One guy and his bike!

Hi, I’m Liam! I have a fulltime job and I deliver food with Uber for extra money on the side but mainly because I enjoy doing it. Join me on this exciting journey as I navigate the various challenges of delivering fast food on my bike around a small, charming town in Lincolnshire. I will be putting to the test and discovering the best delivery bags, clothes, reliable equipment, and ideal times to work, so that you don’t have to. Let's explore the ins and outs of efficient food delivery together, as we learn about the many tips and tricks that can make this experience even better!

Why I started delivering for uber!

I have always had a passion for cycling, which has been a fulfilling part of my life for many years. Over the years, I have actively explored and tried various jobs that would allow me to promote and incorporate as much cycling as possible into my daily routine and work activities. It wasn’t until I received an email advertising that Uber was looking for cyclists in the surrounding area I had given it much thought. Before that moment, the prospect of cycling for a delivery service had not truly crossed my mind at all. To my surprise, it was simple to get started, and the entire application process did not take nearly as long as I had expected, from submitting the application to actually getting on the road and beginning my deliveries.

Getting started

    1. Sign up. Enter your personal information and choose ‘bike’.

    2. Upload your documents. To submit your documents, either use the app or log in to partners.uber.com to access your partner dashboard. When uploading an image, ensure that the image is clear, all text is legible and each corner of the document is fully visible.

    3. Complete a background check. Once you register for a courier account, you will get an email prompting you to finalise your background check. Keep in mind that their partner may ask you for an additional set of documents to complete: both the right to work and the basic disclosure check. These documents might be identical to those you have already provided in your Uber profile.

    • Bicycle delivery
      You need to be at least eighteen.
      Select 'Bicycle' as your mode of transportation when registering.

      Documents needed:

      1. A picture ID

      One of the subsequent options:

      A passport (from any nation)
      Licence to drive (only from the UK and EU)
      EU identity card or citizen card

      2. If using a UK driving licence

    • 3. Bank statement

      • dated within last 3 months

  • On the uber eats driver app, you will be required to take a photo for your driver profile. This image cannot be easily changed once submitted, so it's important to remember that the picture you take will be the one that remains on your profile for the foreseeable future. Additionally, there is a section that prompts you to answer the question: "Why do you deliver?" You will notice that many delivery people have written responses along the lines of, “I deliver food because I like to see the smiles on people's faces.” While this is a heart warming sentiment, you want to stand out and be truly memorable, so take the opportunity to be creative and thoughtful in your response. Keep in mind that customers will likely read your answer more frequently than you might expect.

    Once this is set up, you will be good to go and it is then as simple as pressing ‘GO’ on the app. Once you are online the app will begin to look for trips for you.

    When you receive a trip it will tell you.

    1. How much you will be paid for the trip.

    2. Where the pick up and drop off point is.

    3. How long the order will roughly take to complete.

      Something that I can not prove but appears to be the case is, depending on how far you are from the restaurant. I have seen a lot of videos that tell you to stay close to the various places to pick up from. This works with some places however I feel you need to be a distance away that allows the restaurant time to prepare the order. I have found when I sit outside sites like McDonalds I will witness other drivers coming and going but I appear not to get orders through. I found that the other delivery people they sit in areas of town that optimise the distance from the venues, I highly recommend you find that location in your home town so that you can optimise your chances of receiving more orders.

  • This is the hardest part to answer, however I will give you my honest opinion and will base tariffs off the town I work in.

    So a base tariff in my location is £3 and on this delivery it will give you an estimated time for delivery of around 15min. I tend to find you can complete these orders in a faster time than the 15min.

    The amount of money paid for a trip will somewhat relate to the amount of time it will take to complete the trip.

    Other factors that also effect the price for delivery is

    • How busy it is for receiving orders.

    • How many delivery people are working in the area.

    • How many pick ups you are completing in one trip.

    • If a tip is included in the offered amount.

  • Unfortunately, this is something that you have no control over, but there are several things you can do to help improve your chances. Sometimes, the tip may have already been added to the order, which could make it appear as though you are receiving a higher payment for the trip due to the tip being included in the price offered for the trip. In some cases, you may discover that a tip is added much later, after the customer has received a notification from Uber asking for feedback about their order and prompting them to consider tipping again. Living in the U.K., it’s important to understand that tipping is not a traditional part of the culture, so it should not be expected. You might encounter situations where you would typically receive a tip. However, it is essential to remember that such outcomes cannot be guaranteed.

    Something that I often receive comments on, is having good contact with my customers. That may seem very straight forward, however it can slip when you are busy. I have saved templates that I paste in my messages that will let the customer know if there is a:

    • Delay in their order.

    • Missing Items.

    • Faults with the order.

    • Issues on the journey to the customer.

      I also like to take a moment to contact the customer to inform them that I’m currently on my bike and I am taking the necessary time to securely handle their order.

      I will always make sure to message the customer to inform them if I am currently waiting for their meal to be ready. Additionally, I will ask if they would like any extras, such as extra straws or napkins. This may seem like a very small gesture, but it could potentially make a significant difference to the overall experience and satisfaction of the customer.

  • There are a few things that are essential to become a bicycle delivery person and some of them may be obvious but here is a short list. The items I mention here you will be able to find a more detailed review on specific brands and styles that I like to use that I have found the most fitting for myself if you click on the What I Recommend tab at the top of the page.

    • Bike

    • Phone case with bike mount

    • Delivery bag

    • Torch

    • Water bottle

    • Appropriate Clothing

    • Battery power bank

  • There are many things to take in to consideration when you are delivering in a small town and how to set your expectations.

    • Demand for drivers

      There just isn’t as much demand in a small town as there would be in a city. If your town has a lot of drivers or other cyclists then you may find there will be times that you could wait for hours and get no orders through. I personally have had evenings where I have received 2 orders over 2 hours and that is just how it is. You may find that there is not enough work for you at times and then see that Uber are still advertising for drivers in your area. It is always worth looking on the Uber eats app that you order food from to see what points in the week that Uber is struggling to get orders picked up and maybe look at that window being your prime time to ride.

    • Bike vs Car

      Doing it on bike does have it’s advantages that you do not get with a car but that goes both ways. When using a bike you do not have to think about paying for fuel or finding a place you can park next to the pick up points, whilst on a bike its all leg power but you can go right up to the door saving plenty of time. Customers do like the novelty of having their food delivered by bike in the smaller towns. You are open to the elements on a bike and you have nowhere to re charge your equipment if you do not have a reasonable power bank. It can be faster on a bike at certain times than it would be in a car as on a bike there tends to be more areas that you can cut through and it is much easier to navigate through the traffic. Last but not least and this is a double edged sword is the fitness side of things. You will likely cover many many miles on your bike so you need to make sure that you are up to the task. It is a great way to get in to shape but if you are not already somewhat healthy then it will be a struggle. I personally am very glad that I do it on a bike as iv made it a part of my fitness regime.

    • Restaurants

      You need to find which restaurants are quick, slow, rude to drivers and great with them too. It is always handy to be polite with everyone as the only person that will be affected if you were to get annoyed with people is YOU! Falling out or being rude to the people that prepare the food will not make them work faster and they are trying to work just as much as you are. Stay positive and polite and do not expect free food or drinks. Different places treat the Uber drivers differently but you should remain consistent. If you are not keen on picking up from a restaurant or regularly have issues with a restaurant then just avoid it and if you do take a delivery from there then just keep in mind that they are most likely going as fast as they can.