Breakaway News Volume No. 23 Issue No. 12 December 2018

Holiday Greetings

It’s the season for giving, which means it’s the season for shopping, which means it’s the season for shipping, which means it’s the season for calling Breakaway to deliver that special something to you so you can give it to that special someone and wow the pants off him/her/them! We want to thank all our customers for being with us another year, and wish you all a happy, healthy holiday season.

 Holiday Rush

 We at Breakaway pride ourselves on our ability to get deliveries done in all sorts of conditions, but even we aren’t entirely immune to the holiday season. Many stores and offices close early, and everyone is trying to get work done at the last minute. Please review the back of this newsletter for some tips to make sure your packages get where they need to go during this busy time of year. 

 By The Numbers

 Fitness app Strava, it’s fair to say, has revolutionized our ability to track our physical activity and compare it to others. Their numbers also reveal some interesting trends. For example, 36 million cyclists from 195 countries logged 6.67 billion miles (with a “b”), from Sept. 2017 through Aug. 2018 (and drank vast amounts of coffee). Something else caught our eye:  Globally, community by bicycle is up almost 43 percent vs. last year.  In the U.S., it’s up more than 30 percent.  Great news for the planet! 

 Overheard

 “…and then I read that quote, and it really resonated with me. It said, ‘Love is wisdom, and hatred foolishness.’ ”

“That’s funny…I’d have thought it was the other way around.”

 Just one of the many conversations overheard by our messengers every day.

Light the Lights

 As you read this newsletter, we’re already in the middle of Hanukkah.  The 8-day Festival of Lights started on December 2. As we wish a Happy Hanukkah to our customers, we remember that this year is especially poignant and ask everyone to keep the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh in mind as we light our menorahs and hope for a more peaceful year to come.

 One Last Ride

 As all our readers know, we at Breakaway HQ are big cycling fans, and that means we follow the big races and the people that call those races. Sadly, commentator Paul Sherwen, former pro, British national champion, and commentator on the Tour de France (with constant call companion Phil Liggett) for 33 years, passed away at the age of 62. We’ll miss him, and wish him a final good ride into the great beyond.

 Stump the Band

 Last month we asked wanted to know who created Day of the Dead icon La Calavera Cantina. Answer: Mexican lithographer Jose Guadalupe Posada, who created her as social commentary.

 T-Shirt Question

 Coffee is beloved by cyclists and Europeans, but before coffee, people drank beer for breakfast. Who first brought coffee to Europe and popularized it? The first person to call Gil Ortiz with the correct answer will win a coveted Breakaway T-shirt.