In busy cities like New York, San Francisco, London and Tokyo where traffic jams are part of the daily fare, it is not uncommon to see riders on lightweight mountain bikes speeding on the side streets and main roads. Exactly what does a bike messenger do?

Bike messengers deliver items within the city for a courier company. Carrying loads of up to 5 pounds at a time, they deliver anything that cannot be sent electronically such as original signed documents, CDs, and hard copies of confidential legal and financial information. A bike messenger can be employed by a courier service as an independent contractor paid on commission, or a regular employee with fixed salary and benefits such as health and accident insurance.

Bike messengers use different types of bicycles, including road bikes, hybrids, mountain bikes, and BMX. They popularized the messenger bag – a bag with a single strap that wraps around the chest to allow access without removing the bag. Some bikes have baskets and racks mounted on the handle for heavier loads.