“I briefly tried it, but I usually wear a walkman, and I hop off the bike all the time to visit people and go to record stores and make deliveries and stuff...and since I wear sunglasses, it’s just too much stuff around your head,” Griffin said.

Cocannon described what he sees to be the two kinds of couriers.

“The first kind is just looking for employment, is not going to...put themselves into danger...the other kind is the alpha male, [who] wants to do 90 deliveries a day. Every day’s a struggle, [then] they want to sit at a bar and talk about how they escaped death 10 times that day,” he said.

Couriers said they are often driven by the excitement of the job.

“I’ve always had a passion for bikes,” Harris said. “I race bikes, and I just thought it would be a good job for me.”

However, couriers said their job is often difficult and sometimes painful.

According to more experienced bikers, it’s the more cautious rookies that tend to be injured the most.

“You’re usually not aggressive until you know what you’re doing, so the ones who are not aggressive are the ones who get into accidents,” said Cocannon.

Despite this, being a bike messenger is rarely a lifetime proposition.

“I would compare it to being a professional athlete, you’re usually in it for about 10 to 15 years,” Dennerlein said