Cycling courier jobs.

Dave' email hidden in said:

Birmingham would be a bit too far out..

Even so, just to get some info, pop into the coffe shop in the Birmingham Waterstones (Pavillions
Branch). Have a chat with the courier that spends all his non-riding time there. He seems to be
there more often than not, so I'm not sure how profitable his work is!
--
Two fish suddenly swim into a brick wall. Damn! To reply put only the word "richard" before
the @ sign

In "]news:[email hidden], Dave <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Hi, I'd like to work as a cycle courier but have never actually seen any locally. Presumably
they are used in bigger cities with congestion problems, such as London, but in smaller cities
and towns ?

I think in London there are more media and legal firms where stuff is time-critical to the *hour* or
*minute* (or those in charge like to *make* it that way to boost their egos) rather than just to
"morning/afternoon" (which is easily handled by normal couriers or the Royal Mail)

Incidentally, I'd *really* suggest you look at this site (especially if you have any kids)
ahalenia.comindex.htmlOpen ↗

Its depressing reading - but I'd rather warn someone of the dangers of a course of action at the
start. A lot of the RTCs happen because the courier wages are so low that people have take a few
risks on the road to make their targets - and the amount of heroin use amongst couriers seems
worrying too, its almost as if some *need* the stuff to calm down presumably so they don't take out
aggression from the roads on their friends and partners (bear in mind that on the street *everyone*
will hate you apart from the other couriers, and this *will* rub off on the way you act).

Even some of my more hardcore cyclist friends who really have lived on the edge won't become
couriers because of what it can do to you (and the personal risks)

Do you *really* want to risk your *life* to deliver parcels for the minimum wage? Frankly if its
adrenalin rushes and the "thrill of beating the clock" you want I'd take up some kind of cycling
*sport*; that way *you* are (slightly more) in control rather than your bosses and their fat
corporate clients.

Alex (aka Wolfie)

On Tue, 14 Jan 2003 18:23:22 +0000, Dave did issue forth:

Quoted message said:

Hi, I'd like to work as a cycle courier but have never actually seen any locally. Presumably they
are used in bigger cities with congestion problems, such as London, but in smaller cities and
towns ? Any idea how I go about finding out whether they are used locally ?...Is it just a case of
approaching local courier companies via Yellow Pages or is there another route to it that I'm just
not aware of ? I'm based at J10 M6, so Wolverhampton / Walsall is local for me. Birmingham would
be a bit too far out.. Dave.

If you can get hold of it (it's quite a difficult thing to find) the latest issue of Singletrack
magazine has an article about cycle couriers which makes for interesting reading.

They say that probably the best way to get in is by looking through the yellow pages and seeing what
you can find. Apparently phoning first thing on a wet Monday morning and seeing if people haven't
turned up is a great way to get your foot in the door.

--
Huw Pritchard | Replace bounce with huw | to reply by mail | www.secretworldgovernment.org

Dave said:

I'd like to work as a cycle courier but have never actually seen any locally.

If you don't have any companies using _cycle_ couriers in your area, how about approaching firms
that use motorcyles, cars or vans to collect & deliver small parcels (not necessarily just courier
firms)? Suggest that you could supplement their services. Hard-sell yourself and the idea to them!
Maybe then they might even take on more cyclists. Just an idea. Good luck. Please let us know how it
goes if you do pursue it.

Richard Ballantine's "Richard's 21st Century Bicycle Book" has a section on "Working in Cycling" .

~PB

"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi, I'd like to work as a cycle courier but have never actually seen any locally. Presumably they
are used in bigger cities with congestion problems, such as London, but in smaller cities and
towns ? Any idea how I go about finding out whether they are used locally ?...Is it just a case of
approaching local courier companies via Yellow Pages or is there another route to it that I'm just
not aware of ? I'm based at J10 M6, so Wolverhampton / Walsall is local for me. Birmingham would
be a bit too far out.. Dave.

Dave, Congrats on having the courage and strength to get out of the rat-race. You have my
admiration.

Have you considered guided cycling tours of your area, or go and live abroad and run guided cycling
tours of Spain/France/Italy/Portugal - anywhere nice and warm.

I was priviledged a while ago to go on a guided climbing holiday in the Costa Blanca. The guys that
ran it had a fantastic system. The family lived in the area. The son and the father did the guiding
/ climbing over the winter. In the Summer (too hot to climb) they decamped to the UK, or went to the
Alps, or went surfing in Spain. They were both incrediably fit - doing something they enjoyed nearly
every day made that easy. Basically they ran it so that their work over the winter paid for their
Summer, but they also did other stuff to help - wrote, sold photographs, individual guiding in the
Alps, etc etc.

One warning - to live this way you need to have loads of energy and "get up and go", and they had to
have tremendous patience with their crappier clients (eg me). I couldn't do it. If you can, then
good luck.

In article <[email hidden]>, Pete Biggs
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Dave said:

I'd like to work as a cycle courier but have never actually seen any locally.

If you don't have any companies using _cycle_ couriers in your area, how about approaching firms
that use motorcyles, cars or vans to collect & deliver small parcels (not necessarily just courier
firms)? Suggest that you could supplement their services. Hard-sell yourself and the idea to them!
Maybe then they might even take on more cyclists. Just an idea. Good luck. Please let us know how
it goes if you do pursue it.

You could try photo developing places - business customers often in a hurry, not superseded by fax,
and relatively small parcels!

ttfn

Martin

--
"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that
are doing it." - Dan Quayle

Martin Harlow [email hidden]

Alex, Haven't read it yet, but will shortly. I think I get the drift. About a year ago I decided to
get out of the rat-race. I had got to the dizzy heights of being an assistant manager of a
data-centre in Birmingham. It was a place I really didn't want to be. OK, the pay was great, but I
hadn't seen daylight during a working day for 23 years. My stress was set by faceless senior
management, agreeing largely unachievable deadlines. If the deadlines were achieved it was as it
should be and only to be expected, if they weren't, then some faceless ars*hole would expect people
to jump *real* high. And this was a "our people are our strength" company. Anyway, to cut a boring,
long story short, I took voluntary redundancy and have gone for a total career change. I am
currently a leisure attendant at a local leisure centre (pool lifeguard) and looking to gain various
qualifications (canoeing, rock climbing, mountain leader etc.), to enable me to work in the outdoor
pursuits field. Money is no longer my 'driver', personal satisfaction is. The only time I get a
personal buzz now is when I'm outdoors, doing outdoors things. So, I won't be looking to do the job
to make ends meet, more to be out on the bike, pushing myself for my own ends (i.e. fitness levels).
If someone wants to pay me while I do that, great. I'm currently working part-time in the leisure
attendant role and can make ends meet with that income, despite being a very poorly paid job. I
would look to do the couriering in addition to this, also part-time. I would absolutely refuse to
get stressed out over it, it's one of my new 'life rules' since making the change. Anyway, thanks
for your feedback. I do have children, so I'll go and read your reference now. I don't think we have
sufficient business requirements around this area to warrant the use of cycle couriers...ah well.
Cheers, Dave.

"Mr R@t (2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room new build]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In "]news:[email hidden], Dave <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Hi, I'd like to work as a cycle courier but have never actually seen any locally. Presumably
they are used in bigger cities with congestion problems, such as London, but in smaller cities
and towns ?

I think in London there are more media and legal firms where stuff is time-critical to the *hour*
or *minute* (or those in charge like to *make* it that way to boost their egos) rather than just
to "morning/afternoon" (which is easily handled by normal couriers or the Royal Mail)

Incidentally, I'd *really* suggest you look at this site (especially if

you

Quoted message said:

have any kids) ahalenia.comindex.htmlOpen ↗

Its depressing reading - but I'd rather warn someone of the dangers of a course of action at the
start. A lot of the RTCs happen because the

courier

Quoted message said:

wages are so low that people have take a few risks on the road to make

their

Quoted message said:

targets - and the amount of heroin use amongst couriers seems worrying

too,

Quoted message said:

its almost as if some *need* the stuff to calm down presumably so they

don't

Quoted message said:

take out aggression from the roads on their friends and partners (bear in mind that on the
street *everyone* will hate you apart from the other couriers, and this *will* rub off on the
way you act).

Even some of my more hardcore cyclist friends who really have lived on the edge won't become
couriers because of what it can do to you (and the personal risks)

Do you *really* want to risk your *life* to deliver parcels for the

minimum

Quoted message said:

wage? Frankly if its adrenalin rushes and the "thrill of beating the

clock"

Quoted message said:

you want I'd take up some kind of cycling *sport*; that way *you* are (slightly more) in control
rather than your bosses and their fat corporate clients.

Alex (aka Wolfie)

"Huw Pritchard" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Tue, 14 Jan 2003 18:23:22 +0000, Dave did issue forth:

Quoted message said:

Hi, I'd like to work as a cycle courier but have never actually seen any locally. Presumably
they are used in bigger cities with congestion

problems,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

such as London, but in smaller cities and towns ? Any idea how I go about finding out whether
they are used locally ?...Is

it

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

just a case of approaching local courier companies via Yellow Pages or

is

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

there another route to it that I'm just not aware of ? I'm based at J10 M6, so Wolverhampton /
Walsall is local for me.

Birmingham

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

would be a bit too far out.. Dave.

If you can get hold of it (it's quite a difficult thing to find) the latest issue of Singletrack
magazine has an article about cycle couriers which makes for interesting reading.

They say that probably the best way to get in is by looking through the yellow pages and seeing
what you can find. Apparently phoning first thing on a wet Monday morning and seeing if people
haven't turned up is a great way to get your foot in the door.

--
Huw Pritchard | Replace bounce with huw | to reply by mail | www.secretworldgovernment.org

Excellent, thanks for that Huw, Dave.

"Richard Bates" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dave' email hidden in said:

Birmingham would be a bit too far out..

Even so, just to get some info, pop into the coffe shop in the Birmingham Waterstones (Pavillions
Branch). Have a chat with the courier that spends all his non-riding time there. He seems to be
there more often than not, so I'm not sure how profitable his work is!
--
Two fish suddenly swim into a brick wall. Damn! To reply put only the word "richard" before
the @ sign

...Think that probably speaks volumes, Richard. This is what comes of living 'out in the sticks', I
guess. Cheers, Dave.

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dave said:

I'd like to work as a cycle courier but have never actually seen any locally.

If you don't have any companies using _cycle_ couriers in your area, how about approaching firms
that use motorcyles, cars or vans to collect & deliver small parcels (not necessarily just courier
firms)? Suggest that you could supplement their services. Hard-sell yourself and the idea to them!
Maybe then they might even take on more cyclists. Just an idea. Good luck. Please let us know how
it goes if you do pursue it.

Richard Ballantine's "Richard's 21st Century Bicycle Book" has a section on "Working in Cycling" .

~PB

Excellent idea Pete. I've got a motorbike as well, so who knows, I could maybe approach from the
motorbike angle, then work from inside to suggest / convince them that bikes would be a good way to
go for urgent local work... Thanks again, Dave.

"stephen pridgeon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hi, I'd like to work as a cycle courier but have never actually seen any locally. Presumably
they are used in bigger cities with congestion

problems,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

such as London, but in smaller cities and towns ? Any idea how I go about finding out whether
they are used locally ?...Is

it

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

just a case of approaching local courier companies via Yellow Pages or

is

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

there another route to it that I'm just not aware of ? I'm based at J10 M6, so Wolverhampton /
Walsall is local for me.

Birmingham

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

would be a bit too far out.. Dave.

Dave, Congrats on having the courage and strength to get out of the rat-race. You have my
admiration.

Why, thanks <blush>...

Quoted message said:

Have you considered guided cycling tours of your area, or go and live abroad and run guided
cycling tours of Spain/France/Italy/Portugal - anywhere nice and warm.

Cycling tours of the Black Country..... think you might've spotted a gap in the market here,
Stephen. It has great potential. It could be linked in to Telford and the Ironbridge Gorge,
birthplace of industry 'n' all. Variations could be catered for, standard touristy type, cross
country, and jump sites...hhmmm, I'll give this some serious thought as it looks like the courier
thing might be a bit of a non-starter.

Quoted message said:

I was priviledged a while ago to go on a guided climbing holiday in the Costa Blanca. The guys
that ran it had a fantastic system. The family lived in the area. The son and the father did the
guiding / climbing over the winter. In the Summer (too hot to climb) they decamped to the UK, or
went to the Alps, or went surfing in Spain. They were both incrediably fit - doing something they
enjoyed nearly every day made that easy. Basically they ran it so that their work over the winter
paid for their Summer, but they also did other stuff to help - wrote, sold photographs, individual
guiding in the Alps, etc etc.

One warning - to live this way you need to have loads of energy and "get up and go", and they had
to have tremendous patience with their crappier clients (eg me). I couldn't do it. If you can,
then good luck.

Here's hoping :-D

Thanks, Dave.

"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Alex, Haven't read it yet, but will shortly. I think I get the drift. About a year ago I decided
to get out of the rat-race. I had got to the dizzy heights of being an assistant manager of a
data-centre in

Birmingham.

Quoted message said:

It was a place I really didn't want to be. OK, the pay was great, but I hadn't seen daylight
during a working day for 23 years. My stress was set

by

Quoted message said:

faceless senior management, agreeing largely unachievable deadlines. If

the

Quoted message said:

deadlines were achieved it was as it should be and only to be expected, if they weren't, then some
faceless ars*hole would expect people to jump

*real*

Quoted message said:

high. And this was a "our people are our strength" company. Anyway, to cut

a

Quoted message said:

boring, long story short, I took voluntary redundancy and have gone for a total career change. I
am currently a leisure attendant at a local leisure centre (pool lifeguard) and looking to gain
various qualifications (canoeing, rock climbing, mountain leader etc.), to enable me to work in

the

Quoted message said:

outdoor pursuits field.

<snipped>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Cheers,

Dave.

<snipped>

Quoted message said:

==============]
I hate to pour cold water on your enthusiasm but a little cautionary advice is in order. You say you
'hadn't seen daylight during a working day for 23 years.' That suggests that you are 40+ years of
age, assuming that you didn't start work until a normal minimum age of 16. Many people are fighting
fit in their 40s and much later but the human body wears out and a minor accident or wear and tear
on cartilage or joints could put you out of work and possibly leave you crippled. Think of the many
top sportsmen, especially footballers who are crippled with arthritis. Perhaps you should consider a
stress-free job which allows you plenty of time to pursue your outdoor sports without the danger of
losing your livelihood if things go wrong.

Best of luck,

Cic.

In article <[email hidden]>, no- [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Have you considered guided cycling tours of your area, or go and live abroad and run guided
cycling tours of Spain/France/Italy/Portugal - anywhere nice and warm.

Cycling tours of the Black Country..... think you might've spotted a gap in the market here,
Stephen. It has great potential. It could be linked in to Telford and the Ironbridge Gorge,
birthplace of industry 'n' all. Variations could be catered for, standard touristy type, cross
country, and jump sites...hhmmm, I'll give this some serious thought as it looks like the courier
thing might be a bit of a non-starter.

This isn't a bad idea. If you can cobble together some decent day rides on minor roads there could
certainly be a market. I know a couple who do such holidays in Wales and the Welsh borders. They run
them as holidays, weekes and weekends, based at centres. They aim their tours at a wide
cross-section using detours and short-cuts to meet the mix of riders they get. You could probably do
just day rides initially, accommodation and food adds a whole lot of other complications into the
mix, especially if you ran them from towns which did feed from a tourist trade. Do what they do and
sell you local knowledge.

Colin

"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Alex, Haven't read it yet, but will shortly. I think I get the drift. About a year ago I decided
to get out of the rat-race. I had got to the dizzy heights of being an assistant manager of a
data-centre in Birmingham. It was a place I really didn't want to be. OK, the pay was great, but I
hadn't seen daylight during a working day for 23 years. My stress was set by faceless senior
management, agreeing largely unachievable deadlines. If the deadlines were achieved it was as it
should be and only to be expected, if they weren't, then some faceless ars*hole would expect
people to jump *real* high. And this was a "our people are our strength" company. Anyway, to cut a
boring, long story short, I took voluntary redundancy and have gone for a total career change. I
am currently a leisure attendant at a local leisure centre (pool lifeguard) and looking to gain
various qualifications (canoeing, rock climbing, mountain leader etc.), to enable me to work in
the outdoor pursuits field. Money is no longer my 'driver', personal satisfaction is. The only
time I get a personal buzz now is when I'm outdoors, doing outdoors things. So, I won't be looking
to do the job to make ends meet, more to be out on the bike, pushing myself for my own ends (i.e.
fitness levels). If someone wants to pay me while I do that, great. I'm currently working
part-time in the leisure attendant role and can make ends meet with that income, despite being a
very poorly paid job. I would look to do the couriering in addition to this, also part-time. I
would absolutely refuse to get stressed out over it, it's one of my new 'life rules' since making
the change. Anyway, thanks for your feedback. I do have children, so I'll go and read your
reference now. I don't think we have sufficient business requirements around this area to warrant
the use of cycle couriers...ah well. Cheers, Dave.

Start your own business.

"Mr R@t (2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room new build]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In "]news:[email hidden], Dave <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

largely unachievable deadlines. If the deadlines were achieved it was as it should be and only
to be expected, if they weren't, then some faceless ars*hole would expect people to jump
*real* high.

<snip>

I would

Quoted message said:

absolutely refuse to get stressed out over it, it's one of my new 'life rules' since making the
change.

Hmm - in *this* case I *definitely* think being a courier wouldn't be a

good

Quoted message said:

idea - apart from the stress and personal safety risk to yourself, it

would

Quoted message said:

just be becoming *part* of the "hurry up! Now! NOW!" society that you

tried

Quoted message said:

to escape - in other words you would actually be becoming part of the *problem* rather than the
solution.

I suppose if Royal Mail are recruiting you could become a postie, this is safer and more socially
acceptable (posties are there for *everyone*, not just rich companies) but riding a Royal Mail
clunker may be too *slow* for you 🙂

Quoted message said:

total career change. I am currently a leisure attendant at a local leisure centre (pool
lifeguard) and looking to gain various qualifications (canoeing, rock climbing, mountain leader
etc.), to enable me to work in the outdoor pursuits field. Money is no longer my 'driver',
personal satisfaction is. The only time I get a personal buzz now is when I'm outdoors, doing
outdoors things.

In my area the leisure centre is often used for cycling events and

sometimes

Quoted message said:

as a training track for younger cyclists (both for proficiency and

racing).

Quoted message said:

Perhaps you could suggest similar schemes to the leisure centre? This

could

Quoted message said:

be more personally satisfying to you and safer than being a courier!

Alex

Just got back from the Messenger Memorial site.... Food for thought and several good alternative
ideas in there. Thanks Alex, Dave.

"Cicero" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I hate to pour cold water on your enthusiasm but a little cautionary

advice

Quoted message said:

is in order. You say you 'hadn't seen daylight during a working day for 23 years.' That suggests
that you are 40+ years of age, assuming that you didn't start work until a normal minimum age of
16. Many people are

fighting

Quoted message said:

fit in their 40s and much later but the human body wears out and a minor accident or wear and tear
on cartilage or joints could put you out of work and possibly leave you crippled. Think of the
many top sportsmen,

especially

Quoted message said:

footballers who are crippled with arthritis. Perhaps you should consider a stress-free job which
allows you plenty of time to pursue your outdoor sports without the danger of losing your
livelihood if things go wrong.

Best of luck,

Cic.

Ahhh, getting old...yup, I know about that one (41 and threequarters ;-). The surprise at the effort
required to regain my once taken for granted super fitness of my early 20's. The fact that when I
hit the ground I stay there rather than *bounce* like I used to ;-). I've come to terms with it and
wish to make the most of what I've got while I've got it. I cycle anyway. It won't be my sole
earning source and my other one's got a sickness benefit scheme. Regards the stress factor, I've
also realised that it is largely self-inflicted and I'm willing to bet that I wouldn't get stressed
over it now. Having said all that, it's looking less and less like there will be a locally
convenient opportunity, so it's probably all academic now anyway.... but thanks for the responses,
much appreciated Dave

"dan.gregory1" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter" <[email hidden]> wrote in

message

Quoted message said:

"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

>The fact that when I hit the ground I stay there rather than *bounce* like I used to ;-)

Must be that affinity for paving slabs then ..... All the best Dan

but, but,,,I've never even so much as looked at a pair of b*bsh*rts.....?