LexRides

brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

the passing of a true bicycle guru, and creator of the largest collection of bicycle-related knowledge available online (if not anywhere else).

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/index.html

ride on, old man. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

Christopher · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:39 pm Post subject: Re: Sheldon Brown, 1944 - 2008

brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

I remember speaking with him over the phone probably about 4 years ago, when I was too embarrassed to go into a local shop to ask about parts for converting fixed gear bikes. He was really nice and helpful.

Christopher · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:57 pm Post subject:

I like this bit from his personal site:

Some of my heroes:

John Brown, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglass, Charles de Gaulle, Mahandas Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Joni Mitchell, Harriet Tubman, Mark Twain, Abraham Lincoln, Ben Linder, Grace Hopper, Victor Hugo, Bertrand Russel, Leonardo da Vinci, George Washington, Sir Joseph Whitworth, Wilbur and Orville Wright

Some Things I Believe In

* Democracy
* Duty
* Equality
* Exogamy
* Family
* Freedom
* Justice
* Kindness
* Law
* Love
* Loyalty
* Mathematics
* Science
* Space Exploration
* Truth

Some Things I Do Not Believe In

* Angels
* Astrology
* Death Penalty
* Devils
* Elves
* Faeries
* Faith
* Gods
* "Intelligent Design"
* Leprechauns
* Luck
* Magic
* Racial Purity
_________________
http://www.lexingtonbikeracecalendar.com

elzie5000 · cutter Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 1177

Damn.
That blows.

Christopher · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject: "Old and unlikely forms"

Thought you guys would like this bit from his (pretty cool) wiki entry:

"He was an enthusiast for many old and unlikely forms of bicycles and cycling including Raleigh and their English three-speed cycles, the Sturmey-Archer hub in general, tandems, and in particular fixed-gear cycles."
_________________
http://www.lexingtonbikeracecalendar.com

jkizzle · cutter Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 519 Location: I.L.L.

If it wasnt for Sheldon, I probably would have never kept biking, I hated having to give up my bike for a few days everytime something went wrong with my bike. I didnt know any other cyclists to show me how to do repairs, and had all but given up doing them my self until i found his site. He was the only one who put it in terms i could understand.

beardcrumbs · Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:55 am Post subject:

I just found out Sheldon had passed and ran over here to find this thread. This is a sad time for all cyclists. We owe a lot more than we think to guys like Sheldon.

brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

most folks who frequent his site are familiar with his battles with MS over the past couple of years, and while his health had deteriorated rapidly over the past few months, word on the web is that he died of a heart attack, Sunday evening.

a true legend.

brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

as to be expected, BikeSnob wrote up a nice tribute to the man he both revered and poked fun at with good humor:
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2008/02/thanks-sheldon_05.html