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NOLA bike couriers

Old 03-04-09, 05:30 PM
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NOLA bike couriers

Do they exist? Whenever I'm downtown and I see a dude with a huge messenger bag I can't tell if he's the real deal or not anymore. Anyways, I'll be working 28 on/14 off in a few months here and I want something to fill the gap.
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Old 03-04-09, 05:35 PM
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Messenger services prefer riders who can do a 5 on/2 off schedule.
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Old 03-04-09, 06:51 PM
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Buy yourself a Pedicab and haul tourists around the Quarter.
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Old 03-04-09, 07:55 PM
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I lived in NOLA for about 3 years and rode a bike there. There are not hardly any messengers in that city. I don't think there are any. Besides that, it is really tough to get around on a road bike because the streets are SO bad. There are potholes and debris EVERYWHERE. Maybe there are a few messengers, but I really doubt it. Especially after the hurricane, there isn't really a need for them. I agree with what was said above, if you want money and want to pedal, become a pedicab downtown. Just be careful late at night, you WILL get jacked. 3 of my friends got mugged and my roommate got his car stolen while we lived there. I got the hell out, that place sucks
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Old 03-04-09, 09:14 PM
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I <3 nola. i've never seen any pedicabs, maybe i could just weld one together
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Old 03-05-09, 12:17 AM
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yeah, there is a guy here in Austin that made his own pedicab out of that stop-sign type metal...the one w/ all the holes in it? I'm sure there is a tech. name I am missing, but w/e. Point is, you should do it. You would bank$$
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Old 03-05-09, 12:26 AM
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Wait. Have any of you that are suggesting this actually BEEN to New Orleans in the summer?

The heat is down right oppressive and the humidity is not far from that of a steam room. No joke.

I grew up in Mobile, AL which is 2 hours east of New Orleans with very similar weather. When I was a kid we weren't allowed to go out and play between Noon and 4 or 5PM during parts of the summer because the heat was so bad.

Then there are the summer thunderstorms. DAILY summer thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Pedicab my a**. Stay inside if you want to survive.

Last edited by carleton; 03-05-09 at 12:32 AM.
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Old 03-05-09, 12:31 AM
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New Orleans averages a high of 85-91 degrees for 5 months straight. That is the AVERAGE high. Meaning that it goes UP from there as much as it goes down.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans#Climate

New Orleans is technically Humid Subtropical: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humid_subtropical_climate

Last edited by carleton; 03-05-09 at 09:30 AM.
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Old 03-05-09, 06:47 AM
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Originally Posted by PedallingATX
I lived in NOLA for about 3 years and rode a bike there. There are not hardly any messengers in that city. I don't think there are any. Besides that, it is really tough to get around on a road bike because the streets are SO bad. There are potholes and debris EVERYWHERE. Maybe there are a few messengers, but I really doubt it. Especially after the hurricane, there isn't really a need for them. I agree with what was said above, if you want money and want to pedal, become a pedicab downtown. Just be careful late at night, you WILL get jacked. 3 of my friends got mugged and my roommate got his car stolen while we lived there. I got the hell out, that place sucks
I lived there from '88 to '91 and there was a murder or two every night. And potholes big enough to swallow a bike.

Sounds like things haven't changed a bit.
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Old 03-05-09, 08:16 AM
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NOLA isn't as bad as people make it seem these days, you just have to be smart about it, else bad things can happen. I was born an raised there, and didn't have many problems myself, just gotta have the "street smarts."

On the topic of messengers, I never saw one before Katrina, and I have never seen one after. As someone said before, the streets are terrible both in terms of potholes and in terms of layout (it isn't a grid system and there are no bike lanes). The heat is also a serious issue, I could easily see someone getting significantly dehydrated very quickly just riding around down town.
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Old 03-05-09, 08:44 AM
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There was one messenger service before the storm but it doesn't exist anymore. If you want to get a job on bike in NOLA you have to deliver food in the Quarter,and that kinda sucks IMO. The city is tiny too, and there arent that many people who need messengers. From one end of the city to the other at its longest point its ~10-15 miles.

NOLA is getting better by the day. Yes there are HUGE pot holes but they are easily avoidable,and there are plenty of flat smooth roads to go ANYWHERE in the city. I ride fixed and love it, its the best way to get around down here.

And you guys are a bunch of ******* about the heat. I ride NOLA at least 350 days of the year and yes its hot, but not intolerable. You just have to be prepared for it.
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Old 03-05-09, 01:40 PM
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Man I rode from uptown to downtown today and I didn't really think the roads were that bad. Magazine was kinda rough uptown but that's about it. Drivers are better than I expected too. But ya, the heat is ****ing ridiculous here, I didn't really think about that.

I'm in Gretna now and the dude at the lbs around the corner told me there aren't any weekend rides on the Westbank. Is this true? What's a good lbs in NOLA or the surrounding area for bike/track stuff? I'm probably going to need some help building my panasonic up.
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Old 03-05-09, 02:17 PM
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Originally Posted by carleton
Wait. Have any of you that are suggesting this actually BEEN to New Orleans in the summer?

The heat is down right oppressive and the humidity is not far from that of a steam room. No joke.

I grew up in Mobile, AL which is 2 hours east of New Orleans with very similar weather. When I was a kid we weren't allowed to go out and play between Noon and 4 or 5PM during parts of the summer because the heat was so bad.

Then there are the summer thunderstorms. DAILY summer thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Pedicab my a**. Stay inside if you want to survive.
I agree, you are weak. I am from the south and I go on 40-60 mile road bike rides in the middle of summer in 105 degree heat. The heat isn't the problem in NOLA. The roads, and the crime are a big problem though. Maybe some of you haven't had problems yet, but I'm sure you all know people who have. And if you want to be a bike courier/pedicab/food delivery person, you might have to go to some unsavory places. In general, it is not a bike friendly city. But the heat is NOT the problem.
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Old 03-05-09, 02:39 PM
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Originally Posted by PedallingATX
I agree, you are weak. I am from the south and I go on 40-60 mile road bike rides in the middle of summer in 105 degree heat. The heat isn't the problem in NOLA. The roads, and the crime are a big problem though. Maybe some of you haven't had problems yet, but I'm sure you all know people who have. And if you want to be a bike courier/pedicab/food delivery person, you might have to go to some unsavory places. In general, it is not a bike friendly city. But the heat is NOT the problem.
I agree, you're a bad*****. But maybe you should try lashing on a heavy trailer and a couple of fat tourists for your next 40-60 mile mid-summer ride and report back.
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Old 03-05-09, 02:55 PM
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Originally Posted by PedallingATX
I agree, you are weak. I am from the south and I go on 40-60 mile road bike rides in the middle of summer in 105 degree heat. The heat isn't the problem in NOLA. The roads, and the crime are a big problem though. Maybe some of you haven't had problems yet, but I'm sure you all know people who have. And if you want to be a bike courier/pedicab/food delivery person, you might have to go to some unsavory places. In general, it is not a bike friendly city. But the heat is NOT the problem.
You're right, the heat isn't the real problem, it's the humidity.
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Old 03-05-09, 02:57 PM
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Originally Posted by kyselad
I agree, you're a bad*****. But maybe you should try lashing on a heavy trailer and a couple of fat tourists for your next 40-60 mile mid-summer ride and report back.
Yeah, you are right about that. i would not do those rides with a trailer. But you would never need to do 40-60 miles if you were pedicabbing. The point is, the heat is not a killer. You get used to it! The only downside is when your bike starts to rust from the amount of sweat constantly being dripped on it (just kididng). I personally go faster in the heat than I do in the cold. maybe it is because my muscles are warmer, but I can haul ass when it's hot. Then again, I am 21 years old, in pretty good shape, and I have lived in Texas and Louisiana for my whole life. It's all relative. I could never ride in anything under 50 degrees F.
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Old 04-01-09, 03:48 PM
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I live in New Orleans, and like PedallingATX said, you get used to the heat (AND the humidity!). Since when are cyclists afraid of a little sweat?
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Old 04-01-09, 05:40 PM
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sups pat

pics of the build when it's done...
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Old 04-01-09, 06:26 PM
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Pedicabs are, for all intents and purposes, illegal in NO. They grant MAYBE half a dozen special permits a year that are only good for 2-5 days each for various events.

There are a couple messengers but the work is slow. Before the storm there were maybe three companies and I believe there's only one now. The other two were ripping off the riders and once the storm hit the problem kind of took care of itself. Now the one company left is real slow, always. A lot of the work is legal and New Orleans (Orleans Parish) actually stretches across the river to Algiers so you'll get a tag from one courthouse downtown, over the river to the courthouse in Algeirs and the only way to get there is by overpass or the ferry. So the services "strongly prefer" that you have a car available. That and the CBD (central business district) is like four blocks by six blocks; tiny as hell.

Food delivery is an option but the jobs with the places that you're going to make good money (verdi mart, quarter master) are hard to get because they're steady and you make a good amount of change.

As for bike shops there are a few. Bike Michael's on Frenchman St. (good location, real central and easy to get to) The dudes are cool but the prices are a rip. Their main market is charging walk ins $25 to change a flat or someone ~$22 per wheel for a truing; if that's any indication of the rest of their prices. Another spot is Bayou Bikes out on Bayou St. John in Mid City. They're cool, the prices are on par with brick and mortar bike shops. If you roll in with a reasonable internet price the dude will usually come down to what it would be with shipping... he's cool as long as you're not a dick about it. There are a couple one man ops, one on Magazine @ Napoleon, guy's name is Mike. It's a tiny shop, normal prices and he does good work for reasonable rate. If you're in the area and you need someone to do your build I'd take it him. If you just need parts then get them online, nobody really stocks anything.

Check out nopolo.org and nolabikerace.com for info about stuff around town. There are maybe a dozen dudes who ride fixed on a regular basis and they're all cool; nobody's got any attitudes.
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Old 04-01-09, 09:58 PM
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I live in NOLA and needed messenger services yesterday and today because work did not permit me to run the deliveries myself. Certainly, I would prefer to hire someone on a bicycle as opposed to a car, but the main criteria for me is someone who is smart, responsible, and who knows what to do when delivering documents to the many different courts, Notarial Archives, other attorneys for signatures, etc.

Haywire II -- The business is Bicycle Michaels, and their rates are a fraction of what you have posted.

I love cycling in New Orleans and ride most every day but still not enough . . .
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Old 04-01-09, 10:45 PM
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It might just be me but, every time I read one of Carlton's posts, I picture Carlton from The Fresh Prince, and hear his voice as I'm reading it.
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Old 04-02-09, 06:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Jethro
I live in NOLA and needed messenger services yesterday and today because work did not permit me to run the deliveries myself. Certainly, I would prefer to hire someone on a bicycle as opposed to a car, but the main criteria for me is someone who is smart, responsible, and who knows what to do when delivering documents to the many different courts, Notarial Archives, other attorneys for signatures, etc.

Haywire II -- The business is Bicycle Michaels, and their rates are a fraction of what you have posted.

I love cycling in New Orleans and ride most every day but still not enough . . .
What kind of a fraction? like 7/10ths? 99/100ths? Just curious because your subjective comment may lead someone to believe that out of the three I listed they aren't the most expensive... which they are... with rates (including tax) of exactly (or within $1) of what I posted.

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Old 04-02-09, 11:03 AM
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Haywire II -- Bicycle Michaels charges $10 for labor on a flat repair and $5.50 for a standard tube. The total with tax comes to $16.90. The original post was not about which shop or shops in New Orleans are the most expensive. I really do not have an opinion on that question but do know that I get EXCELLENT service at Bicycle Michaels (and also at other shops if / when I go anywhere else). Jethro
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Old 04-06-09, 09:58 AM
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I dont know exact prices but Michaels is defenatly a rip off. A couple of the guys that work there are cool, but they are expensive. Notice I said some, there are like 3 awesome guys and the rest just point to that stupid sign they have.(Something along the lines of youll get good service, but it wont be quick.) My favorite bikeshop in NOLA is Adams Bicycle World in Jefferson. They are very reasonably priced and ALL of the guys that work there want to help you with yo *****. Gerkins Bike Shop on St Claude is a tiny shop like Mike's but hes got a ton of ***** and will bend over backwards to help you get stuff.

And if you are in NOLA come play polo,we always need more people...

And checkout this mini forum, its where some of us NOLA guys are.

https://www.nobikes.org/f/index.php


EDIT: Oh, and I dont know where you pulled $5.50 for a tube at Michaels from. Last time I got one they tried to charge me $9 +tax. It was $2 extra to get a tube with a long valve, it wasnt even a 60mm valve it was only a 42 or whatever it is. **** that! A tube should NOT cost $10.

Last edited by jace.; 04-06-09 at 10:05 AM.
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Old 04-06-09, 11:03 AM
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Bicycle Michael's charges $5.50 for a standard tube plus tax. The original poster asked about bicycle courier jobs in New Orleans, not about favorite bicycle shops. We are fortunate to have many good bicycle mechanics and shops in NOLA. Bashing any one of the businesses, particularly post-Katrina, is counter-productive and reflects poorly on the poster.
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