RIP Sheldon Brown
 

I wasn't sure where to post this, but Sheldon died 9 years ago today. He taught me how to ride a bicycle as a child. I just wanted to say that small bit.

When I got serious about cycling his web site was where I learned the most intelligent and practical information. He was not a lot of fluff and had many homemade common sense approaches to maintenance and such.

He's the only one that really promoted proper chain cleaning.

The ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System

His site is the bible for bikes as far as I'm concerned.

Machka and I just missed meeting Sheldon by about 15 minutes when we visited Harris Cyclery when on our way to the last running of the Boston-Montreal-Boston 1200. I also had participation with him in a lengthy thread on the Bicycle Mechanics forum about chain wear.

His website is still the Bible for many amateur bike mechanics.

I only met Sheldon on Usenet maybe 30 years ago when it was just rec.bicycles, (or affectionately wreck.bicycles). I'd hoped to meet him in person but alas...

In his last few years, Sheldon rode a recumbent trike. He was the key speaker at a Bentrideronline rally in New York, I can't remember which year that was 2008-ish?

When I first started doing my own bicycle maintenance I found his site and his pages on adjusting derailleurs, setting up cables and doing brakes. He explained it much better than the other sites. I printed out those pages and stapled them into sets and still refer to them when I need to do those jobs. Thanks Sheldon.

Many years back , at the turn of the century, I Emailed Sheldon about something on one of my bikes, and he always got back, and usually in few hours. I'm grateful his site was kept alive.

I attended that Bentride event at Curtis Museum. He was a huge wealth of knowledge, always sharing and listening!

I miss people like this , even when I have not met them. He was a stalwart in the bike industry, in many ways. Wish I had met him once at least.

R.I.P. Sheldon.

I blame Sheldon for making me trim my beard so people would stop confusing me with a guy who actually knew what he was talking about with bicycles.

He passed away before I started cycling, but his knowledge has been of great use.

Has it really been 9 years?

Wow. How time flies and it feel like only 5 years at most. What a loss and he was never replaced.

His guidance was always practical and spot on. His collection of bikes was carefully customized over decades and demonstrated his personal style and his deep understanding of the possibilities of bikes. He seemed completely unconcerned with being cool. He posted long blogs about France, photography, philosophy and his family. He had a completely goofball sense of humor that aligns well with my own sense of humor. If there ever was a guy that seemed impossible to dislike, it was Sheldon. I never even met the guy and I can tell you I liked him and respected him. RIP.

Since it's been 9 years, it wasn't 2008. I looked it up and I think it was 2006 that Sheldon was the speaker. The Keuka Lake ride on Sunday started at the Curtiss museum, but the main rally was at a private campground south of Bath NY. Sheldon was our featured speaker on Saturday night. Good times.

Here's a podcast of that address.
http://sheldonbrown.com/podcasts/she...ntride2005.mp3

Yet he was so cool that he is still revered long after he died.

Also a word about Harriet Fell, his wife of many years. She achieved fame for herself by riding the PBP 1200 randonnee with a roast chicken in her handlebar bag to sustain her along the way.

That was about a month after I joined here, after hearing about the legendary Sheldon Brown all these years it was almost hard to take in that he was so accessible and outgoing. I posted a typical form newbie question in the mechanics section, about my then new R500T 'Dale, asking for information regarding the RSX components. First answer back was from Sheldon. Made a big impression on me, and then a few weeks after this, I log on and read of his passing. RIP Sheldon, thanks for making a lasting contribution to Cycling.

Bill

His wisdom finds every corner of the known cycling world and continues to shine its light into the darkest recesses. Salut Sheldon Brown!

Hear Hear!

It really hit hard when he died. Never met him, but I was one of many who learned about cycling and bikes from his writing.

Sheldon was a good man. I really believe that.

I was sorry, after reading so much stuff I needed to know on his web site, that he was not around to thank. Very valuable. I do thank whoever keeps his site up and running, but I'm afraid I don't remember who that is.