Patchelicious Posted February 22, 2018 Posted February 22, 2018 I love how these conversations always turn to 'the pro's' when the whole topic is based around the very middle/lower rung amateur and what they spend their time and money on. Golf has a bit of a drinking culture with guys playing golf for 4 and a half hours and spending hours at the 19th. With the modern trend towards health and the benefits and rewards for exercise, most of these affluent ex golfers have started making lifestyle changes. Gins are now coffee's, half round pie and chips are now croissants and gluten free sandwiches. The cycling world has definitely had an influx of affluent middle aged men who 1st buy the best race bike, all the kit and THEN go cycling. This was always the golf mentality... guys playing off an 18 using top of the range blades or semi weighted clubs as opposed to big easy chunky ball goes straight anyway beginner clubs. So although the comparison may not be factual, both sports have followed and continue to follow similar equipment and personal trends. Cycling is the new golf. It doesn't mean that all golfers became MTBers cyclists. It just means that the parallels in the sports and their developments are uncanny.....There we go
GLuvsMtb Posted February 22, 2018 Posted February 22, 2018 If only cycling (and particularly mountain biking) was the new golf. We would have riders obsessed with technique and technical ability, spending hours and hours on skills training instead of doing hundreds of hill repeats a week and freezing up at the first A frame on Wines2Whales. You would also have much more courtesy on the trail. Golfers let faster (i.e. they play less shots) players play through. Golfers also don’t leave their equipment lying around at the clubhouse after the first nine. Ever seen what a water point at a race looks like? The guy hogging the whole water table with his bike in the one hand and trying to have his bottle filled with the other while his sweat is soaking the jelly babies is not an ex golfer. Golfers don’t litter and puts their divots back. So OP, no... cycling has a long way to go before it can be considered to be the new golf. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Jewbacca Posted February 22, 2018 Posted February 22, 2018 How ever controversial this may sound and I suppose it is one of many opinion - "The Pro" make any sport. They get the majority of TV coverage - that's great marketing for any sport. This then get middle / lower rung amateur gin and beer drinkers into the sport. Mass participation sporting event naturally help - but again if "The Pro" don't participate in these event - they tend not to survive the test of time.Yes but the Pro's have little to no place in THIS thread. This thread is talking about whether cycling has taken over from golf as the prefered pass time for middle age men and women to spend their free time and money. The actual 'sport' comparison is moot. It is discussing the shift in focus of fat amateur men from being honoured club member with an extended bar tab credit, to sweating up Merino Monster or Rusty gate on an over priced stage race riding the shiniest, lightest race weapon they can afford. There have always been golf pros and cycling pros. The popularity of the the sport and the growth in expenditure is what is in question. At the height of Golf's burst here, there was a golf course, mashy course popping up on every street corner. Some like St David's closed down while others had to reinvent themselves to stay alive as the focus and the dreamy eyed longing shifted from silky smooth green fairways to corrugated dusty brown district road....
Jewbacca Posted February 22, 2018 Posted February 22, 2018 Further to that point, look at the number of races that popped up over a very short time which are now struggling to find sponsorship and stay afloat. As 'Enduro' and 'Trail' and now 'Gravel' versions of the sport have exploded, XCO, Marathon and some smaller stage races are seriously struggling to keep their doors open. (St Davids).. The comparison of 'the new golf' is over the growth, economic shift, popularity and over all sustainability of the venture. It is proving to be EXACTLY like golf.
arendoog Posted February 22, 2018 Posted February 22, 2018 Curling is the new golf....I like watching curling to !http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/01/24/article-0-1AEE76D500000578-996_634x379.jpg
EmptyB Posted February 22, 2018 Posted February 22, 2018 I like watching curling to !http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/01/24/article-0-1AEE76D500000578-996_634x379.jpgnICE....
EmptyB Posted February 23, 2018 Posted February 23, 2018 I recall when there was a waiting list for people wanting to join a golf club...at one stage Durban Country Club had a 7 year waiting list (late eighties and nineties). These days golf clubs are begging for members.... Certain multi day MTB events are going this way too. Cant even sell your entry as opposed to when there was a waiting list for entries.
Imploder Posted January 2, 2019 Posted January 2, 2019 Just checking if this starts an infinite loop of recursion and the world ends, just bear with me: https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/179981-golf-the-new-mountain-biking/?view=getnewpost
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