Breakaway News Volume No. 17 Issue No. 7 July 2012

Happy Fourth

Happy Birthday to us! Happy Birthday to us! And when we say “us,” we mean the U.S. of A, of course. Here’s wishing all of our customers a happy, healthy, and safe Fourth of July celebration. Remember, large or small, our fleet of cyclists and truckers can deliver everything you need to celebrate. Except cannons. If you want one of those delivered, you’re on your own.

On the Move

After many years ensconced in the West 30s, Breakaway is preparing to pull up stakes and move. Why? The 7 train extension is causing real estate speculation here to soar, and the landlord won’t renew the lease, as they’re looking to convert to condos. We’re looking for a new place to call home, so if anyone has a ‘dark space’ (i.e. space not officially on the real estate market) they know about, tell us.

Breakaway Labs

With drones the new favorite toy of the Pentagon, we were wondering if we could get some to use for moving packages. Strangely, everytime we asked to talk to someone about drones, we kept getting transferred to an apiary. That’s when it hit us; we could breed a new kind of messenger! We’re currently breeding killer bees to become messenger bees. The buzz is that it’s going quite smoothly, although they look somewhat like John Belushi. 

Photo Phobia

Our messengers and racers have had a busy pictorial season. Pictures of cyclists wearing Breakaway kit have appeared on Facebook, the Wall Street Journal, and other esteemed news outlets. So many, in fact, that we’ve decided that we can play our own courier version of “Where’s Waldo.” Fame at last!

Shout Out

All of our customers are awesome, discerning, and discriminating people, but every so often, one stands out. This month, we’d like to give a shout out to Katie at WP Carey for being very supportive of not just Breakaway, but of the individual couriers that risk it all on the streets everyday. Yay Katie!

Allez!

July is upon us, and that means that many of us cycling fans at Breakaway will be glued to the web, TV, and other assorted media outlets for news of the Tour de France. The Tour starts a day early this year, on June 30^th, in Liege, Belgium (yes, we know; that’s not France). Also, six women from Team Réve will ride the same route as the racers, and try to complete it in roughly the same time. Go, ladies, go!

Stump the Band

Last month we asked where and when the first bicycle sharing program was launched. Answer: the 

White Bicycle Project, in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1965.

T-Shirt Question

Six women will ride the Tour route this year, but did you know that there was a Tour Feminin? Who was the Feminin’s very first winner? The first person to call Gil Ortiz with the correct answer will win a coveted Breakaway T-shirt.