With the new Yellow Springs Delivery Service, Corey Elbin brings by bicycle anything from food orders to grocery items anywhere in the village for $5. (Photo by Megan Bachman)
He delivers in town, on a bike
- Published: January 29, 2015
Craving lo mein but stuck in the house? Forgot the cilantro in your recipe with company on the way? Sick on the couch and in need of a pack of cold medicine?
A local man is waiting at the ready to bring you what you need — and he’ll do it on two wheels.
Corey Elbin launched Yellow Springs Delivery Service this month and is already pedaling around town rescuing those without transportation, time or both to run their errand.
Not only will Elbin be fast and efficient — delivery times are 15 minutes on average — he’ll also keep your delivery confidential. And he’s happy to make the trip for you, even in the dead of winter, he said.
“This is a guilt-free commitment,” Elbin said on a recent four-degree morning. “I’ll show up with a frozen smile.”
Adding to the guiltless nature of the service is Elbin’s bicycle, a fixed-gear vintage Trek he pieced together, which is light on the planet while it cuts air pollution and car congestion in town.
The new delivery service costs a flat fee of $5 per trip and any additional stops in town cost $2. Elbin can be reached by phone or Facebook and is available for deliveries from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, rain, snow or shine.
At a bonfire last Friday night, Elbin made a run for partygoers, picking up a box of Q-tips, a quart of ice cream and pack of cigarettes. He recently delivered a Sunrise lunch to a retail worker who had to stay at her register. The payload in his trailer early this week — part of a complimentary run for his girlfriend — included a few packs of toilet paper, a bag of cat food and a baguette.
Since Bentino’s Pizza is the only local restaurant that delivers, Elbin believes food delivery will be a mainstay of his business. But Elbin also hopes people get creative with their use of his service, he said. He envisions lunches for busy college faculty, hardware store runs for construction workers, grocery store stops for seniors, food runs for brewery patrons, and coffee and newspapers in the morning. His only limits are the town’s borders and the 75-pound weight limit on his trailer, he said. And while he is happy to pick up a few food items from Tom’s Market, he probably couldn’t manage a week’s worth of groceries, he said.
“I’ll do your grocery shopping — within reason,” he said.
Elbin said he started the venture to support himself and downtown businesses, which struggle in winter months, a reality Elbin saw as a chef at Sunrise Café. Elbin sees his role as helping the community support itself, he said.
“Ultimately it’s a way to integrate the community in a way that provides a service and helps our small businesses in the off season,” Elbin said.
Elbin, a 30-year-old native of the Findlay area, came to the village three years ago from Denver, where he lived without a car as a bicycle commuter. For a time Elbin had a pedi-cab, a bicycle taxi that carries passengers. When he landed in the village, Elbin worked for a season at Village Cyclery and started to get used to the cold, snowy and grey Ohio winters (compared to snowy but sunny Colorado). He fell into a supportive local biking community and gained experience making long-distance bike treks.
Elbin’s bike, which is as old as he is, is capable of handling winter weather, while he has the winter gear to make it comfortable, he said. He’s worn the same pair of ice climbing gloves he bought at a yard sale for $5 for seven years, dons Gortex shoes and a scarf (which is “essential”) and who knows how many Woolrich shirts to layer based upon the outdoor conditions.
When it comes to traffic, Elbin is a pro at safe winter cycling. He goes slow and uses a fixed gear bike for better braking. Even though he was hit by a car going 55 miles per hour a few years ago and shattered a leg, he is still committed to cycling (his bike somehow survived the wreck). Elbin now lives in the village but bicycling is still second nature.
“You don’t even think about whether you should warm up the car first — you just jump on your ‘saddle,’ knowing that you will warm yourself up,” Elbin said.
For Elbin, who wants to improve life in the village while he improves his own, the business is an exciting opportunity.
“The idea for me of making any kind of living while being on my bicycle is exciting,” Elbin said. “It’s an income source and a lifestyle.”
For a delivery request or more information, contact Elbin at 419-889-3749 or at the Yellow Springs Delivery Service Facebook page.
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