Who is Valerie Topete?

Sometimes the hassle of getting a package or documents through the city that never sleeps can be a real chore. When delivery is urgent, often people look to bike couriers to carry out this difficult and occasionally dangerous job. One such bike courier is Valerie Topete.

She has been a bike courier for seven years, and has not once been late or missed a single delivery in this impressive span. The trick to really succeeding as a bike courier is knowing the safest and fastest routes through the maze of New York City, and she knows all of these like the back of her hand. This has greatly contributed to her success and reputation as reliable and dedicated to her work.

While an excellent record and work ethic are impressive alone, Topete is also a loving and dedicated mother of two beautiful children. Balancing the hectic work of a bike courier with the responsibilities of a mom, requires extreme discipline and patience. Topete has these in abundance, as she always strives to serve her clients, and provide for her family.

Her dedication is exemplified in her first few years in New York, where she worked freelance as a bike courier to support her children. It takes true love and dedication to take on the dual roles of mother and freelance bike courier. After some time, Valerie Topete joined Mercury Rises as a paid bike courier, and has been successfully serving her clients ever since. Truly she has exemplified being dependable.
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Valerie Topete - A Changing Photographer

As a successful bike courier in New York, Valerie Topete has seen her fair share of the city. Working full time for one the most competitive courier businesses out there, Topete spends her days weaving through the city, racing to deliver her parcels, packages and letters. Her dedication to her job has led her to become the most well-known and successful couriers at her company. Working for Mercury Rises for the past four years, and as a freelance courier for three years before that, Topete knows her way around and excels at navigating the blocks between deliveries.

For several years she had enjoyed the architecture and people that she observes every day so much that she took up photography as a way of capturing the sights. Her unique photos of the city, from angles and spots that most tourists never see, became so popular that she turned a hobby into another part-time career.

Topete began as an amateur photographer snapping photos from her smartphone as she biked around for work. She stands by her advice to always be ready to take a photo, and while she uses her SLR camera as much as she can, more often than not, her smartphone is what she has available. Regardless of the type of device, the most important factors to Topete when it comes to photography are the lighting and subject matter.
As each courier assignment takes her to a new part of the city she has never seen, Topete had the opportunity to observe the assortment of gardens and parks scattered about. Designed by some of the best in the business, the garden displays nestled between skyscrapers and the shadows of monuments always intrigued Topete. The more she traveled, the more she started to notice the varieties and intricacies of the plants that made up these gardens. Soon, Topete found herself planning her courier routes past these gardens or through Central Park. Now, as her eye for photography focused on the beauty of the gardens, Topete shifted her subject matter from architecture and people to high resolution, up-close botanical photography.

With all of the hidden garden gems tucked away throughout the city, Valerie Topete is never at a loss for subject matter and quite enjoys the hunt for new and interesting locations. During the workday, Topete scopes out previously unknown gardens, and during the evenings or weekends, her and her family picnic in the parks. The hobby really has turned into a family affair, as the children run around hunting for pretty flowers and plants, and Topete follows with the camera to capture their finds. Whether the shots are professional quality or just family memories doesn’t matter, but combining passion and family does.

Valerie Topete - Choosing The Right Bike

Valerie Topete is a bike courier in New York. She delivers special documents and other items to various people and companies. Working as a bike courier means that she spends a lot of time on her bike. She carefully chose it and if you plan on riding your bike a lot you should use these tips to help you choose the bike that is right for you.

Size
You want your bike to be a good size. It should be easy for you to reach the pedals without stretching and should be easy to control and steer. If a bike is too big or too small, it may be harder to control and pedal and will make your job as a courier harder.

Equipment
There are certain things you may want to add to your bike to make your job easier or to carry on you. Think of backpacks, baskets, and attachments that can hold documents and packages while you transport them to their destinations.

Cost
When you buy a bike you have a lot of options but you likely have a budget as well. You want to choose a bike that is not necessarily the most expensive or the cheapest, but the best value. A bike that is designed for courier services may be more expensive than a traditional bike

If you are going to be riding your bike a lot like Valerie Topete, you need to make sure you choose a bike that is made for you. The above tips can help you choose a bike that you can enjoy riding.

Valerie Topete - Tips For Being Successful As A Bike Courier

Valerie Topete has been a bike courier for several years. She started out as a freelancer but now works for a company called Mercury Rising. If you enjoy riding bikes and want to make a living doing so, these tips can show you how to become a successful bike courier.

Be On Time

You won’t be able to keep a job if you can’t deliver packages on time. You need to be fast and efficient at what you do and give the employers a reason to choose you over other couriers or people offering similar services.

Have A Good Bike

Your bike can determine how fast you are able to perform your duties and how comfortable you are while doing them. You can’t use a regular bike for courier services you need to choose one that is modified for the job. You may also choose to modify your bike yourself.

Be Dedicated

Being a bike courier isn’t an easy job. You have to be able to deliver various documents and packages and often have short deadlines to meet. You may also have to go out and find the jobs you want. Many bike couriers are freelancers and spend a lot of time hunting jobs.

If you are or want to be a bike courier, there are several things you can do to make your business successful. Valerie Topete has been working as a bike courier for several years and loves what she does. The tips above can help you become successful as a bicycle courier too.

Valerie Topete - Staying Safe In New York

Valerie Topete has been working in New York City as a bike courier for several years. She enjoys the freedom it gives her and being able to meet new people and clients. Working in a big city like New York can have its risks, but if you know how to stay safe you don’t have to worry or feel nervous. These tips can help you stay safe while working or living in New York City.

Valerie Topete

Don’t Look Like A Tourist
Many criminals look for tourists because they are vulnerable. If you do not want to be the target of a crime, you need to avoid looking like a tourist. This means avoiding wearing souvenir t-shirts, looking at maps and wandering along slowly. Make sure you walk confidently and look comfortable.

Be Aware Of Your Surroundings
You should never let your guard down when you are in a big city and should always be aware y of your surroundings. If you feel uncomfortable in a certain area, quickly find your way out of it. Keep an eye on the people around you and avoid dangerous parts of the city

Don’t Flaunt Your Belongings
Avoid wearing jewelry, carrying expensive phones, cameras or other objects or flaunting any other personal belongings you may have with you. These things can make you a target by showing criminals you have such items or the means to afford them. Dress modestly and leave your expensive jewelry at home.

Take A Cab
If you aren’t sure if your destination is safe or how to get there, take a cab. A cab driver will be able to deliver you to your location safely and tell you if the location is safe or if you should go somewhere else instead. You can easily find a cab on almost any street and riding in a cab is much safer than walking on most occasions.

Stick To The Main Streets
If you aren’t familiar with the streets of New York, make sure you stay on the main ones. It only takes one wrong turn to find yourself in the bad part of town and that can put you at risk to be the victim of a crime. If you will be visiting the city at night make sure you stay on streets that are well lit and not empty. When there are people nearby, you are less likely to be victimized.

Not everyone has what it takes to live in a city as large as New York. Valerie Topete enjoys working in a fast-paced city that offers unique experiences and people. If you are worried about staying safe in New York City, the above tips can help.

Valerie Topete - Tips For Improving Your Singing Voice

​Valerie Topete is a talented singer who entertained aspirations of becoming a pop star when she was studying at high school. She still has an excellent singing voice and is always interested in techniques that she can use to get better. These handy hints will help anybody who is looking to improve their technical abilities or those who just want to sound a little better.


Sing Often
Few things in life come easily and those who are not blessed with natural singing talent are going to find that they need to practice to make improvements. Sing along to any of the songs that you love when they are playing, but try to pay attention to pitch and tone while you do so. This will allow you to match the efforts of the singer on the record, improving your own voice in the process.

Practice Scales
Your voice is an instrument, much like a guitar or piano, so it is important to practice the basics so that you can develop the technical skills that you need to tackle difficult songs. By practicing scales for a few minutes every day, you will be able to extend the range of notes that you are able to hit and thus become able to sing more songs.

Record Yourself
Valerie Topete believes that hearing yourself sing can play a large role in highlighting issues that you need to work on. By recording yourself belting out a few tunes, you can play them back and make improvements. Save multiple recordings over time so you can document your progression and stay motivated.

Valerie Topete - Essential Tips For Road Cycling Safety

As a bike courier for Mercury Rising, Valerie Topete has an exceptional safety record and has never been involved in any traffic collisions, barring the occasional small scrape with taxis. To maintain this record for safety, she makes sure to refresh her knowledge of security while road cycling on a regular basis, which is particularly important given that she works in New York. These pointers will prove useful for anybody who is wary of cycling on the road, particularly in built-up areas that are often congested with traffic.

Avoid The Sidewalk

A lot of new cyclists try to ride on the sidewalk, rather than the road, in an effort to avoid collisions with vehicles. This is not only dangerous to yourself and pedestrians, but may also lead to you breaking the law in some states. Avoid the sidewalk whenever you can and make sure to get off the bike if you have to use the it. Remember that trying to weave in and out of groups of pedestrians is extremely difficult at the best of times, but is much more so when doing it at high speed on a bicycle.

Make Eye Contact

One of the key challenges that faces cyclists is ensuring that other road users recognize their presence so that potential accidents can be avoided before they happen. Though you may find it a little uncomfortable at first, by making eye contact with drivers, especially when at stop signs or traffic lights, you make sure that they are aware of your presence. You don’t need to get into a staring match, as a look and a smile should be more than enough to suffice and keep you in their minds as they pull away.

Always Wear A Helmet

One of the first safety tips that any cyclist will be given is to always wear a helmet, even on the shortest rides. This is particularly important for road users and may save your life if you are involved in a collision. Hard concrete hurts and hitting it at speed can lead to traumatic injuries that, in the worst case scenario, could have a dramatic impact on the way that you live your life. Always be sure to invest in a quality bike helmet and make sure that it fits before taking it out on the road.

Wear Light Clothing

Valerie Topete points out that cycling at night presents a range of challenges that you won’t face during the day, the biggest of which is maintaining visibility. Always make sure to wear light-colored clothing when you are out on the road so that drivers can easily see where you are. Reflective stripes and other high-visibility clothing will also be able to offer additional protection.
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Valerie Topete - Bike Equipment That Every Cyclist Needs

So you have finally purchased a bike and you are looking to get out on the roads as soon as possible. However, before you do, it is important that you pick up all of the relevant equipment that you will need to make your journeys as comfortable as possible. As an experienced bike courier in New York City, Valerie Topete knows better than most just how important good equipment can be, particularly during long days of cycling. All of these are important for any new cyclist to have if they want to stay comfortable for longer.

A Helmet

The very first thing that you should purchase before you head out on your bike is a good helmet. Make sure that you do some research and pick a helmet that has been made by a quality manufacturer, instead of trying to buy the cheapest option available. After all, your helmet may end up saving your life if you are involved in a collision or end up coming off the bike for any reason. It is also important to ensure that you purchase a helmet that properly fits your head, so that you can enjoy full protection.

A Water Bottle

Long rides can get very exhausting and the constant sweating may lead to you becoming dehydrated in fairly short order, especially if you are cycling in warm weather. This means that you should always have a water bottle available so that you can take a quick swig if the ride is starting to wear on you. Always refill it before you head out on the bike and make an effort to clean it properly when you return home. If you’re on a very long ride, it is also wise to take advantage of any opportunities that you have to get a refill by stopping off at water fountains that might be on your route.

Valerie Topete

A Puncture Repair Kit

Tire punctures are one of the biggest issues that a bike courier or long-distance cyclist is going to face, so you always want to be sure that you have what you need to make quick repairs so that you don’t end up stranded on the side of the road. Purchase a good puncture repair kit that leaves you able to repair multiple tires if needed. It is also a good idea to bring a bike pump along with you as well, so you can re-inflate a tire following the repair work.

Gloves

Valerie Topete finds that the friction that her hands experience from constant gripping of handlebars while she is working as a bike courier can be problematic. By investing in a good pair of cycling gloves, you completely eliminate this issue and will also be able to remedy any problems that could be caused due to vibrations while riding.