Blog Post - the-bike-the-new-golf-for-business-people

In many circles, gaining access to office towers to conduct business has long been associated with one sport: golf. However, this sport is increasingly giving way to cycling, which is attracting more and more enthusiasts who combine athletic touring with networking. Here's why...

Photo: ACDA


Cycling Networking Clubs

To all those to whom he explains the purpose of the Association cycliste en développement des affaires (ACDA - Cycling Association for Business Development), which he founded nearly 20 years ago, mortgage broker Gilles Dionne gives the same response: golf is tedious, a tournament lasts 12 hours, and you only end up meeting three people – those you play with.

On a road bike, during a 70-kilometer ride with dozens of people, the chances of building business relationships are much better.

Not to mention that golfing with a potential client sometimes presents a questionable ethical choice: "When you play a round with a prospect and you don't want them to lose, you have to rig the game," which is tricky, explains Peter Murray, a London architect and organizer of corporate cycling events Cycle to Cannes (London-French Riviera, 1,500 km) and Portland to Portland (Oregon-England, 6,500 km).

Adding to this, cycling – especially performance cycling – aligns much better than golf with an ideal of health promotion in the business world. "Some had neglected their health over the years," wrote Yvan Martineau in an article on business networking by bike . "By setting the goal of participating in ACDA outings, they rediscovered a youthful pleasure, cycling, as well as the joy of physical activity."

Indeed, cycling is beneficial for health in several ways .

Professionals Behind the Handlebars

Mathematically speaking, golf seems destined to decline: while there are more than three million cyclists in Quebec, fewer than a million are on the greens, a number that has been decreasing since the 1990s.

That's why cycling clubs like the Regroupement d’affaires à vélo de Québec (Quebec Business Cycling Group) are springing up everywhere, especially here.

Cycling also fosters camaraderie: leading a peloton allows other riders to rest, and the post-ride happy hour provides an opportunity to discuss the challenges of the route with complete strangers. The approach then becomes easy.

Conversing while riding also offers several benefits, according to The Economist magazine: adrenaline, increased endorphins and serotonin, all of which are said to make conversations more open.

You don't sign contracts while climbing a mountain pass, of course. But you plant a seed that may just sprout...

Interested in learning more about cycling networking?

Here's what you need to know before registering for your first road cycling race , according to the Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes (Quebec Cycling Sports Federation).

For those new to the sport (and because a reminder never hurts), here are the essential safety rules when cycling in a group .

Key Cycling Associations for Business Professionals

  • Association cycliste en développement des affaires (ACDA) - ACDA Quebec brings together over 350 members. Its 5 annual outings take place in the Montreal area, on the third Wednesdays from May to September.
  • Regroupement d’affaires à vélo (RAV) - RAV organizes 5 annual rides of approximately 90 kilometers in the National Capital Region. They take place on the second Wednesdays of the month, from May to September. Each outing is followed by a dinner.
  • Vélo Affaires Bas-Saint-Laurent - Four outings per year, from June to September. The rides are 40 to 50 kilometers long, and the speed is limited to encourage discussion.
  • Vélo Affaires Saguenay - This association exceeded 60 members last year. The program for 2017 includes the addition of a mountain biking component to its series of road rides (7 last year).

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