I wasn’t ever a paper boy but I was a bike messenger in Baltimore back in the late 80’s for a while

Early '60's , collecting $$$ was the hard part.

I last delivered the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin in 1962 and no longer have my bag, but my cousin gave me her late brother's bag about a decade ago. John was at lest six years older than me so I assume this bag was last used in the late 50's.

I don't know what kind of bicycle I used back then to deliver papers, but it had a big basket in front in which I placed the paper bag with some of papers already folded for a fling off the bike while still moving. Handling was always touchy and I remember once dumping a load of papers into the street when I got fouled up in the 52 trolley's tracks at a location near where this photo was taken. The 52 trolley line was converted to bus service in 1956 but the tracks were still there for many years waiting to trap careless or unwary bike riders. I remember squashing pennies on the tracks via the 52 trolley wheels prior to 1956 as I lived nearby.

Interesting, almost hard to believe, knowing how heavy stacks of paper can be.

I was recently moving comparable amount of National Geographic and the estimated weight was a few hundred pounds (300-400lb?). My car, minivan Honda Odyssey was visibly overloaded in the back, and the real suspension sagging, and yet this bike rear tire is barely giving in. I do not even want to discuss the stability of such an arrangement.

Well, after all the photo is from the Internet.

In 1977? Not likely.
I scanned it in directly from the Bicycling! Dec 1977 issue.

I was wondering the same thing. My best guess is this was a publicity shot with everything being specially prepped, including tire pressure?

The other rather confusing features of this photo are the shadows, one can see the bike's front wheel shadow somewhat recognizable, the rest is a smudge with the shadow of the boy sitting on the pile missing (~8ft), and car shadows either missing or pointing to different light/sun direction.

My first job in junior high was delivering The Dallas Morning News. I actually hated it. Did that for 6 months then jot a job at our dollar movie theater. But the other day I was thinking.... I've got a paycheck every month of my life since I was 14 years old haha. I rarely see teenagers with jobs anymore, even the few paper deliveries I see are adults in cars. It seems like it's all adults working the minimum wage jobs now but of course they think they deserve to get paid big bucks as if those jobs are intended to support families which they aren't.

I delivered the Anchorage Daily Times,an evening paper,after school in 71’ and 72’. Give or take fifty papers.
Folded them for throwing unless it was raining,then you had to stuff them in plastic bags. Wednesdays were the worst for bulk/weight of sales ads. Delivered on my stingray when it wasn’t snowy. Might have made $20 a month with tips. Years later I realized the competing morning paper,the Anchorage Daily News,was liberal and the Times was conservative.I had no idea what right and left was at 13 yrs old. Subsequently the Times folded and left the city with only a liberal press and it remains that way today.

I delivered papers in the mid 60's for several months in the Winter before figuring out the money was terrible and made my money caddying, cutting grass, and shoveling snow. I also did Sunday paper delivery in the mid 70's to help a friend out, 3 am start and 8 am finish for 5 bucks. Then, I went to golf course and made $14 for 4 hours looping.

Hit two/skip one/hit three skip two/hit one/skip one/hit two/skip one.

I subbed in for two guys’ local routes, when they couldn’t do it.

I was 14. Did it on my Huffy.
Collecton day was Friday.
One woman always came to the door with No Top ON.

I bet collecting day was interesting...

Waukegan News-Sun, back in the 60's. I could land those rolled up papers on the porches from my my J.C. Higgins. Except in the winter with snow on the ground.

Sometimes ya could spend more time trying to collect then deliver. Good Training...

I delivered college student apartments and then a very high end neighborhood back in the late 60s and early 70s. Did it all on my one-speed Schwinn with baskets in back. I credit the hills for building some incredibly strong cycling legs. I also credit the routes for two entirely different sets of life lessons on collection days.

Yup, I was a paperboy from about 1967 to 1969. Here's a shot of my brother and I in 1968 about to set off on our paper routes. I'm riding my brand spanking new red Raleigh Record 10-speed, bought for about $70 with my paper delivery proceeds. My brother is riding his Schwinn Lemon Peeler Stingray that he got for christmas. The hardest parts of this job were trying to collect money from deadbeat adults, and delivering in the pouring rain.

I stopped a customer who hadn't paid in 3 months. Apparently he was a state assemblyman, lol. I heard about that one.

Mine was blue and heavy, coaster brakes and a huge basket in front and 2 over the shoulder bags
I can't remember make!


gm

I delivered the Long Beach Press Telegram when I was in Jr. High 1978-79
I rode a Huffy Thunder Road. I had my bag tied to my handlebars. I actually popped the downtube weld at the bottom bracket while carrying a load of Sunday papers. I'm sure it was just a crappy cold weld because I remember it just popped off. It was a bike just like this one.

Delivered the Erie Times. Sold enough new subscriptions to win a trip to the 1964 World’s Fair.

Mike

Just saw these bike bar bag hooks, if anyone is restoring their old route ride.

Bag Hooks - ebay

I was a paperboy for exactly 1 week. Hated it and then quit.

I do have a story though of a paperboy from my hometown. Every town has its characters and my hometown that was much like Mayberry had its characters too.

The local paperboy or legend was a man named Pickles. No one knew how he got his name either. My father was born in 1920 and remembers Pickles delivering papers when he was a kid. I came of age in the 60's and can vividly remember Pickles riding around delivering papers. He delivered 7 different papers throughout the day. He delivered 6 days a week, winter, summer, rain or shine.

What makes him a legend is the fact of not only did he deliver papers for over 60 years but is also where. I grew up in SW Pennsylvania. It is very hilly there and to have these routes and deliver on a fixed gear bike is beyond belief. He had one of those large wire baskets on the front of his bike and he wore faded green Dickie pants. Never wore sneakers either. My HS AD said he was the best conditioned person he ever knew. I did a basic estimation on his routes and mileage and came up with a conservative figure of over 100k miles, all on a fixed gear bike into his 70's.

I did take my road bike back home and rode around town and believe me, it was some tough sledding even though I have climbed Mt Mitchell in NC about 5 times and ridden the Blue Ridge Parkway. I really can't believe this guy did this and to think he did this for his whole life and 6 days a week. Many said he would pass out from shear exhaustion at night from the riding. The town's people tried to get him on a scooter when he got older but he tired one and did not like it so it was back to the bike.

The local resident long time writer ended up writing a book about local fokelore and included a chapter on his life. Man what a story. Long live Pickles, a great paperboy but maybe one of the greatest cyclists ever!

john

great story! I paused near to the end, to consider “how many truckloads…..no, freight cars! of papers did he deliver through the years.

Ride On Pickles!!