• Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Policy
  • Guest Post
  • Archive

One Cent At A Time

A Personal finance blog to get rich

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Beautiful Life
  • Becoming Rich
  • Beginners Guide
  • Extra Income
  • Productivity
  • Saving Money

How to Prep Your Bike for Earning Side Income

April 21, 2018 2 Comments

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Congrats! You scored that summer job as a bike messenger. Maybe you’re delivering for Uber Eats. Maybe delivering mail. Either way, getting a job as a bike messenger is a fantastic way to make money and stay active at the same time.

How to Prep Your Bike for Becoming a Bike Messenger

Prepping for your bike messenger job is important. There are a few key things to keep in mind before your first day. Don’t get caught without these items.

Make your rides easy by knowing how to prep your bike for becoming a bike messenger. Read on and put these on your checklist!

Make sure your bike meets safety standards

You’ll need to examine the bike you currently want to use and ask yourself if it could actually handle long distances and endurance. Being a bike messenger doesn’t mean strolling down the street and grabbing the coffee.

Bike prices can range from pretty cheap to thousands of dollars, so it depends on what your budget is. Consider it an investment into your new lifestyle as a bike messenger.

Safety is key here, so you want a bike that offers powerful breaks and that isn’t rickety. Vintage bikes are awesome, but probably not for your new bike messenger job.

The Fuji Supreme is a good choice that will get you where you need to be fast. You can find this one at Performance Bike.

It’s an aerodynamic bike that is lightweight enough to let you zip around and drop off items quickly. The rims are wrapped in Vittoria Rubino Pro tires, offering an “unbelievably smooth ride.”

It looks good and it’s dependable, and Performance Bike usually has free shipping promo codes and other offers available to make it more affordable.

If that bike was a little much, there are road bikes like the Nashbar Touring Bike. This bike is made for the street and will carry you to drop off after drop off.

This one is made with a chromoly frame and fork, so you can depend on it to work. It also offers smooth gear changes and an aluminum rear rack. The Tektro linear pull brakes make sure you are equipped with quality breaks – something your life could depend on during your work shifts.

Nashbar always offers free shipping on orders over $49 (so, any bike ever) and offers other promo codes and savings as well.

Bottom line – make sure your bike can handle the road and will be guaranteed to deliver food with no issues.

Get a basket

You’ll need something to hold your packages in if you don’t use a backpack. You can get a basket for super cheap at Walmart and it’ll do the job.

Get A basket

Another thing to think about is drinks. If you’re delivering for Postmates or any other food delivery service, you’ll need a safe spot to keep drinks for your customers. A good one is a sturdy choice from State Bicycle.

If you need more space, you can get this cute IKEA Bicycle Trailer (SLADDA). It’ll trail along behind you to help carry orders (plus, promo codes and sale offers do exist).

Just make this your bike trailer, or get this as well as a front basket for larger orders.

Bring water

Stay hydrated while you’re on your bike messenger job. This means bringing water with you. Staying hydrated and alert is important since you will be riding around town near cars and other potentially dangerous motor vehicles. But where should you store your beverage? This is where a good side holder can come in handy.

REI sells a beverage holder that will keep your water bottle locked in, and they’re usually always offering a 15% off promo code, or another type of sale.

Keep it wherever is convenient for you while you’re getting from point A to point B.

You can also get a simple holder that goes on near your handlebars. This stainless steel holder comes with a mounting bracket. You can find it on Amazon.

This one goes on easy and acts as more of a looser cup holder than something that secures the drink.\

Helmets are necessary

It might seem “uncool” to wear a helmet, but it’s a matter of life or death. The amount of time you’ll be spending on your bike can increase the chances of you getting into a serious accident. The longer your shifts are, the higher the chances are for something to happen.

Stay safe. Wear a helmet and reduce the chance of injury. They have helmets on the market that actually look cool and aren’t big and bulky like helmets from the ’90s.

The Lazer Bullet helmet from Competitive Cyclist is low key and works well. It’s on the pricier end, but you usually can score a $10 off promo code or some other type of discount to make it worth it.

This all-black helmet was created by a company that’s been making helmets for over 100 years, so you’re buying from a solid brand. Lazer partners with a Swedish brand called MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System) that designs the inner layer of protection.

Prepare for the weather

Is it mostly going to be hot outside? Will it rain? These are things to consider when you’re planning what the days will be like while you’re out delivering.

If it’s hot outside, you must use SPF. Sun damage and risk of cancers of the skin is too high, and you’ll be out in the sun a lot.

A great sunscreen is Sun Bum SPF 70, which is strong enough to shield you from harmful rays. You can get this almost anywhere, but Dermstore offers promo codes to get instant discounts.

This broad spray sunscreen will get every inch of your skin to make sure you’re not exposed to sunlight. One ingredient to point out is Vitamin E which protects you from free-radical damage.

For rain, you’ll need protection from getting soaked. You’re going to get wet since there’s no way to carry an umbrella while you ride. But, you can do your best to stay dry!

A good rain jacket will help you deliver packages without being too uncomfortable with moisture. You can choose to go casual or pick a pro’s jacket. For a casual but trusty jacket, the polyester Nuckily Riding Coat from Light in the Box is a good one.

It’s fabric wicks away moisture and offers reflective strips to catch drivers eyes when you’re near. Look here for Light in the Box promo codes to get discounts.

For a jacket that you can wear casually, the L.L. Bean Trail Model Rain Jacket is a coat that will look cool on or off the bike.

A good, basic rain jacket like this will withstand any styles or trends that come and go. Check for L.L. Bean discount codes or coupons.

Conclusion

After reading these pieces of advice, we hope you are now aware of how to prep your bike for becoming a bike messenger. Convenience and comfort are key and safety is a must!

LIKE THIS POST?
I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( more information )
Join our community of 8000+ subscribers to increase your net worth and build wealth
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
The tool that changed the way I manage my personal finance - Personal Capital, The Best Free Personal Finance Tool

Want to start a WordPress blog now? The onecentatatime.com blog is hosted by Siteground Web Hosting. For only $3.95 a month, Siteground can help you set up and host your website/blog quickly and easily.

About the Blogger Hi I am SB, a personal finance enthusiast with a career in software development. I am an immigrant to the USA since 2005, after being born and brought up in India. This 40 something technocrat lives and breathes personal finance whenever he gets time from the day job, job as a husband and a dad

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, if you make a purchase following the links, I may earn a commission. Read affiliate disclosure here
« Learn Before You Start Stock Investing
Exploring The Best Ways To Supplement Your Income in 2018 »

Comments

  1. Troy Bombardia @ Bull Market says

    April 22, 2018 at 8:12 PM

    It’s crazy how fast the jobs landscape is changing nowadays. I remember when even 4 years ago Ubereats and similar companies were not even really a thing. I have a lot of friends who are driving for Uber in their spare time nowadays.

    Reply
    • SB says

      April 24, 2018 at 8:49 PM

      You can say jobs are getting created. But at the same time more and more jobs are vanishing due to automation and robotics. How many times do you see a manned toll booth these days?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.



Create your own blog in 20 minutes and $20

Personal Capital, a free tool to change your financial health today

I use and suggest Upstart, for your personal loan need

CreditKarma, a free tool to check your credit scorey

I use Coinbase, for my crypto investments

101 Cents at a Time

101 Ways to Earn Extra Money on the Side
201 Frugal and Perfect Birthday Gifts
101 Ways to Save Money Everyday
101 Ways to be Better and Successful at Work
101 Ways to Save Environment and Energy
101 Frugal and Romantic Anniversary Ideas
101 Low-Cost Men's Fashion Ideas
101 Personal Finance Tips
101 Ways to Reuse Household Stuff
101 Things to Do, When Nothing to Do
101 College Graduation Gift Ideas
100 Tips for Ecommerce Startup
101 Ways to Enjoy Indoor During Winter
101 Ways to Beat Procrastination

Popular Posts

Quick Cash - How to make $100 legally, in a day
Living well on less than $15,000 a Year
Top survey sites for side income
What to do when auto repair goes wrong
Where should I invest my money now?
20 Ways to be productive and happy at work
51 Ways to get out of debt
Be a better person in 15 days, 15 ways
Income ideas for retirees and senior citizens
51 side jobs for college students
Urgently need a large amount of money?
Should I buy or should I rent?
Best Personal loan providers
25 Ways to save environment
25 DIY car repairs to save money
How to decorate office cubicle
How to show your wife you care
50 Financial Rules for Success
51 Frugal weekend family activity ideas
Become Rich By Saving 1 Hour Of Daily Wage
How much do I need to save for retirement?
How to negotiate your salary

Follow us on FaceBook

About Author

SB

Blogger by choice and IT manager by profession. Finance is my passion and gardening is my greatest satisfaction. Born in India, settled in US, Husband and a father. I created this blog in 2011 with a vision to help others. Thanks for your patronage. More info on my "about" page.

View all posts


Subscribe

Join our community of 5000+ subscribers to increase net worth and build wealth

Advertisements

Personal Stories

How I got a new HP computer replaced
Was COVID circulating in USA in fall of 2019?
How my credit score went up 800+
Why I didn’t invest in Bitcoins
How I controlled impulses to buy things
Why this blog is named One Cent at a Time

Subscribe via Email

Site Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in this web site are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Read full Affiliate disclosure


One Cent at a Time is published by SB. The opinions expressed herein by him are his own and not those of his employer or anyone else. All content on One Cent at a Time is for entertainment purposes only. By reading this blog, you agree that SB and/or One Cent at a Time is not responsible for any actions taken after reading this blog. For the full disclaimer, click here .

Major Media Mention

One Cent at a Time Media Appearances

Copyright © 2023 One Cent At A Time · Designed by Nuts and Bolts Media