Between bundled up pedestrians and fogging car
windows, Søren Folke stands out in Toronto’s winter streets. Not just
because he’s wearing a bright pink work uniform, but because he’s
smiling through it all: the wind chill, snow, black ice and
winter-tire-less commuters.
While most choose to spend as little time as
possible in the cold, Folke chooses to spend all of his workweek out
there. The 32-year-old from Denmark is a bike courier for Foodora, a
food delivery service on the rise — and he loves it.
After a 35-40-hour work week of dodging SUVs
and slippery streetcar tracks, Folke says he might be tired, but “you
really feel that you accomplished something special.”
The Star recently followed the Danish courier
on a Tuesday morning delivery run to see how he does it. The temperature
that morning hit -16 C with wind chill, but Folke was all smiles as he
waited for his shift to start near his Kensington Market home. Just
before 10 a.m. his smartphone buzzed with a delivery notification: a
customer on King St. W. had placed an order at the 24-hour eatery Old
School on Dundas St. W.
To pick up the food, Folke is given about 20
minutes, plenty of time for the seasoned cyclist. Then, to make the
drop-off, he’s given a similar window of time. Even on the busy morning
streets and without dedicated bike lanes, he beats the Star car to the
destination and makes the drop-off.
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| Despite the winter chill and poor road conditions, Foodora bike courier Soren Folke continues to work in the winter. |
To get to each location, Folke consults his
more than a year’s worth of experience couriering food to Torontonians:
avoid streets with pot holes (this limits his options, he knows); steer
clear of smaller roads after a snowfall, and “take the lane” if needed. He’ll do this two to three times an hour, often for full seven- to eight-hour days.
For Folke, the profession is part of his
heritage. He hails from Denmark, which he calls “the bike capital of the
world” (take that, Holland). He says Toronto leaves a lot to be desired
for cyclists — especially couriers, who are growing in number with Foodora (formerly Hurrier) and a handful of other food services taking to the streets.
This run was an easy one and Folke almost
looks bored. It’s last year’s “horrifying” season of long, drawn-out
Polar Vortexes that still haunts him.
“I earned my stripes during that winter,” he
says, and he means it. One wipeout in particular sticks with him, when
his tires slipped on the road and his bike “literally disappeared from
below (him).”
At that time, he didn’t wear a helmet on
deliveries. “I think I was kind of lucky because my head was close to
hitting the curb,” he recalls. From that moment on he wore a helmet,
something he concedes he should have been doing all along.
When you’re employed by Foodora, you wear what
you want. The company, which operates in Toronto, Montreal and soon in
Vancouver, provides some gear: Foodora T-shirts, jackets and “buffs”
(multi-functional headwear popularized by CBS reality show Survivor). As an independent contractor, you’re not obligated to wear any of it; winter protection is largely up to you.
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| Despite the winter chill and poor road conditions, Foodora bike courier Soren Folke continues to work in the winter. |
Despite the winter chill and poor road conditions, Foodora bike courier Soren Folke continues to work in the winter.
Folke usually sports boots, long johns under
his jeans, water-resistant socks, Foodora buffs around his neck and
under his helmet, worn-down touchscreen gloves (“You wear out your stuff
pretty fast,” he says). He tops multiple ski hill-ready layers with
that blazing pink Foodora jacket.
David Albert, managing director of the
company’s Canada offices, says they plan to provide more gear for their
couriers, such as toques and rain jackets.
“The people who don’t bike in the winter
always think it’s unfathomable that people do bike in the winter,” he
says, noting that Foodora has a dedicated fleet of cars during winter
too, though bike couriers are still more than 50 per cent of the team,
which grew almost 200 per cent since the fall. “It definitely becomes
more challenging. But we do have a fleet that’s committed and willing to
do this during the winter.”
That commitment and willingness is evident
with Folke as the Star follows him; he deftly rides along downtown
streetcar tracks, which have tripped him up before. Soon after making
the drop-off, his phone dings again and he begins another shivery
delivery. His next one might take him down by the water where
lake-effect snow batters at his face, or through the “wind tunnels”
created by the downtown skyscrapers uncommon in his native Denmark.
“That comes with the territory,” he says.
“During the winter you really have to expect the worst. It’s tough, but
at the end of the day, you’re happy that you’ve made it through another
day.”
Tips for cycling on winter roads
Winter roads get slippery, so Folke has a few
tips for courier colleagues and wannabes. He says the key to a
successful winter on a bike is preparation. First and foremost, ensure
you have good tires with good traction to grip the road, and always
remember that helmet.
After a fresh snowfall
Go slow and watch out for streetcar tracks,
which Folke has tripped up on before. “When the snow is fresh, it’s
great. But after they spray salt all over the road, it gets slushier,”
he says. It’s after that first cleaning when things get bad. “The slush
goes straight to your feet” and “creates a layer of cold and wet.” Folke
recommends serious waterproofing from the knees down.
During a snowfall
Wear skiing goggles, dress extra warmly, and
be especially careful. The snow is irritating everyone, not just you on
your bike, says Folke. Pedestrians and drivers alike may be more aware
of the snow falling than cyclists on the road. “You will always lose if
you go head-to-head with a car, SUV or truck.”
Navigating winter streets
Folke likes to avoid streets with pot holes.
Roads like the AGO strip on Dundas Street are “more suited for a 4x4
than a bike,” he jokes. Steer clear of smaller roads after a large
snowfall as the bigger streets are cleared faster. Stay away from the
sides of the road where snow collects.
COURIER CITY
Foodora isn’t the only bike-based food courier service in the city.
Foodora
The orange-clad Hurrier brand is out, and
Foodora is ready to paint the town pink. Even during a whiteout, you
won’t miss this pink fleet. “Pink is the new orange,” they say.
Borders: South of Dupont St. and Danforth Ave. East of Keele St. West of Coxwell Ave.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Wednesday. 10 a.m. to midnight Thursday to Sunday.
Rates: The flat delivery fee is $3.50 on minimum orders of $15 charged right to your card.
Restaurants: More than 200, from indulgences such as Fast Bastard Burrito to vegetarian delights such as Fresh.
Website: foodora.ca (mobile app set to launch in March)
SendIt Courier
This team of 27 couriers doesn’t just use your
everyday road bike. They have a fleet of Bullitt cargo bikes, which can
transport up to 400 pounds.
Service area: South of College, east of Dufferin, west of Jarvis.
Hours: Weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and extended hours from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for food clients. Weekends from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Rates: The team offers five
levels of speedy delivery ranging from $4 to $15 depending on the time:
overnight, same-day, rush, direct and panic.
Restaurants: SendIt delivers
more than just food (even hockey sticks and guitar amps), but you’ll
find everything from Momofuku to Burrito Boyz on their select menu.
Website: senditcourier.ca
TurnAround Couriers
TurnAround couriers offer food and package
delivery by bike in downtown Toronto and by car to a wider region. They
provide “final mile” service for firms who have difficulty delivering
packages downtown.
Service area: South of Eglinton Ave. East of Dufferin St. West of Bayview, Pape and Carlaw Avenues.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.
Rates: From $7.50 to $10.50 based on the distance from restaurant to drop-off.
Restaurants: Order through the restaurant app maegan from hearty brunch favourite Harvest Kitchen, trendy Italian outpost Trattoria Nervosa, and more.
Website: turnaroundcouriers.com
Snap Delivery
Service area: Snap is
continually expanding their delivery zones in downtown Toronto, and also
services the York University area in North York.
Hours: The Snap team offers
the latest service hours for the after-bar and night-owl crowds,
starting at noon and ending at 3 a.m. the following day.
Rates: A $10 flat rate is applied to deliveries.
Restaurants: Snap has partnered with more than 50 restaurants (any that do not deliver, they say) from South Street Burgers to Subway.
Website: snapdeliveryservice.com
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