Good article in the PI on Business and Cycling. The jist? Professionals and execs are moving off the links and on to bikes for doing business. The upshot for suits is that you get a workout in, your competitive urges out, and cut a deal while on your ride. Of course you’ll need a sweet ride, a trainer, and some kit (that’d be a suit in a SuperSuit for those playing along). Some of these folks shell out $8k for a bike so I’m not too worried on that front.
In the great idea category, one local law firm is even handing out Ridley’s for folks who promise to commute for 3 months. This really takes it up a notch in my estimation — the bike becomes about doing a civil good (getting another car out of our daily jams), not just about improving the bottom line of the business. Good for them! And as always, check out the Sound Off section for a surprise. Almost no feedback, almost all positive. It’s still early though.
It’s great, ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’ and everything, but if I see another ‘bike is the new golf’ article I’m gonna puke.
The law firm/free Ridley is great. However, my sense of this is for most of these folks, a bike is like another tennis racket or set of skis, not really a viable method of transportation.
I think the fact that they are giving away Ridley’s really supports fixedgear’s ski analogy. These are mostly very expensive (and thus desirable) race bikes that are ill suited for commuting. Good idea, lame execution.
The REI Lunch Ride comes to mind or any other lunch ride across the country. The NYTimes wrote a similar article about gen-xers eschewing golf for all sorts of fitness sports, including bicycling, but I couldn’t find it. The article is also a good lead up to bike-to-work month.
I say HELL YEAH to spin cycling or just cycling replacing golf.
I grew up in Florida, and in 25 years you cannot imagine all the wild lands plowed over for golf courses. Loss of habitat for animals, water needs in a place that has water restrictions, chemical all over from fertilizers, and the land isn’t even used by that many people when you consider how much is necessary for 18 holes.
If corporate stiffs want to cram into rooms lined with spin machines and spin until they puke, I got no problems with that. If businessmen want to lobby for better roads so they can conduct deals astride $8K carbon showpieces, well….hurrah!
And see the Biz, Bikes & Brew event from the Bizniks. Also, we’re not all just talking bikes at the Mobile Socials, we’ve also got some business going on.