Is cycling the new golf?

[jrenaut]

That would be fantastic. Replace a useless faux-sport that monopolizes giant swaths of prime real estate with a lifelong fitness activity that actually improves the world. Everyone wins, except golf course owners.

[83b]

This year my company added a group ride to our main conference’s schedule that coincides with the typical golf outing. It was really popular, so now I’m trying to get one added to our tax and accounting nerds event as well. The only tricky bit seems to be planning a decent route in typical conference places like Phoenix and … Orlando. ::shudders::

[Harry Meatmotor]

According to a buddy of mine that’s lived in London for the last couple years, yes, cycling has indeed replaced golf for many young urban professionals and snooty banker/management-folk there. In one office my friend worked at, almost every male employee would ride every summer weekend, usually riding out-and-back overnight trips.

[jrenaut]

@83(b) 96438 wrote:

This year my company added a group ride to our main conference’s schedule that coincides with the typical golf outing. It was really popular, so now I’m trying to get one added to our tax and accounting nerds event as well. The only tricky bit seems to be planning a decent route in typical conference places like Phoenix and … Orlando. ::shudders::

Maybe this will help create demand for conferences in places that don’t suck. Or demand from big hotels (with large lobbying budgets) to build bike infrastructure in urban areas.

[baiskeli]

@jrenaut 96444 wrote:

Maybe this will help create demand for conferences in places that don’t suck. Or demand from big hotels (with large lobbying budgets) to build bike infrastructure in urban areas.

This comment jogged a memory about an idiot politician in a nearby county who doesn’t understand that bikes are business (she won, and is on the board today):

http://fabb-bikes.blogspot.com/2011/07/loudoun-co-supervisor-candidate-suzanne.html

[dasgeh]

@jrenaut 96444 wrote:

Maybe this will help create demand for conferences in places that don’t suck. Or demand from big hotels (with large lobbying budgets) to build bike infrastructure in urban areas.

FWIW, Charlotte’s Convention Center is on the edge of “Uptown” and would be quite conducive to cycling outings, at least for those used to road riding. (In other words, the roads are not completely empty, but drivers are used to cyclists on enough routes that go by the Convention Center that you’d be fine). In fact, you could pretty easily get on the green way, which is separated and great for a leisurely bike ride.

@83(b) 96438 wrote:

… Orlando. ::shudders::

We’re going to Disney this weekend ::shudders:: and all I can think about in the planning is how much easier the trip with be with a bakfiets. Then my husband came up with the idea of a bakfiets bikeshare at Disney. And now that’s all I’m going to be able to think about while we’re there.

[Subby]

Does everything have to be binary? Golf is fun, too.

[dplasters]

@jrenaut 96437 wrote:

That would be fantastic. Replace a useless faux-sport that monopolizes giant swaths of prime real estate with a lifelong fitness activity that actually improves the world. Everyone wins, except golf course owners.

Sigh. Green space is nice to have. Parks require upkeep. Golf courses generate revenue and add greenspace. Are they as good as a loss leading public park? No. But its not the end of the world and they are a nice compromise. They can replace them with strip malls. Surely, that is better. Golf magainze (I think) had a stupid curt offensive response to the trend. I distance myself from their idiocy.

I’d be much happier if the courses in the area worked harder to lower the amount of water they use/waste though. I would also encourage people to actual walk a golf course. Its likely a better workout than you think, particularly when you’re carrying or pushing your own 30 lbs bag. Or practice cyclocross for around 5-7 miles.. but carry your bike the whole time. But no, not nearly what a 4 hour ride would be.

Golfers. Golfers would lose too. Just 28.7 million of us. :rolleyes:

Now those damn road cyclists monopolizing my road……

What I would actual think would be very interesting is using golf cart paths to ride on…. I’ve seen a guy ride through Army Navy Country Club in Fairfax. They have a maintenance gate that exits out onto Pickett. He seems to use it as a cut through. I drool as I ride by it….

I’m done for the thread, you are welcome to continue golf bashing. I know it is likely in jest. But please, no comments about stuffy rich golfers. Just look to yesterdays BSNYC.

[baiskeli]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocoOqgVwkTE

[baiskeli]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocoOqgVwkTE

P.S. I have taught both of my daughters to rub people’s hair and say “How ’bout a Fresca!”

[jrenaut]

You’re right, I should take it easy on golfers. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t make it necessarily bad. But the courses do take up a ton of space, cut down all the useful plants and replace them with what’s no doubt non-native grass, and require TONS of upkeep. And they take otherwise pleasant space and make it inaccessible even to the golfers because at any moment there could be a small, hard object moving very quickly at your head.

The more people we can convince to take up other pastimes, the better off we all are.

[vvill]

I don’t mind golf (I grew up three houses down from access to a public golf course), but I do wish there was some way of getting better shared use for the land. And I also prefer mini-golf.

The public course near me was also designated a leash-free dog area at sundown, which was awesome, and you could also bring your own clubs and just hit around for free after the last paid group had gone through (not officially endorsed, but no one cared and it was mostly just your short game anyway given the visibility!).

I imagine most courses could easily incorporate an awesome CX course outside of the greens and fairways.

[Tim Kelley]

http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/third-biggest-business-deal-in-history-was-done-from-a-bicycle/015329

[83b]

@dasgeh 96456 wrote:

We’re going to Disney this weekend ::shudders:: and all I can think about in the planning is how much easier the trip with be with a bakfiets. Then my husband came up with the idea of a bakfiets bikeshare at Disney. And now that’s all I’m going to be able to think about while we’re there.

A Disneyfiets would be awesome for hauling the family around the sprawling parks!

As a NC native, I love the Charlotte idea! Venues for my major conference are booked through 2018, but I’ve already started lobbying to get more urban locations into the mix. Interestingly, it’s something that many of the younger attendees have also mentioned in their conference evaluations (New Orleans, Denver, and San Fransisco in particular get a lot of mentions). It’s going to be a hard sell though. The ‘Boomer and older Gen-X crowd really like having events at resort properties with on-site golf.

[Anonymous]

@Subby 96458 wrote:

Golf is fun, too.

Liar. :rolleyes:

[Author]

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