Bicycle couriers in 2022

If you live or work in a big city, you've probably heard of bike couriers. In recent years - at least since Corona - the number of bike couriers has risen sharply again, as they offer a fast and efficient way to transport packages and other things within the city.

The bicycle courier (also called bike messenger ) is back! Although it is not a new invention, there has been a real boom in bicycle couriers in recent years. The reason for this is simple: cycling is fast, cheap and environmentally friendly. It is also a good way to keep fit. Couriers who travel by bike can react more quickly and are less tied to traffic jams or looking for a parking space.

But what exactly is a bike courier? Quite simply, it is someone who delivers packages and other things by bike. This is particularly useful for delivering: Deliveries such as:

- Shopping

- Errands

- Postal services

Bicycle couriers will continue to be an important part of the delivery infrastructure in Germany in the future, as the current figures from Radkurier24 (the largest bicycle courier provider) in Germany suggest. This is due to the numerous advantages they have over other delivery methods.

In the following we explain the advantages and disadvantages of bicycle couriers

BICYCLE COURIER BENEFITS:

1. Environmentally friendly

On the one hand, bicycles are environmentally friendly because they are powered purely by muscle power or with electronic support. Unlike combustion engines which produce environmentally harmful exhaust gases.

2. Faster delivery

It has been scientifically proven that bicycle couriers are the fastest way to deliver something within the city. Bicycle couriers can navigate narrow city centers faster and easier. They also eliminate the time-consuming search for a parking space.

3. Flexibility

Bicycle couriers also offer a flexible delivery option for customers who cannot be at home or who need their deliveries within the city on the same day.

4. Lower costs

Delivering by bike involves fewer fixed costs for the courier company because neither petrol nor a car has to be paid for. There is also no risk of a possible parking fine.

BICYCLE COURIER DISADVANTAGES:

However, there are also some disadvantages that you should consider before choosing a bike courier.

1. Capacity

Firstly, the capacity of bicycle couriers is limited. They can only transport smaller items and are therefore not suitable for shipping larger items. The exception is cargo bike/cargo bike couriers, who can also move deliveries of up to 100kg.

2. Weather

Bicycle couriers are often held up by storms or snow. But the bicycle industry will surely soon have a solution for this too.

CONCLUSION:

For a long time, courier services were mainly a matter for cars and vans. In recent years, however, more and more people have decided to use bicycles for their courier services. This is a change that is worthwhile for several reasons.

Bicycles are more environmentally friendly than cars or vans and do not use fuel. They are also less noisy and have less impact on the environment. Courier trips with bicycles are faster in urban areas because in most cities they do not require looking for a parking space and drivers can get around more easily in tight traffic situations. We are therefore certain that city logistics will increasingly shift to the area of ​​bicycle couriers in the future.