FIVE THINGS WITH LUKE BREEN OWNER PERENNIAL CYCLE MPLS
FIVE THINGS is a weekly feature on the Banjo Brothers Blog. It’s a short interview about life and bicycles with a notable person. This week’s FIVE THINGS is with Perennial Cycle owner Luke Breen.
Luke and the Banjo Brothers' relationship goes back all the way to Banjo Brothers' inception in 2003. Breen attracted attention to his store in 2016 when he dumped the name of his shop (Calhoun Cycle) over the controversial history of John C. Calhoun, described as one of the most aggressive segregationists and proponents of slavery in U.S. History. It was a risky move considering the brand equity Breen built over the past 20 years.
Breen, the son of a small town merchant, has had a knack for retail and a nose for niche marketing. His shop is one of the most prominent retailers for Brompton Folding Bicycles in the United States. Perennial brought the Brompton U.S. Championship to Minneapolis in 2012. Perennial was also an early proponent of Cargo Bikes, Trikes and his store has been at the forefront of community-building events to grow and maintain relevancy in a brutal retail environment for brick and mortar bike shops. Breen and Banjo Brothers launched the Banjo Brothers "Tiny Bikeshop Concert Series" , dubbed Free Music Concerts Held in the World's Best Bike Shops in 2011. Perennial's Weekend Pastry Rides as a part of Thirty Days of Biking are known for being epic.
This Spring the Banjo Brothers and Breen are teaming up again for family-friendly events in the bike shop. Breen revived the Tiny Bikeshop Concert theme for a free Tiny Bikeshop Concert on Friday April 20th featuring the band The Decayed Realms, followed by the weekly Pastry Ride on Saturday the 21st.
Luke lives in South Minneapolis, has three great daughters and a patient, understanding wife. We hope you enjoy this week's Five Things.
BANJO BROS: WHAT ARE YOU RIDING?
LB: It’s winter. That means I’m crushing the ice with my trusty Rawland Dakkar with Schwalbe studded tires.
BANJO BROS: WHERE ARE YOU RIDING?
LB: Tomorrow morning I’m meeting my riding buddy Derek and we’ll likely cross the river and loop through downtown St. Paul and loop back in search of coffee and a pastry. Last summer’s most memorable destination was a gas station in Henderson, MN. The pizza and candy counter saved me from oncoming despair TWICE last summer.
I realized something this winter: I will never have a bike without dynamo lighting ever again. I know, super nerdy and all, but it’s rare that I box myself into an “ever again."
BANJO BROS: WHAT ARE YOU READING?
LB :Jø Nesbo is a Norwegian crime writer that is a favorite escape for me. It can’t be easy writing a detective series in a country with so little crime and so much socialism, but if you ask me, Jø nails it every time : )
BANJO BROS: WHAT ARE YOU COOKING/EATING/DRINKING?
LB: At lunch I’m all about greasy, cheesy and meaty while at home it’s a near vegan diet. I’m not sure sure that the two lives understand each other very well.
BANJO BROS: WHAT'S STUCK IN YOUR CRAW?
LB: 1.) I realized something this winter: I will never have a bike without dynamo lighting ever again. I know, super nerdy and all, but it’s rare that I box myself into an “ever again”.
2.) I love shooting product shots. I’m not a photographer at all and don’t take many photos, but in the winter when things are slow, my jam is to take pictures of products for our website. They really have little significance at all, but it makes me happy. - Here’s an example (and no Mike, you may not use these images):
3.) As you now know, I’m a pretty uninteresting human being (and I enjoy that reality)
MORE ABOUT THE FIVE THINGS INTERVIEWS FROM BANJO BROTHERS
A big Banjo Bros. thank you Luke for participating in this week's edition of Banjo Brothers' Five Things. These short interviews about life and bicycles will appear every Friday on the Banjo Brothers Blog. If you liked this FIVE THINGS from Banjo Brothers you should check our our full series of past five things interviews.
Would you like to be interviewed for Five Things?
Use the contact form on our website to send us a note. See you next Friday. Also, since you're here, we do need to mention, Banjo Brothers makes a whole line of tough, practical and affordable gear for cyclists. Thanks for reading.