Delivered the Asbury Park Press for 5 years (1969-1974) I was actually too young when I started but my Mom was the supervisor of the carriers so I got a special dispensation. Not only was I too young I was too small. At first I delivered using my Ross Barracuda (stringray style) bike. I had to put a big knot in the newsbag shoulder strap to make it short enough to keep it out of the works. My Mom quickly sewed "Z" folds in the strap. Later I devised a method of hanging the bag from the handlebars but eventually got a big giant front basket.

After about a year I bought with my own money a 3 speed Robin Hood. That bike lasted me for about 3 years of hard work. Then I finally purchased a 10 speed. About 5 or 6 months of delivering papers on my 10 speed I ran into a parked car and bent the frame and forks. Was able to get it to work for delivering papers but was not fun to do recreational rides. My sister gave me her 10 speed AMF Roadmaster that bike got me through college.

I always had enough money to buy things thanks to the paper route. It also got me out on the bike a lot. My route was about 5 miles long but no hills.

My brother, a year younger also had a route, He was bigger than me and always used the bag with shoulder strap. One day while delivering his papers the bag got wedged between the front wheel and forks causing the wheel to suddenly lock up. He lost two front teeth in that incident. We both delivered our papers using toe clips and straps and sew-up tires. That is once we both got 10 speed bikes.