Swampthing 

I delivered the Ann Arbor News from about 79 to-about Feb of 84.
rusty old junker the first year, after a bit my dad got me a Japanese Mixte (I think it was a miyata). That thing was awesome and fast and it was easier to maneuver my canvas bag on it.
cold, rain, snow, heat. Ah. Those were the days. It was a 4 mile ride from home to the beginning of my route, but my route was mostly pretty easy. Lots of duplexes and some apartment complexes.
those cement stairs were often just about lethal in the winter.
collecting was always miserable, but some people tipped or gave me snacks, and one guy gave me a baggie with some plant materials in it .
Sundays were hard work. I did not enjoy sitting in the parking lot inserting the color adds and special bits, and once stuffed they were so heavy.

TomWinKC

I delivered the Houston Chronicle as well from 1963 to 1967. The day before President Kennedy was assasinated he came through Hobby Aitrpot and I saw his motorcade. The day of his assassination the Chronicle posted a late special Edison and the papers were late that day. I had 130 customers on my route waitng for the late edition that day. I moved from Houston to Kansas City and have lived here since.

Paul930

I delivered afternoon papers in farmland that was converting to suburbia. I started with one of those big chrome Columbias. Back saddle baskets. It’s was a dream. Then used my paper money to buy a “Ten-speed”. It was nice until it was swiped. At 61 I’ll still climb most any hills with a single- speed. Don’t test me. If you really grew-up on a bike, you know-how. Glad I’m still just a kid.

64Pete

Around 1970 I delivered papers around Carmel, NY.
I had a red Columbia with a big basket on the front.
I had a near death experience with a big black NewFoundland. (I thought at the time-I was 12-and they look like bears when you see one coming at you)
Put a pencil size puncture in my arm, just the one hole so I guess I was lucky.
One time cranking the Columbia up a hill the stem snapped, but the basket held the handle bars to the bike, plus I was doing 3 mph maybe, so lucky for me.

Pete

gios

Sure was. A Schwinn Pea Picker was my transport. Mon through Sat were afternoon deliveries. Sunday's big *ss paper was a dark before sunrise early morning job. Many times I'd load the bag on the bike laying down and then pick it up and ride off.

Thomas15

Delivered the Asbury Park Press for 5 years (1969-1974) I was actually too young when I started but my Mom was the supervisor of the carriers so I got a special dispensation. Not only was I too young I was too small. At first I delivered using my Ross Barracuda (stringray style) bike. I had to put a big knot in the newsbag shoulder strap to make it short enough to keep it out of the works. My Mom quickly sewed "Z" folds in the strap. Later I devised a method of hanging the bag from the handlebars but eventually got a big giant front basket.

After about a year I bought with my own money a 3 speed Robin Hood. That bike lasted me for about 3 years of hard work. Then I finally purchased a 10 speed. About 5 or 6 months of delivering papers on my 10 speed I ran into a parked car and bent the frame and forks. Was able to get it to work for delivering papers but was not fun to do recreational rides. My sister gave me her 10 speed AMF Roadmaster that bike got me through college.

I always had enough money to buy things thanks to the paper route. It also got me out on the bike a lot. My route was about 5 miles long but no hills.

My brother, a year younger also had a route, He was bigger than me and always used the bag with shoulder strap. One day while delivering his papers the bag got wedged between the front wheel and forks causing the wheel to suddenly lock up. He lost two front teeth in that incident. We both delivered our papers using toe clips and straps and sew-up tires. That is once we both got 10 speed bikes.

slporten

Washington Post. I had a wagon and a bag......rarely used the bike except for collecting.

Clyde1820

Did it for a summer. Helped a buddy, now and then, for a couple of years.

Always slung the double bags over the handlebars. Big, wide "cruiser" bars and ultra-long wheelbase, so not all that unstable, all things considered.

Was on seriously flat terrain, on streets with sidewalks and bike lanes, so not a bad place to have a paper route. Made a little money. Got to know a lot of the neighbors in the area, back when hanging out at the mailbox chatting with Mr. Johnson (or whomever) was quite the thing to do, in the morning. Don't ever recall getting jilted on the monthly subscription fees, either.

Edith was right. "Those were the days!"

Ballenxj

We had no designated Bike lanes when I was a kid. We shared the road with cars, but people were usually polite.
Edith Bunker?

SpeedofLite 

From Bicycling! magazine, December 1977.
I just wanted to give these two kids some recognition.

Ptcycles

I still have my bike, a late 50s Schwinn Wasp, I believe paperboys special, Red and white, basket on the front and duel baskets on the rear. Delivered the Toledo Blade, Has extra heavy, spokes and is indeed heavy as a tank. My dad felt sorry for me since I was delivering papers from a big canvass bag. He came with stone day after work, it was well worked. He also made me quit after a month of covering the endless customers that wouldn't, couldn't pay. Good times.

I-Like-To-Bike

Paperboy for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin 1959 - 1962. Signed up enough new subscriptions in late 1960 contest to earn a train trip (my first ever) to/from DC with other paperboys to see JFK inaugurated.

Paul930

We may have a winner. That is so cool. Poor modern-age kids. It was so wonderful to work as a kid and have your own income.

Paul930

Yep! Bought mine used from a former paperboy.
I bought my route when I started - only ten customers. But they were about to build a sub-division on the best sledding hill. I sold it with about 80. Big for our little town. Man, I knew everyone. Too bad I wasn’t paying attention - all the daughters meeting me at the door. I was a little young for my age - though it’s really paying off now.

MntnMan62

I was not the one with the paper route but my friend who had it was always going away on vacation and I would assume his route while he was gone. I felt like it was mine because I was often doing collections and delivery. I remember using my friend's bike which was a 26" bike with an extremely large basket on the handle bars. When fully loaded which was all the time I would have a tough time controlling the bike. I never crashed but I was never comfortable until I had delivered a good bunch of papers. Fortunately I lived on the South Shore of Long Island in NY, which is very flat. So I never had to wrestle with hills. If there were hills I probably would not have been able to handle it. I don't remember making much money and eventually became a busboy at a local diner. That was when I started to make real money.

FiftySix

Super cool pic. That bike is the coolest paperboy bike I've ever seen. . . . and that amazingly strong rack . . . and that kid sitting on top of the flats . . . and the kid pedaling all that non-aero weight . . . and that Dodge Charger in the background . . .

SpeedofLite 

Hey! Today (September 4) is National Newspaper Carrier Day!
I salute all you other hard-working brothers and sisters of yesteryear.
If you haven't already posted previously in this thread, or even if you have, let's hear your story.
And if you still have it, show us your bag!

SpeedofLite
Battle Creek Enquirer & News
1968 - 1970

Swampthing 

I wish I still had that bag.
I hated it for a time. Especially on Sundays.
then after I was done with paper delivery I used it as a gear bag, commuter bag, and even for a couple of weekend camping trips.
I don’t suppose anyone has an old Ann Arbor News bag they want to get rid of.

Swampthing 

agreed.
there is a whole lot of awesome in that shot.

rsbob 

Absolutely. It was my first job for any company. Had a single speed balloon tire bike that probably weighed 35 lbs unloaded. I was in junior high school (1968) and thought it was a fantastic job to ride around and a bike and huck papers at people’s driveways.

thumpism 

Delivered the afternoon Richmond News Leader for three years or so in the early-to-mid '60s on a Schwinn Corvette. The Sturmey 3-speed helped a lot in that neighborhood. I was in the Scouts concurrently and on a trip out west to Philmont there was a side trip to Pikes Peak. While at the top I saw a customer from my route, walked up to him and pretended to collect from him, "News Leader, thirty cents."

JehD

I was a paperboy for a long time. The Philadelphia Daily News in the late 70s was one of two afternoon papers. The Bulletin ent under and I doubled my route. As the small kids quit I juts took the routes ans expanded I had a post war early 50s Schwiinn Cruiser with a springer and a giant Wald basket.<it was an absolute beast to pedal but every say after school I was grinding the neighborhood. I took out a loan from the older paperboy that was quitting for $15 and paid over 3 weeks for it. I later bought an early 70s Schwinn Varsity 10 spd and used a bag until I got a Motorcycle a 1981 Yamaha DT 250 Enduro. The paper route kept me in gas, oil and tires. Those were the days.

alloo

I delivered newspapers in the late 70s on a moped. I had about 80 customers, doing inserts, and delivery. Sundays after delivering all our papers we would go to breakfast at McDonalds. The big breakfast. I earned about $1/customers plus tips.

SpeedofLite 

Old newspaper delivery bags show up on eBay regularly.
Prices are typically $50 - $150.
Ann Arbor News shows up occasionally.

Aroyobob

I delivered the afternoon Phoenix Gazette for a couple of years in the early 70's. On Sundays mornings we delivered the Arizona Republic. Can't remember the bike, might have been my sister's Raleigh with the bags wound around the handlebars and wire baskets in the back. The Gazette wasn't very big but the Sunday paper was bigger and I had to get to the paper drop in the 4:30ish AM to do the advertising insert. The bike was also pretty awkward to handle with the weight of papers in the front, you had to be careful not to lean too far if you stopped to toss the paper on someone's porch or had to do a u-turn on a driveway. The good part about the morning was you could ride down the middle of the major streets due to the lack of cars. Besides delivery we had to collect from subscribers they gave you a book with a page for each person with tear-off tabs for the months they'd paid. Sometimes they'd be a few months in arrears and the route manager would get after you to get after them or we'd have to drop them and nobody wanted that.
No dogs but I remember one house spray painted their yard green in the winter in Phoenix when the Bermuda grass goes dormant and turns tan.