What's going on in the Poloverse

^^^ track standing was always the one thing I wish I could do when I started polo...

like turning left and pushing gears 3 times too high for polo?

You won't be taking the piss when they're dicking you on court...

Playing fixed and being able to track stand was a definite headstart.

I was probably incapable of embarrassing anyone but myself on court until I got a bike with suitable geometry. Now that we have some competition in the marked for budget polo bikes this can happen a lot sooner.

I imagine riding in a group at fucking fast speeds does a lot for your bike skills, confidence, willingness to take/give contact... And probably other things.

My preferred disciplines on track were Keirin and Madison, so I support that correlation. Keirin definitely prepared me well for polo as a [regulated-]contact sport and gave me something to contribute to a team whilst I developed my ball control.

As polo is quite an erratic activity in terms of exertion, short- to mid- distance track racers, BMXers and 4-cross MTB racers are all well-suited to polo.

People can learn bike handling, but knowing the right place to be on court and using that to your advantage takes a certain type of brain.

Drop some flyers off with football teams I say.

I disagree, footballers we've had trying polo have been pretty good at riding into space and pausing with the ball to plan ahead, but the aptitude for tracking 3 -5 other players simultaneously and predicting their responses to your next move (considering the limits of bike handling)... That's probably go more in common with Ice-Hockey.

I'm home working so I've been reading all this and feeling heartened by the strong commitment coming through that it's about community first and foremost. Makes me want to play again for the first time in a year.

Just as a general thing, if you want people to stick around. Be nice. Drink more. Be nice again. And stop talking about bikes.

The community is what will sway someone towards polo who has another form of competitive cycling to go back to, but I'd suggest that most of us already have non-bike drinking buddies and polo is ticking the "activity" box, not primarily the "drinking" box.
Polo scenes provide 4 key things:

1. Having fun on bikes with other people
   
2. Drinking
   
3. Loads of bike-fixing expertise and tools available
   
4. Drinking.
   
   
   

In looking forward to seeing what happens, I know a few of them are looking forward to playing this summer...

Awesome.