Bicycle messenger

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Bicycle messengers, also called bike couriers, work for courier companies delivering items by bike. They mostly operate in city centers where traffic and parking are problems. Biking helps deliveries stay on time because bikes can move through jams and avoid parking fees.

To stay safe, messengers lock their bikes during deliveries and carry basic gear: weather‑proof clothing, a map, and a clipboard for manifests or receipts. They usually ride with a messenger bag worn across the chest for quick access to documents and items. Some use baskets, racks, or cargo bikes for larger loads.

History in brief
- After bicycles were invented in the 1860s, people began delivering by bike.
- In the 1870s, Paris had bicycle couriers; in the 1890s, U.S. cities used bicycle telegraph messengers.
- A San Francisco company founded in 1945 helped popularize bike messengers in the U.S.
- By the late 1970s, bike courier services were common in many American cities.
- Europe revived bike messengers in 1983, with London pioneers helping spread the idea.
- By the late 1980s, cycle couriers were common in London; Europe and North America grew, and in 1993 hundreds attended the Cycle Messenger World Championships in Berlin.
- Since then, bike messengers have spread to Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and parts of Latin America.

What they deliver
Messengers handle a wide range of items, from important legal documents and artwork to everyday goods. They also move digital content on discs or hard drives when emailing isn’t practical. The rise of digital communication has reduced some demand for same‑day deliveries, but fast courier service is still needed.

Work and pay
Work status varies. Some messengers are independent contractors paid by piece rate; others are employees with benefits. Wages can be low and safety is a concern, as injury rates are high and there have been fatalities in some cities. Income is hard to estimate because pay is often per delivery.

Regulation
Regulations vary by city. Some places require licensing or bike plates. Examples include licensing in Boston, plates in Calgary, and a licensing test in Vancouver.

Gear and practices
The essential tool is the bike. Large cities with flat terrain are friendly to fixed‑gear bikes. Messengers carry a bag with big capacity (often up to about 50 liters). They may use cargo bikes or cargo trikes for big loads. Helmets, lights, and fenders are common. For dispatch, they use two‑way radios, cell phones, or PDAs, and many large services use GPS tracking and digital platforms.

In culture
Bike messengers have influenced urban fashion—popular single‑strap messenger bags and cycling caps. They appear in films and TV shows and have a long history of competitions, including the Cycle Messenger World Championships since 1993. Some famous athletes, like Olympic cyclists, once worked as messengers.