Bike Noob
Because I'm Always Learning Something New
Is Cycling the New Golf?
07.07.2011 by Ray Niekamp // 18 Comments
I'll bet you've heard that line before. It's become almost a cliche. But at its heart, the expression tells us something about the changing tastes of adults in recreation.
Industry figures sum up the story: The National Bicycle Dealers Association says bike sales (20″ wheels and larger) were up 15 percent in 2010 over 2009. A total of six billion dollars worth of bikes were sold last year. Service and repair work is reported to be up, too.
Golf, however, is declining. For the past three years, according to the National Golf Foundation, the number of golfers has dropped. It's down to about 26.1 million. The recession, of course, was a large factor in that decline, and so was the generally poorer weather during the summer of 2010 compared to the previous summer. But those don't account for all of golf's loss.
The Bike Noob might be a typical golfer-turned-cyclist. Senior golfers — those of age 60 and up — are about 45 percent of all golfers. But that group is not growing, partly because they die off, and partly because they stop playing regularly.
The Bike Noob fades a drive back into the middle of the fairway during a Hawaiian vacation. (You can see the ball above my left hand.)
Golf has traditionally been considered a business relationship builder. I remember my father telling me years ago to take up golf, because business deals are done on the golf course. My dad was part of a golf league in the large company where he worked. But just last month, I visited the headquarters of a company renowned for its employee health and wellness program. It has a cycling group of over 100 people. No golf league.
Now, however, cycling clubs might offer the chance to grow business relationships. On a weekend ride, club members can churn out the miles, then discuss their biking and their business over coffee, or lunch, or whatever, afterwards. I've seen it happen among members of my own club — many of whom work in the same general field.
And as adults age, another popular recreational activity — running — might be losing its attraction because of the way it contributes to knee problems. Cycling is a good alternative, because while it can cause trouble with the knees, more often it eases chronic knee trouble. That's why I switched from running to riding.
So it might not be much of a surprise to learn that the high growth area within cycling last year was among road bikers.
The golf industry, meanwhile, is concerned that the number of kids between 6 and 17 who take up golf has been falling — by about 24 percent during the last decade. Optimistic predictions about golf's growth peg it at only one percent between now and 2020.
On the cycling side, high gas prices are causing more adults to look into bike commuting as a way to hold down their costs. Commuters are still a tiny percentage in most cities, but their numbers are growing.
Since 2008, my golfing has taken a precipitous nosedive. I played one round of golf last year. Just one. None so far this year. But I'm on my bike three or four days a week. I'm meeting new people and finding I have a lot in common with them. Neither my wife nor I miss golf at all, although we'll happily play a round if the opportunity arises.
For us, cycling is indeed the new golf.
Categories // Odds 'n ends Tags // golf
Biking is hurting my golfing
12.26.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 4 Comments
The Bike Noob tees it up in Michigan last summer.
In addition to biking, my other pastime is golfing. I've been at it for 20 years. I'm no good at it — but now I'm getting worse.
I go out most Saturday mornings with a regular group. Play often improves as the season goes on — I usually register the low net score in the group at least once during the summer — but this year, it didn't happen. In fact, my handicap soared from a 14 to an 18.
Now, on the plus side, I get a stroke on each hole. But on the minus side, my actual play is a lot worse than that. I shot a 98 the other day, which is 10 strokes worse than my expected score on our par-70 course.
The reason for my poor play on the links is, of course, biking. I used to stop off at the driving range at least once a week, maybe twice, to practice my shots and hone my swing. Now, I head straight for home to change into cycling clothes and get out on the road for a quick pre-evening ride. Where a good weekend for me used to be two rounds of golf, now on Saturdays I won't stick around the course after our round. I'll head home to ride. On many Saturdays between August and October, I skipped golf entirely. I was training for my century, so I chose to ride instead. And my Sundays are dedicated to my weekly long ride, whether it be with the cycling club or on my own. A friend at the golf club recently asked me about my woeful game, and I replied, "If it's a choice between biking and golf, I'll take a bike ride."
I really enjoy golf. It's a skill, but to maintain that skill level, you must apply yourself. The great pianist Paderewski said, "If I miss a day of practice, I know. If I miss two days, my teacher knows. If I miss five days, the audience knows." It's just as true with golf. With some time off in the coming weeks, I will concentrate more on splitting my time between the saddle and the tee box. The weather here will be good for golf. As I write this, it's 72F at 9 a.m., with a high forecast for 80F later today. Great golf weather. But then again, it's great biking weather too…
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