Bicycle Messenger / Courier

rider1000 · Post by **rider1000** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 1:08 pm

I'm wondering if there is anyone that has any experience either working as a bike messenger, or using a bike messenger. Do these kinds of jobs exist in Finland? Would this be a job that I could do effectively without speaking much Finnish yet?

I've just been legalized to work and I'll be looking for a job in the near future. I've always thought I would enjoy working as a bike messenger but have never lived in a city before. Now that I do, I thought I should give it a shot!

**Sponsor:**

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 1:36 pm

Well... there were some back in the day. Problem is when the snow comes. Looks like there is at least one http://www.citymail.fi/
Of course, if I was running a service I'd hire someone expecting them to "know" the city like someone whose ridden through it since they lost their safety wheels...

cors187 · Post by **cors187** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 3:46 pm

i think with the traffic light system here you would loose to much time waiting at the traffic lights,helsinki

Adrian42 · Post by **Adrian42** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 5:58 pm

cors187 wrote:i think with the traffic light system here you would loose to much time waiting at the traffic lights,helsinki

It's not worse than in other towns.

And when you know the town you can e.g. cycle from Kallio Church to Ruoholahti without passing a single traffic light.

cors187 · Post by **cors187** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:03 pm

If your willing to race around on a bike for cash then your options are more plentiful than you might expect.There must be a ton of jobs that need a guy with that attitude.

misu · Post by **misu** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 12:33 am

cors187 wrote:i think with the traffic light system here you would loose to much time waiting at the traffic lights,helsinki

You think bike messengers obey traffic lights...?

rider1000 · Post by **rider1000** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:35 am

Cars definitely aren't going to be faster than a bike at delivering things in a city.
And traffic lights are just one reason...

I'm in Turku, so it's a bit smaller than Helsinki. Anybody know of any businesses here?

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 11:47 am

I'm guessing that you are a nice person and i don't want to be too harsh here, however, a rudimentary google search gave me the name of one company operating in Turku. Maybe you could try that first.
Another thing, bike messenger jobs are currently quite coveted within the fixie scene. If you have only basic knowledge and experience riding the streets of Turku, then you have no real appeal to an employer over anyone else. Those dudes will know their way around town, speak the lingo, fix their own equipment as well as ride faster than you. Also, winter brings a whole bunch of other things into the equation.
Enthusiasm isn't everything, unfortunately...

rider1000 · Post by **rider1000** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:56 pm

I'm well aware that one needs to have certain skills for a job like that. I've got the cycling skills, I taught Mountain Biking classes in the US for 2 years, it's only my lack of experience navigating in Turku that worries me (and maybe the Finnish winter...). I'm gonna guess that the company you found is the only one I've found.

Thanks for that.

cors187 · Post by **cors187** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 11:23 pm

GPS makes navigating a no brainer.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 12:24 am

rider1000 wrote: navigating in Turku that worries me (and maybe the Finnish winter...).

Turku don't have Finnish winter.

rider1000 · Post by **rider1000** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 9:07 am

I've heard that before. And I keep hoping it proves to be true... Still, it will be more winter than I'm used to from the South!

susi29 · Post by **susi29** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 12:16 pm

I was a messenger for 6 months in 2005 in Helsinki Fun job, with no time to stop for breaks, lunch, coffee. Fit as a fiddle after that! The company I worked for doesn't exist any more, was sold and re-sold. Now I believe the company is called "Bring"
http://www.bring.fi/

and they still have messengers. Now is the build up to the busy period so they should be hiring too! Go out there, get fit, get yelled at (and yell back!)

Cheers N

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