Cycle commuting back in the day

[orienteer]

It was the day the Radio Times came out (Thursday?) which made my round heaviest. But my round was the lightest, the only one using a bike as it was relatively spread out.

[drossall]

Yes my brother had that. We were on the very edge of Greater Manchester. My round went round some of the residential streets. His went round the outside, into the country, so he had half the number of deliveries but twice the miles and was, if I recall correctly, at one point the best-paid paperboy in the NSS chain. I did it once or twice when he was away on school trips or whatever.

[MikeFromLFE]

I take it you didn’t do Sunday papers.
The Jewish Chronicle, even with its occasional magazine was a mere lightweight, compared withe the Sunday Times and Observer, which my parents always read but never had delivered.

The Sunday round was split in two as I recall - so Sundays weren't too bad.
To make up for less papers we had to go door knocking to collect the bills (which never seemed to reconcile with the book at the end).
I'm not sure when Sunday magazine supplements started and my memory is hazy as to how many supplements / parts that Sunday papers had. I do recall getting told off for posting multiple parts through a tiny letterbox on Amhurst Road.

[tatanab]

1966/7 paper round long enough to use a bike (almost 3 miles).  A round in those days was the whole thing, 6 days of morning plus evenings and then Sunday morning which needed two trips.  All for the princely sum of £1.  It was 18/6 (for those who recall old coinage) until I negotiated a pay rise.  Sunday broadsheet papers were huge, with several sections plus a supplement.  My pet hate was letter boxes at ankle height.

[bikepacker]

Only briefly did a paper round as early mornings were taken up with my swimming training.
After school I delivered groceries for our local Coop using a single speed bike with a large basket on the front. I can still recall how tough it was climbing up the local hills with a heavy front-end load.

[drossall]

My pet hate was letter boxes at ankle height.

My pet hate, which I still have over 50 years later, was people who expect to get papers and letters delivered, and yet don't put any indication of the numbers on their houses.

[hellymedic]

I think the absence of gateposts compounds this issue.
We do have a small plaque, but it’s some distance from the road.

It’s easier on bin days as most bins have HUGE numbers, painted or stuck on them.