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Sad News . . . .

Pbody

Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
341
0
It seems that we lost a cycling guru. . . .

Sheldon Brown: 1944 - 2008
By Gary Boulanger, US editor

"Bicycle Guru" Sheldon Brown, the human encyclopedia of bicycling knowledge and a famous employee of Harris Cyclery in Massachusetts, died of a massive heart attack Sunday evening, February 3, according to his wife Harriet.

The 63-year-old bicycle expert was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis in August 2007, limiting his prior upright bicycling and workload. His many trademarks include a longish gray leprechaun beard and shaved head. He was also well-known for patiently and thoroughly answering his 500 - 1000 daily emails.

Our thoughts are with Brown's family during their time of loss. His contributions to the bicycle industry were great, and his enduring legacy shall be greater.
 

Wilhelm

Monkey
Aug 10, 2003
444
19
The “Go To Guy”
February 4th, 2008 by Guitar Ted

Editors Note: It is with sadness that I mark the passing of one of cyclings most beloved “wrenches” and source of knowledge, Sheldon Brown, who died on Sunday, February 3rd of an apparent heart attack. This is a post written in his honor from a fellow wrench and fan of his…….

When I first happened upon this information super highway in the late 90’s, one of the first things I did was to use the search function and see what was out there that I could read concerning my passion of cycling and working on bicycles. One of the first sites I stumbled upon was Sheldon Brown’s.

I was simply amazed. There were all sorts of things I knew, of course, since I was a mechanic myself, but there was a lot more that I didn’t know. A lot more! I think I read all of the site in two or three sittings, just gobbling up everything Sheldon was putting out there. Whenever I had a question about something, I hopped online and checked out Sheldon’s site to see if he had anything that addressed my concern of the day. More often than not, he did. He was my go to guy.

I ended up teaching a maintenance class for a bit a couple of years back and I would always recommend that the students check out Sheldon Brown and use his vast storehouse of cycling knowledge to guide them long after the classes were over. I knew from my own experience that they couldn’t go wrong with my “go to guy”.

Practical, inventive, easy to understand, and sometimes controversial, Sheldon Brown’s use of the internet pre-dated most of us “scribes” and “gurus” here in the digital realm and he left a legacy that will far outlast anything I write or come up with, I am sure of that. I don’t think it is possible to count the number of lives he has touched so far with his work.

Sheldon Brown will be missed by many, but his legacy lives on and helps us pedal our way down that path we choose. Thanks!

http://twentynineinches.com/2008/02/04/the-go-to-guy/
 

- seb

Turbo Monkey
Apr 10, 2002
2,924
1
UK
The news is over a year old, just in case you didn't realise that I've resurrected (no sick pun intended!) an old thread.
 

- seb

Turbo Monkey
Apr 10, 2002
2,924
1
UK
Just the lifts by the sound of it, and to be honest, I kinda agree with him in some ways. Obviously gondolas, chairlifts and shuttles rock big hairy ones, but I often feel better after a day's pushing up, certainly a much better all-body workout.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
Who cares?

Do you think I ask Cedric his opinion on French BB threads? Steve Peat on how to rebuild a Sturmey-Archer 3 speed hub?

I am not surprised that Sheldon Brown, an old-school cyclist if there every was one, hated dh.

I bet most of the teenagers in this forum have never sat on a bike that is older than they are.

When they actually have to repair one of these bikes, or realize things like how chainline is not always right on even new bikes, then they will realize Sheldon Brown's value to cycling community