondhand frame as they're usually experimenting, and then the school of specific polo design, thought and a polo-proof components set.

I also think this is more of an evolution than an outright decision or style; I feel like I am still finding my way in terms of what geo/type of frame suits me. This dirtbike (Lucas old NS Bitch) is easily my favourite frame, I've used road, track and MTB frames before now, and I feel the head angle of the jump bike has massively improved my turning and flow. Now that I know this, I am looking at spending some serious money on polo for the first time. Before now my bikes have been built from spares* and w. s/h frames. Now I'm happier with a geo, I am tentively looking for something like it but lighter,or spending money on some really nice wheels and brakes for it instead of constantly replacing already-fatigued and cheap parts from old hybrids that come through my workshop :)

*There's an exception with the Dave Quinn I built and had run over, but I stress this was when I hadn't worked out you need a bike for polo and only polo, and I mostly designed it around being a nice commuter for me and the missus to share.