Originally Posted by jonTu

Sheldon Brown is a bike mechanic up in Massachusetts who works at a place called Harris Cyclery. His claim to fame is writing tremendously detailed technical articles on topics that range from tremendously useful (e.g., gear rations, wheel lacing patterns) to tremendously inane (e.g. the history of postwar Raliegh 3-speed hubs), but they're all exceptionally well researched and grounded in his vast experience. If you have a technical question, his website is a great resource, and his shop has some parts that are difficult to find elsewhere. He's not very down with modern racing setups, but if you're looking to do something involving single speed or the restoration of an old European bike, the dude is a vertaible wizard.