I sort of disagree with the comment about being a mechanic is likely to make you sick of bikes. I have been a bicycle mechanic off and on since 1997. I love it. It is the best job I have ever had. Sure there are parts of it that suck. Working of huffys, cheapskate customers who think you are out to take them for a ride ect. I think any job can get old and make you burnt out but this seems to be different for me. the main thing is I love bikes. not just sexy lugged fixed gears or handmade ti road bikes. I love bicycles flat out. I love riding them I love working them I love what they do for us. I can see a certain amount of beauty in most bikes. even if it is a huffy that is falling apart that should be thrown in the trash. it probably makes someone happy or gets them to work on time. sure tire changes get old and whatnot but for the most part I really enjoy my job and I think it is what you make it. that’s just my opinion though. I know people who hate the bicycle industry and get burnt in less than a year. I would love to be a messenger but I don't think I have the balls to do it.

cutter, i feel the same way about bicycles, and i've been looking for jobs in shops, but no one seems to want to hire me because i have very little shop experience.

this is really getting on my nerves because i have like, 6 bikes that i built myself and maintain.

it just infuriates me that NO ONE will give me a ****ing chance out here.

grrrr.....someone give me a job god dammit.

yeah i know how that can be. we turn people down all the time. i went to barnett bicycle institute when i was in high school so that helped me get a job at a shop right off the bat. BBI is in this town so in a way it sort of sucks because everyone has gone there so mechanics are everywhere. i would try and get your foot in the door doign sale and then prove to them you can wrench.

Hey.

I was a bike courier for a few years here in Toronto. It's no picnic. Especially in the dead of winter. But the money is live-able if you work hard. A few companies will pay a straight salary if they don't have many bikers but a lot of cars. It's called a guarantee. Typically around $400cdn a week. if you get a better guarantee than that, you're a star. If you accept a lower guarantee than that, you're a rookie. Otherwise, you'll typically make 55-60% of your deliveries. The heavier the package, the more you get paid. The bigger the package, the more you get paid. The faster it needs to be at it's destination the more you get paid. This is the most lucrative way. Weight, size, etc, only increase the cost minimally. But if a company needs a delivery done in less than thirty minutes as opposed to in 5 hours..well, it can be ten times as expensive. Oh, and the further it has to go, the more you make. Expext to do 30-40 calls a day. Maybe 80-100klms (with a load on your back) a day unless you get a core downtown job (Called a core *****). But the money's not as good.
A good courier in Toronto can make good money. But take into account that you don't get paid if you don't work. Illness or injury can be very expensive. And given the very nature of the business, you'll find yourself injured or sick at some time or other. It doesn't matter if you're the best rider in the city. **** happens.
Not to mention, that you can pretty much guarantee that when the weather is worst, more couriers will stay home and if you're working, you'll be busy. Yes, you make more money, but at the cost of having to ride in the worst conditions to do so. I've ridden in -25 or -30 not including wind chill factor. Deep snow, ice, freezing rain, high winds, etc. Try staying warm. it's almost impossible. In and out of warm buildings and cold or wet weather, etc.
Despite the crappy side of being a courier, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It's a very addictive job. No immediate supervision. When the weather is good, the riding is good. And plenty to look at. The comraderie is second to none. Once you make some friends, it's a world unto itself. It was hard to escape from it, but I still look back on some of the best times I ever had as a courier.

hi
lowufo to your post is nothing to add.
i work since 2 years as bike messenger

chris

Then get ride of the IV drip.

Life without coffee is hardly life.

seriously though, i don't drink coffee, although the other night i had some after dinner and whoa boy did it screw me up good.

i'm a tiny guy. a tiny guy who rarely consumes stimulants (like coffee) so i drank like, half a cup, mixed with some amaretto, and on top of a couple martinis that i had earlier in the night. later, the girlf and i went to see return of the king and i was bouncing off the walls in the theater lobby....literally. then when we were sitting there watching the movie, it felt like my insides were tying themselves in knots and pretty much every muscle was tensing up on its own. even after the movie was over i still felt really off. i couldn't focus on anything, and it just felt like i had a layer of fog between the back of my eyes and my brain.

then i couldn't get to sleep because i felt like i had to puke...like everything was all spinny, and NOT from the alcohol, because it usually takes at least 4 martinis to do that....so i puked and then went to sleep. kugel does not look very nice coming back out.

i've had a lot of adverse reactions to caffeine in the past, so i don't think i'll be injesting it anymore.

JUST THOUGHT I'D SHARE!!!!!!

Amen, brother.

Caffeine is evil!