A messenger's normal load? Heaviest? Most Awkward?

Hello again,

I'm sure that email had greatly effected the use of bike messengers.
Fortunately, packages can't be emailed.

With this in mind, I wonder what a bike messenger's normal load is?
What was the heaviest, and most awkward?

Thanks again,
Culle

On Jul 20, 1:14*pm, " wrote:
Hello again,

I'm sure that email had greatly effected the use of bike messengers.
Fortunately, packages can't be emailed.

With this in mind, I wonder what a bike messenger's normal load is?
What was the heaviest, and most awkward?

Thanks again,
Culle

Heck, I can tell you that too; I rode with a full sized nylon
backpack; I had to re-enforce the stiching with fishing line; it let
me carry as much as I was given while keeping my hands free to control
my bike. you never really knew what you'd get at a pick-up, a number
of blueprints in tubes, boxes, artwork (do not fold, bend or
crease...). I had to pick up and deliver a ladder once, carry on the
shoulder, ride my road bike one handed through traffic and across
streetcar tracks, pretty tracky and quite heavy: too tricky to put
down for a rest, and completely unable to switch sides, so my arm was
quite sore afterwards. heaviest thing though was a pick up at a
magazine publisher; a bunch of heavy catalogues: my backpack was
completely full- and some strapped outside the pack; nothing else,: I
could hardly stand with the weight, and I'm one of those short
muscular hungarian guys, I can pick up my wife 65kgs and 3 kids
another 65kgs at the same time and jump up and down; my bike was
creaking and I was seriously worried I might be damaging the tubes...

If you are thinking of becoming a bike courier I will tell you- go for
it. it is a bit late in the summer ( you have a lot of university
students and fair-weather riders filling the ranks) but if you are
looking for a spot in the fall you'd have a better chance of getting
in. It's not hard work, a lot of fun,freedom and extreme emotions.
Don't try to cop an attitude or razzle dazzle any with your speed or
whatever- just do the job; take what your dispatchers give you, say
thank you and that's that. keep the CF road bike home, use something
replaceable.

On Jul 20, 9:24 pm, raamman wrote:

If you are thinking of becoming a bike courier I will tell you- go for
it.

Nobody should try to be a bike messenger unless they have a completely
freakish and unnatural love for riding bikes, as the pay is horrible
and the risk of bodily injury is considerable.

On Jul 20, 11:14 am, " wrote:
Hello again,

I'm sure that email had greatly effected the use of bike messengers.
Fortunately, packages can't be emailed.

With this in mind, I wonder what a bike messenger's normal load is?
What was the heaviest, and most awkward?

Thanks again,
Culle


Try riding with two completely jam-packed mail tubs (~35 lbs. each)
plus, say, two bankers boxes, that would not be atypical for my
nightly mail run. It can be done by packing one box into your bag,
then stacking both tubs and the box high on the stem/handlebars, ride
with one hand on the bars and one on the cargo while box-filled bag
strangles your neck. Yes, it's precarious. Of course you could use a
dedicated cargo bike for such loads and it would be easy. I've also
hauled up to 12 boxes at once on a hand cart which I pull through the
streets with one hand while riding bike, but that's a rare treat.

On Jul 24, 2:58*am, RobertH wrote:
On Jul 20, 9:24 pm, raamman wrote:

If you are thinking of becoming a bike courier I will tell you- go for
it.

Nobody should try to be a bike messenger unless they have a completely
freakish and unnatural love for riding bikes, as the pay is horrible
and the risk of bodily injury is considerable.

I'm saying if one wants to try, then try...it's like asking a a cute
girl out when you were younger, you'll never know if you never try.