This bike is a Sheldon bike. I got excited about fixed gear by reading his articles on it, I got excited about doing a conversion of an old lugged frame the same way, and I got a brooks because I trusted his opinion as a lifetime brooks sitter-onner. I had been out of cycling for years and really it was thanks to Sheldon's impassioned writing that I caught the bug again. Everything I forgot I relearned through his site, everything that was new I got familiar with. His presence was awesome and I'll miss him.