I first encountered Sheldon Brown's site when I decided to get back into biking after I retired. I got out my long neglected commuter, a 1980 Schwinn World Sport, and went to a bike shop to see about getting it whipped into shape. I soon discovered that everything I knew about bikes was wrong, or at least obsolete. A search of the web turned up Harris Cyclery and I was in business again with a new chain, repacked hubs and bottom bracket, new (straight) rear axle and trued wheels. A friend was trying to talk me into a new bike but Sheldon's web site helped me to make the bike I already had work like a new one.
While working on the Schwinn, I ran across the single speed/fixed gear pages and read them with great interest. I decided that I needed one of those too. After a couple of months of research, dreaming and parts shopping, I put my first fixed gear bike together in early September. Whenever I worked on the bike, the computer was on and Sheldon was right there looking over my shoulder, as I built the bike that is in my avatar. Harris provided the crank, stem and saddle.
Within a week, I was hooked on fixed gear riding. With the approach of winter, fenders were bought and installed and the Schwinn began to get jealous as it sat in it's corner and watched me head out the door with the "new" bike. I had seen some Kogswell info on Sheldon's site and thought that I might like to have one of those, if I ever built another bike. A short time later there were some Kogswell G frames being closed out on eBay and the little voice in my head said "Buy It Now". I did. I built my first wheelset for this bike. I had read the books by Jobst Brandt and Gerd Schraner and found them both very informative but it was a printout of Sheldon's wheel building pages that sat by my side as I laced up that first wheel. I have had no trouble with these wheels and don't expect to have any. The bike is fast, fairly light (23lb.) and so quiet that I'm gone before the dogs hear me coming.
That spring, a NOS 1987 Schwinn Super Sport frame found it's way to my door and, with NOS parts from as far away as Cyprus, I made it into a 14 speed road bike... Suntour hubs, deraillers, shifters and cassette. This was my first dished rear wheel and, once again, Sheldon's instructions helped me over the rough spots.
There is one more bike but I don't have any photos of it yet. The photo of the Super Sport was taken in the morning of June 26th. That afternoon, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and began new and different phase of my life. I had surgery in October and am recovering well. The outlook is good for me at this time. As I began my recovery, I decided to build a bike that would be easy to ride on the somewhat rough roads we have around here and maybe to explore some of the gravel roads... away from traffic and noise. I bought an old, steel MTB frame... a Trek 800. I built a wheelset with Sun RhynoLite XL rims, 13/14ga single butted spokes, a Shimano XT hub in front and a White Industries eccentric in the rear. I have a 16 tooth fixed cog on one side and a 17/19 White Industries freewheel on the other. This gives me 67.7 gear inches when I'm feeling good and riding on flat pavement or 56.9 gear inches if I'm having a bad day or riding in the hills. I know this because Sheldon has a nifty gear chart on his web site. The rear hub eccentric works within the range of adjustment of the rear brake pads with these three cogs. I know that because Sheldon told me that it might be a problem and I made some measurements before buying the brakes... works like a charm. Since this was my first MTB wheelset, I was not sure about the tire size/rim width. No problem... just looked it up on Sheldon's site. It's a nice riding bike... soft tires, relaxed geometry, upright riding position... a little brake squeal at first but a quick trip to Sheldon's site and the "Shimano Squeal" was exorcised.
Thanks, Sheldon. You have made the computer my most important bike repair tool.