If you’ve ever gotten your lunch dropped off by a guy wearing an enormous insulated backpack and a helmet, that might have been Tyler Logel. He’s one of the Nashville bicycle couriers who ride hundreds of miles a week making deliveries on apps like DoorDash.
Tyler Logel, bike courier
“It’s not easy to get in the rhythm of putting in that many miles every day carrying a loaded pack,” Logel says. “But I saw something there, and I knew I was having fun with it, so I just kind of kept running.” Logel likes it because he can stay fit, explore his city and reduce his carbon footprint. Diners like bike couriers because they’re fast, as they don’t have to sit in traffic or find parking spaces. Cyclists weigh factors drivers don’t have to consider: Logel avoids hilly routes when possible, and he turns down orders that won’t travel well in his bag. (Think fountain drinks or delicate pastries.) Drivers themselves pose a danger — Logel got “tapped” by a motorist a few days before speaking with the Scene. But he’s encouraged by efforts to make the city safer for bike riders. “That’s what keeps me in Nashville,” he says. “I think Nashville can be a mecca for cyclists.”
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