Making a living out of cycling?

[Krypton]

I don't think there would be enough call in our town for cycle-taxis (I'm thinking of those things with a two-seat carriage on the back, "rickshaw" is it?) and I wouldn't have a clue how to fix bikes (so a bike shop is out), but I wondered about jobs or schemes for making a living out of cycling.

No desk, lots of fresh air, fitness built-in to the job. There must be some way of making cycling pay?

 

[tuffty]

I don't think there would be enough call in our town for cycle-taxis (I'm thinking of those things with a two-seat carriage on the back, "rickshaw" is it?) and I wouldn't have a clue how to fix bikes (so a bike shop is out), but I wondered about jobs or schemes for making a living out of cycling.

No desk, lots of fresh air, fitness built-in to the job. There must be some way of making cycling pay?

There are still cycle couriers in London I think?

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i've just signed up with a company that's just started up. the emphasis is on how companies can gain iso whatever accreditation by using bikes to send internal/external documents around. not had any work from it yet, but i'll let you know. i've obtained a nice carlton fixie for the purpose (cost me the price of an hour's chat with an older clubmate, which was interesting anyway); there's no way i'd be seen dead one of their boring hybrids…

http://www.bicycleco...o.uk/index.html

 

[rodgy-dodge]

Rope making!

or ask the government or local council if they'll pay you to coach people who are overweight to cycle rather than give them the £400 pounds to loose weight! there must be a payed job in that somewhere.

 

[Hilldodger]

There must be some way of making cycling pay?

You'd think so wouldn't you but there are lots of people out there wanting to do the same with very few opportunities. You can often earn some extra cash but making a decent living is hard.

 

[jimboalee]

Cycle courier. A private light parcel delivery service where the employee uses a bicycle as transport.
The Royal Mail are abandonning this idea.

Rickshaw. A human powered Hansom Cab.
You'd have to undercut the bus and be quicker.

Garden shed bicycle repairs.
If your handywork causes a customer's death, you're for it!

 

[TheDoctor]

Well, I've done some work for a Hilldodger of this parish, so you can make cycling pay to a degree.
Having said that, I'm still waiting for the cheque, so it maybe doesn't pay all that well...

 

[Hilldodger]

Well, I've done some work for a Hilldodger of this parish, so you can make cycling pay to a degree.
Having said that, I'm still waiting for the cheque, so it maybe doesn't pay all that well...

I sort that out

 

[ianrauk]

Cycle courier. A private light parcel delivery service where the employee uses a bicycle as transport.
The Royal Mail are abandonning this idea.

Rickshaw. A human powered Hansom Cab.
You'd have to undercut the bus and be quicker.

Garden shed bicycle repairs.
If your handywork causes a customer's death, you're for it!

Not in London you don't
I think it's £5.00 per street block.
I have a friend who does this and makes a very nice living.
Made over £250 one night during the summer.

 

[Hilldodger]

Not in London you don't
I think it's £5.00 per street block.
I have a friend who does this and makes a very nice living.
Made over £250 one night during the summer.

Maybe, but being a rickshaw driver isn't a secure job with regular income. If it pi**es down with rain you don't earn very much and unless you are super fit you can't do it for long.

 

[Arch]

I sort that out

Whoops! I still owe you an invoice too....

I sort of make a living from cycling - partly from working for a cycling magazine, and partly from riding a loadtrike around while doing the recycling collection job. Plus the odd bit of roadshow work here and there. As Rog says, it's not a big income, and it's not all cycling, but it's in the right direction.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I'm e-baying some old bike bits wot have been festering in the garage for a while (that'll be decades in some cases so Vintage goes in the sakes pitch ). But I'm not expecting to make a living at it. Better than the skip tho' (the e-baying/recycling that is).

So - why not go skip diving and visiting your local tip routinely, sorting out what you get and flogging it on e-bay? Ooh - mechanical skills needed - so you'll need a partner

 

[MarkF]

Tricycle + large "A" board = advertising. Seen 2 businesses for sale recently on Ebay sub £5k, both with work on their books, how much of course, I don't know. If you can sell then I don't think it'd be too difficult to at least make a wage.

I know somebody who makes a living from cycles alone, he services and repairs from his shed along with re-furbishing and selling on Ebay. He lives "small" and is the happiest guy I know.

 

[Dan B]

Not in London you don't
I think it's £5.00 per street block.
I have a friend who does this and makes a very nice living.
Made over £250 one night during the summer.

AIUI there's no set rate, it's what you think the customer will pay (if you work for a company, maybe they tell you what to charge - but the sector is basically unregualted, there's no law about charges)

And 99% of passengers are taking a ride for the novelty value, not to get from A to B, so it really matters very little how long you take



All that said, I moved house once using a rickshaw-based bike (cycles maximus work trike) and they really are rather heavy

 

[Shaun]

You could always start a cycling forum ...

The only one I could think of that could possibly provide a "wage" as such was working as some kind of cycling training instructor.

I expect you'd have to really milk-it in the summer to cover the cost of winter - and with schools off for a long period in the summer I wonder if there would be much call.

Maybe if we had a larger cycling "scene" or it was much more a part of our culture, there would be more opportunities?

Cheers,
Shaun