Work as a cycle courier

was wondering which company is the best and where do I start? I'm working at the moment as a multidrop van driver, but the company fucking me up big time, so I'm planning to work as a cycle courier from now on. sorry for the typo and lingo, it's friday night and I'm a likkle bit drrrunk. i'll come back in the morning to edit this post :)

rule number one: never post drunk
rule number two: never, ever post drunk
rule number three: if you doubt, don't post

lol rik

Seriously though, initially you will probably have to jump in to anyplace that will take you, see if you have got the legs for it, see if you can stand it. Then enquire on the street who's hiring.

Going into winter there should be more work available, good luck.

Look at the Moving Target site; lots of archived advice and experience there. Bad time of year to find a job but good luck

http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/597/got-a-question-about-being-or-becoming-a-cycle-courier-bicycle-messenger-check-for-answers-here/#Item_0

http://www.londonmessengers.org/FAQ

hello, I´m Luis
I would like being a bike messenger, I believe that I can. and I would like very much
I have been looking for work for two months, and I have come to realize that the work I'm looking for is on a bicycle.
does anyone know where I can apply for this job?
thank you

moving target is a bike messenger forum
link above ^ ^

meet the man
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22589385

Buffalo Bill has also cast doubt on that mileage,
http://buffalobillbikeblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/bbc-gets-it-a-bit-wrong-about-couriers/

Of course part of your daily mileage will depend on where you live but it does seem high.

a small town like London .

City.

And only 'small' in that it's the largest city in the UK by quite some margin. As an example, you get these people who wank off over Manchester, a place that has a metropolitan area which would fit inside Hyde park and which in it's entirety can be traversed by foot in 1/2 hour or so.

But it's a small town in the sense that we all know each other and cross the road to avoid each other.

But it's a small town in the sense that we all know each other and cross the road to avoid each other.

Yeah, fucking curtain twitchers. It's like the Archers without the constant delivery of lines as if you're on the crapper.

meet the man
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22589385

Looks good for 49

If his figures are as unreliable as has been suggested he's probably only 37.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2013/jul/15/female-cycle-courier

100miler/day with GLH seriously?? Maybe his ODO is off.
I say BS.

I worked for one of the most busy outfits out there and even then business was dead. The max mileage for a small town like London is in the region of 70-80 miles/day which was what I was doing. But don't expect to hold even this mileage for 365 days of the year because that's impossible.

Bit of a dredge but..
Riders in Cardiff end up doing 100mi days every so often, depends on the rider. Cardiff is town compared to London. It could be down to the fact that there's only two groups couriering here and they sometimes ride out to nearby cities.

I was going to ask in a new thread, but this is appropriate.

Are there any other UK based cycle courier companies outside of London?

"By 11am, we're on our way to Brick Lane, heading up Bishopsgate before turning right through Spitalfields, when I get a flat tyre. All those rumours about cycle couriers being bike-magicians are true. Ubych fixes it in under five minutes."

Jesus.

I know this. I'm friends with a few of the riders, I initially doubted their claims.

Newport is a city, surprisingly. It is a bit on the small side though. They don't do that many jobs out to the surrounding areas but they have a few regulars out in Ponty and Newport. Obviously the high mileage is limited to the riders who can cope with it, here they have a problem with students turning up with an image in their mind of what a courier is meant to be like. After a few weeks they're gone so they guys who've been there for years have to take the majority of the work. Annoyingly The manager won't take me on due to my brother (My brother is a bit of an unreliable dick) and won't give me a chance.

I see your point.

Interesting to see those recent BBC and Guardian pieces (even if a little light on substance) and familiar faces. Steve I recognise, nice chap, and I used to work the same circuit as Judy.

80-100 miles does sound a lot, but is it that inconceivable? Poor controlling, shit work, a long ride in/out from home... it all adds up. I know one courier who rides in from Ilford each day. Another claimed he used to cycle up from Croydon.

Interesting to see those recent BBC and Guardian pieces (even if a little light on substance) and familiar faces. Steve I recognise, nice chap, and I used to work the same circuit as Judy.

80-100 miles does sound a lot, but is it that inconceivable? Poor controlling, shit work, a long ride in/out from home... it all adds up. I know one courier who rides in from Ilford each day. Another claimed he used to cycle up from Croydon.

I used to cycle down from Edgware. Even with a shitnozzle of a controller, never ever saw the odo reach 80. Spent half my time chainsmoking in doorways.