He had so much enthusiasm for riding bikes, and yet he wasn't able to himself. He never really let his illness slip out, no mention that he can't get on his bike. Enthusiasm, if unsatiated for one reason or another, can turn into blaming, bitterness and anger. Imagine if you dedicate your life to something, hoping to continue until the end, only to find your fine motor skills have betrayed you. I'd be moping and pissed. I get angry if it rains and I can't ride, let alone get MS.

I never heard anything negative from SB, just unbridled joy at sharing knowledge about those stupid velocepede's, which dominate our lives.

That throws his legend up into the stratosphere in my book.

Random thoughts, since I'm still a bit shocked:

My email is going to Sun Race in a moment.
I'll buy several stickers, but ONLY if the profits go to his family. I'd hate to see somebody throw something up on CafePress to make a quick buck off of someone's loss.
To the guy who's wife was in labor: "Sheldon" would make a fine name, even as a middle name.

I got back into cycling a couple of years ago after a long time off. Sheldon's writings not only reminded me of things that I knew from "back then" but he also got me up to speed on the changes in bike tech from 1990 to 2005 or so. To me, his best quality was his ability to think differently.

I've been thinking of converting my Bianchi San Jose into a San Jos8. When I do, I know what I'll name it.

I would trade 5 Lance Armstrongs for 1 Sheldon Brown.

You'd be getting a bad deal there.

Everything I know that's actually correct I learned from Sheldon. Just last week I had the honor of him even responding to one of my posts.

Lance has actually created a foundation to help cancer patients. I think that's pretty cool of him.

This velo-news article links to "a memorial site with guestbook" that has been set up at sheldonbrown.blogspot.com.

I am crushed.

add me to that list.
RIP, Sheldon.

I was hoping to meet him soon. Pretty stunned when I found out this afternoon via BSNYC, of all things.

Bike Snob was actually very well done today:

"Thanks Sheldon

In yesterday's post I offhandedly mentioned Sheldon Brown. A little while later, I learned from reading the comments that he had died. At first, I thought that this was a morbid coincidence. But the more I thought about it, the less remarkable it seemed. This site is about cycling, and Sheldon Brown is as integral a part of cycling as pedals, or chains, or bar tape. (Okay, maybe not bar tape.) So, really, it's not particularly surprising that he should come up.

I've always revered Sheldon Brown for his erudition and wisdom. Knowing that much is rare enough, but being able to communicate that knowledge so clearly to others is even rarer. And sharing it so willingly and wittily is what made him a singular figure in cycling.

Only the strongest personalities can infuse inanimate objects with life, and Sheldon Brown did that. Just go to his website and look at his personal bikes. As much as we all love bikes, I think we all know they're just things. Sheldon's bikes are things too, but they have a signature exuberance; they are simultaneously absurd and practical. In a subculture that obsessively categorizes everything, they defy categorization. When you reach a certain familiarity with bicycles they can sometimes speak to you about their owners, and Sheldon's bikes speak with irreverence. They sing and tell jokes, and they have a Thelonious Monk-like ugly beauty. When you have as much knowledge and creativity as Sheldon did, you can build bikes that follow no template except your own.

There's little danger that cyclists will forget Sheldon Brown. I doubt that there's any cyclist who hasn't consulted his site, or who doesn't still. And as the architect of the cycling canon he's done more for cycling than any pro cyclist, or critical mass, or white bike, or orange bike ever has. No matter what you ride, how you ride, how long you ride, or how long you've been riding, you're a fan of Sheldon Brown.

Thanks for everything Sheldon.

--BSNYC"

Oh I see,i didnt mean anything funny about my post,I just didnt know about his disease.My brothers son has MS.

I really hope it stays up to keep his legacy alive..

Good bye Sheldon, rest peacefully.

Last summer I worked a short contract near Newton, where Sheldon lived and worked.

On my one day off, I could have driven my rental car over to Newton and perhaps have met Sheldon and shaken his hand.
I didn't, because I thought I would have time to do it later...

=====

Thank you Sheldon for revealing the wonder and beauty of fixed gear bicycles to me.

And thank you for your informative, humorous, thoughtful, instructive and gracious writing.

You made a difference in my life.

Thank you.

Wow, nothing new in my story: I read many of Sheldon's articles, used his wheel building guide to build my first set (which are still true, Sheldon!), and corresponded with him via email.

He is already missed, but as some have said, it is a pretty spectacular life to have lived if you can positively influence this many people without ever having met most of them.

Bye, Mr. Brown! And thank you.

Like so many others, I have come to trust Sheldon's knowledge and wisdom when it comes to pretty much everything bike related. He helped me build and fix dozens of bikes was a major influence on my decision to make biking a part of my daily life.

RIP Sheldon.

-Ian Koivisto

R.i.p.

Wired just posted an article:

http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008...n-brown-w.html

Big hiatuses for me too. Sheldon's writing also sometimes made me feel guilty for giving up cycling. He made it seem fun again. He's a big reason I'm back on my bike.

I often searched for posts by Sheldon on the forums just to see what he was saying. Despite the seemingly endless amount of information on his web page, his posts often suggested that even that was just part of the bicycle knowledge that guy had in his head.

In Austin, Texas we're having a Sheldon Brown Memorial Ride this Sunday (10th) at 4pm, meeting on the Lamar Pedestrian Bridge. If Sheldon has had an effect on your life and you're a local, please show up and ride with us. Black bands on top tubes or arms, and if you're of the helmeted persuasion feel free to ornament it in a manner befitting Captain Bike. The raising of your handlebars above your seat is purely optional...

I would be down for some stickers, if, as was mentioned before, the profits goto his family or to some cause that they decide on. A man that great should never be capitalized on.

Does anyone know if there's a memorial ride planned in Boston?

Quite surprised.
 

I've learned so much about bike tech and especially wheel building from Sheldon.

Mentioned that he had died to some of my roommates who claim to be into biking, they've never heard of the guy...
I was of the opinion that anyone who had the internet and was into biking, knew of Sheldon...
Oh well, they'll know some day... when they want to know about Strumey Archer hubs or crows foot lacing

His legacy will live on