dalava

Golf, according to Money: Cycling is the new golf for entrepreneurs - Apr. 29, 2014

RPK79

Golf, according to The Economist: Cycling is the new golf - Apr. 26, 2013

NY Times also ran a similar article back in April of 2005. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/fa...anted=all&_r=0

dralways

Simply awesome.

So the more I ride, the more successful I become and the more successful I become, the less fat I become right? I think that's the right order...

Leinster

Overweight, middle-aged people obsessively spending too much of their disposable (and some indisposable) income and time on toys made of exotic space age materials.

I'll buy it.

StanSeven

Did you read the article?

caloso

Ugh. The last thing I want to talk about on a ride is work.

Leinster

Well now that I have, I haven't seen anything to contradict my original statement.

THSdrummer

Black.

RJM

This is another reason for me to avoid group rides.

Ridelots24

inspclouseau

Seriously. F that.

bbbean 

Careful, your prejudices are showing.

Leinster

Dammit, they promised me the black shorts would hide those.

Weatherby

Encouraging. Cyclists are far more pretentious and elitist than golfers.

The premise of the article faulty. Any golfer can play and successfully compete against one another. I'm a plus 2 Hcp and any hacker can have a game with me. On the road, I am a hacker and I have no way to do a training ride with a Cat 2 let alone a Cat 1. Take it down about 10 levels to the snotty B level club rides and think about how the welcome a beginning cyclist would receive showing up in gym shorts and sneakers, unless of course it was Freddy Hoffman and the poseurs couldn't hold his wheel.

Cycling is not the next golf.

No comparison on so many levels.

Leinster

All of this. A single handicapper and a 32 handicapper go out for 9 holes and they'll both finish at the same time. If a cat 1 and a social rider finish a 25 miler at the same time, one, other or both of them haven't enjoyed themselves.

Garfield Cat

Cycling is older than the game of golf?? Is that new?

StanSeven

Your analogy doesn't register for me. Can a hacker play on a major PGA Tour?

The article isn't about competing on a professional or high level. It's about getting people to show up for a two hour ride and maybe network. I don't see anywhere where it says a beginning competes in a race with a Cat 1 or 2.

Deal4Fuji

I can pretty much assure you neither the single handicapper or the 32 enjoyed themselves.

Dave Cutter

I like to joke that: With us retired seniors... cycling has replaced bowling in popularity. And it some ways... I think my humor may be mathematically correct.

Golf continues to be a great way to waste away a beautiful morning or afternoon. And for mature people golf is a workout. X-Gens play golf too! Just not with the same general passion and commitment [or in the same numbers] as their parents. However the popularity of golf with Millennials (AKA the Millennial Generation) is near null, and when boomers die off golf may have to reinvent itself to compete with other sports. But right now, this year, this season golf remains popular and with a loyal following.

But bowling seems to have fallen victim to public smoking and drinking laws... as well as health concerns. Publicly drinking beer, eating hot dogs and smoking cigars was a lot of fun at one time. But people... particularly health minded older people have a desire for a more aerobic activity. Even spin classes are popular. But add the fresh air and wind in the face of a real bicycle ride... and that is pure pleasure.

The stats I've seen... shows cycling has actually dropped in numbers in the last couple of years. And the LBS's around here seem to attest to that. But it isn't that way everywhere. I think once the economy picks up again... so will cycling's sales.

Urymoto

yes it is. It is because i work in the finance industry and ive seen it. All bankers and traders wanna do is cycle. Its for sure the new golf.
entire trading desks are hired based on wether or not guys cycle (slight exaggeration, but true)

the context here is that its the economist, so it applies to business

therhodeo

If gas keeps going up we may see more cyclist again. Thats how the boom a few years ago happened. Not only that but a large portion of the US population is reaching a certain age which brings both more free time and possibly health concerns. Alot of those people will just find a pill to take but a small portion will find something like cycling.

heffdiddy

I used to play a lot of golf (over 100 rounds a year). A lot of client golf. But now you can't get anyone out for 4-6 hours. It is almost impossible to get people out of the office in the middle of the day for that long.

I only play golf a handful of times a year now. Anytime I am on the course now, I am wishing I was riding. Plus I can spend two hours riding and have a good ride and time outside, compared to the 4-6 hours it takes to play golf. Anyone who is better than average at golf and says playing with a 32 handicap is fun is just flat lying.

RPK79

If the course is empty you can get in a round of golf in about an hour. Back in my college days I used to get out of school at noon and play 3 or 4 rounds of golf.

StanSeven

Putt-putt doesn't count

modelmartin

There goes the neighborhood!