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Life As A Bike Messenger 2022 | Health Benefits Of Bike Riding | How To Get Started?

SYCONYC.COM  > Uncategorized >  Life As A Bike Messenger 2022 | Health Benefits Of Bike Riding | How To Get Started?
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Quite a few people have asked me what is life like as a bike messenger, especially when it’s a nice spring or summer day. They think of us as being free-riding our bikes around and yes that is a part of the job, but I always tell them it depends on a person’s character. Not everyone is cut out for life as a bike messenger, it’s a lot of work so for those who don’t enjoy exercise it will be a challenge and this can either encourage someone or do the total opposite. My advice for anyone that is curious is to just go out there and try it out because you might discover a passion you never knew you had, and there are many health benefits of bike riding all day so that’s a plus, watching over your health is always a great thing. I was always a very active person but never thought I’d be so passionate about riding around the city delivering food and documents and becoming the hardcore messenger that I am today.

Bike Messenger Work Is Fun But Hard

Working as a bike messenger in New York City has its many challenges. It’s great if you are passionate about riding your bike around, you will kill time quickly, and no day is the same. Riding around NYC traffic is like a maze, always with a different pattern and full of unexpected surprises so you have to be alert at all times. Who is most likely to enjoy this job? Besides having a passion for riding, you have to be prepared to work in all kinds of weather, hot or cold, dry or wet. The hours can be long, so you have to be in great condition and then there is the loneliness. Sure you can stop by a hangout spot and chill out with some of the homies, but most of the time you will be by yourself. So if you don’t like working alone then this job might not be for you. The pay is also a major factor. You are not going to make much per drop but if you put in the hours on a busy day, you will take home a nice amount.

How To Become a Bike Messenger | 5 Steps To Get Started

I don’t come across many people who ask me how to become a bike messenger but I do know they are out there, and I try to encourage couriers when I come across them because I know not everyone chose to be a courier because they wanted to, some felt they had no other option but there is always an option. I just feel that if they are out there riding a bike, they might as well learn to enjoy it. Some will get it, some won’t unfortunately, but if they learn the skills and begin to realize the freedom they have, and that they can become pros, join competitions, then maybe this will help them view themselves as professional athletes/entrepreneurs rather than just some bike messenger because that’s what I am, an underground athlete riding around the city delivering peoples packages on time. Below are 5 steps to get started for those interested in getting their foot in the door.

  • If you are curious go out there and do it, the longer you think about it the more you will find reasons why not to do it.
  • There are plenty of gigs out there such as UberEats, Doordash, and Capsule.
  • Don’t make the same mistake I did and look like a complete amateur, get a decent bike that works for you, not a Walmart bike or some used torn-down bike. Get a nice road bike if you can’t ride fixed, but if you want to try a fixed gear please be careful and practice, don’t rush, ride slow if you have to. If you want to ride an electric bike go ahead but that’s not my style.
  • I recommend taking it easy at first so your body can adjust, and make sure to do plenty of exercise at home on your off days to improve your physical conditioning so you can perform at your best and you will notice you’ll be able to ride longer.
  • Eat healthy foods that will provide you with the energy you’ll need and help you recover after a hard day of work, eat plenty of healthy proteins and carbs, protein shakes are great, together with multivitamins,  and fish oil pills for superb health. You can learn more about the benefits of fish oil by clicking here.  Also, be sure to read up on my review on Bulksupplements.

Health Benefits Of Bike Riding

One of the great things about being a courier is that you will make an income while getting exercise at the same time. I always found it more challenging to exercise after work. I made it a routine when I was in IT to hit the boxing gym after work. It wasn’t easy I had to make it a habit, but if your looking to be in shape, and think you’d enjoy making some money riding your bike then this will be an easy thing for you, just watch out for your calorie intake, or should I say stay away from fast food, make sure you consume healthy calories since your body will require more calories with all that bike riding along with plenty of fluids, but it is okay to treat yourself every now and then and grab a burger or some pizza. I do this every Friday. So what are some of the benefits of bike riding?

  • Do you have skinny legs and are tired of looking like a flamingo? Your worries are about to be over, yes ladies and gentlemen, riding your bike is the cure to this strange disease. You will definitely notice a change in your legs, regular cycling will tone up your thighs and calf’s nicely, especially if you follow a lower body workout routine, cycling alone though is enough to make changes, and it’s easy, all you gotta do is pedal and that’s it.
  • You will develop great cardiovascular health all while looking cool riding your bike, not on a Walmart bike though, and looking cool will come within time as you get more experience so be careful out there, please. New York City contains plenty of hills that will increase stamina and build your leg and abdominal muscles, just make sure to take in the proper nutrients to get results, Bulk Supplements offers a great line of products that can help you achieve your fitness goals.
  • Bike riding is a great stress reliever, I can’t think of a day when I got home with any stress. If you are feeling down, get on your bike, turn on your Bluetooth speaker and enjoy a nice ride, if it’s sunny out even better.

Ready To Give It A Try?

For those who were wondering about life as a bike messenger, after reading this article and watching the above videos I hope you better understand just how cool and important we are to society, and the health benefits of bike riding are just amazing. If you have been thinking about becoming a bike courier then I hope you found this information helpful and motivational. You should now have a clearer picture of what it’s like to be a bike messenger, I even provided 5 steps to get started. Also, you must be creative, if you are a photographer, an artist of any kind, and are always looking for fun ways to put a puzzle together then you will have no issue with this job, I have gotten packages that wouldn’t fit in my bag that’s why I carry a heavy-duty bungee cord and try to figure out how to strap it to my bag without it falling off. In this life everything is possible. I hope you enjoyed this post, there will be more fun stuff ahead, please leave your comments/questions down below and I will be more than happy to answer them.

All The Best,

Emilio “SYCONYC” Simon

10 thoughts on “Life As A Bike Messenger 2022 | Health Benefits Of Bike Riding | How To Get Started?”

  1. Very interesting – it must be nice to have a job that is “healthy”. I do have to ask though – how is it being a bike messenger in NY in the winter? How does that work?

    1. Hi Trish, yes it really is and I also enjoy the freedom of being out. Being a bike messenger during the winter is not as bad as most people think, it’s actually the most comfortable time to be riding around because riding keeps you warm and dry, I believe people walking around all bundled up are colder than those who are in constant motion. It’s all about training your body and mind to adapt. Spring is still great for riding, I do begin to sweat more now but when summer comes, I will be drenched in sweat and when it rains during the summer I am not afraid to get wet, I just make sure to keep packages dry. During the winter the most challenging time to ride is during a snow storm or extreme cold temperatures. I get all layered up for winter and as for the it sucks because then my bike get’s all dirty and that means I have to clean it up real well when I get home. When I first started working as a messenger during the winter I did it because I wanted to make a change in my life, and I knew that the only way to do that was to put myself through some challenging moments to help me prepare for tough moments ahead. Life won’t always be perfect, so in order for the human mind not to break down we have to train it to handle anything life throws at it. I got this idea from David Goggins, look him up 🙂

  2. Emilio,

    What a unique & free perspective you must have from day to day. I’m sure there are some mundane aspects, but each day depends on what kinds of jobs you get through your apps. I’m fascinated at people like yourself who are so resourceful & disciplined that they can get up & create a career on their own terms, doing what they want to do. Kudos to you! The most important lessons I would take from your 5 steps – physical conditioning & nutrition are a must & don’t get a whoopti bike! You are only as good as your equipment & your body. Thanks for the insight! I look forward to reading more about your experience.

    1. Hey Angela, thank you, yes unique indeed, everyday is different, no day is the same. Anyone can create a career out of anything, that’s what some don’t realize. Society forces people to believe that they have to go to school get good grades, go to college and get a degree so you can get a great job. So even if someone know’s what they like, they are forced to forget that and go for something they don’t like, even if they have some interest, but that’s not good enough. I think the best thing to do is for a person to ask themselves what are they passionate about? What are they good at? Everyone has a unique talent, but almost nobody is trained to figure it out and then build up on that talent. I like the saying, hard work beats talent. People can have all the talent in the world but if they don’t develop that talent, they won’t succeed. When I first worked as a courier, I sucked but I learned the way 😀 It isn’t for everyone, and not everybody will get it but I feel bad when I see young couriers out there ill prepared to be able to handle their tasks properly. So I created this page to give them helpful information, and teach them things a long the way. Like a coach. Maybe they can start enjoying their work more and see this as an opportunity. When I started working with apps I was able to understand why these apps were designed. I think most couriers who sign up fail to see that these apps are not designed to provide employment, they are designed to help you build your own business by allowing you to work on your own schedule and have all the freedom you need to take care of other tasks you may have throughout the day. But you know what, I was a wild teen, if these apps existed when I was 19, I’d be riding all day having fun and probably drink beer with friends afterwards 😀 Discipline and the right nutrition is definitely necessary to get the most out of it. I am glad you enjoyed reading my content.

  3. Combining the heath benefits of cycling and earning money while doing it is in my view a great combination and I wish there were more opportunities to do so. The only down side that is immediately apparent is the inclement weather that can make riding not only uncomfortable but also dangerous.

    Do you know if there are specific personal insurances that should be taken out in the event of accidents as I imagine that the risks for messengers is real and can be life threatening? I imagine there is personal medical cover that will be able to assist in the event of accidents or would you say that standard medical insurance would be sufficient?

    Rich

  4. Hello Emilio,

    What an original post! I have to say I admire you for loving the cycling, I do not like this kind of exercise personally so much. But I fully agree that from point of exercise and health it has to be a great job indeed. Not sure, where exactly you live, but in my country, in the winter this could be quite dangerous:).

    I also agree this job is very important and is great that people do it. What I would have a little problem personally is acting with real people (the senders or receivers), but I can imagine you as men have no problem with this:).

    Anyway, to be so much in nature and earn money at the same time would be fantastic!

    Thank you for your post!

    All the best

    Renata

  5. Interesting post about using a bike for work. Don’t you get scared of the cars around you? New York City is super big with heavy traffic, I would be scared of careless drivers. One more thing, how about where the sidewalk and street meet? The sidewalk is always on a higher level than the street. How do you manage this part? I like tips you gave on how to prepare the body before you start biking.You provided a lot of useful information in this article: Combining a hobby with work together while getting good exercise. Awesome!

  6. Hi Emilio

    I love your article and how you channel your passion for riding through to using it to do what you want to do as a job and now encouraging and promoting it through writing. I share in your passion and it’s challenges, I used to be a courier myself.  I have great admiration for your writing and the wisdom to make an attempt to convert curious individuals to get going and find out themselves from practice and indeed, who knows what passion within themselves they might discover!

    Thanks for sharing

    Allan

  7. Great article about becoming a bike messenger. I think working as a bike messenger is admirable. You are out there taking risks in heavy traffic and also risking your health in poor weather if you are not careful. You have described the benefits of such a job quite well and it is nice to be able to combine work and fitness all at once.

    Your advice for all those who want to try this line of work is well written. Enough of the right type of food and supplements is essential to perform each day in such a physically challenging job.

    I am wondering though about how does polluted air from car exhausts impact your health while negotiating heavy traffic in New York?

  8. Great article about becoming a bike messenger. I think working as a bike messenger is admirable. You are out there taking risks in heavy traffic and also risking your health in poor weather if you are not careful. You have described the benefits of such a job quite well and it is nice to be able to combine work and fitness all at once.

    Your advice for all those who want to try this line of work is well written. Enough of the right type of food and supplements is essential to perform each day in such a physically challenging job.

    I am wondering though about how does polluted air from car exhausts impact your health while negotiating heavy traffic in New York?

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