tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post3230190627089347906..comments2024-03-27T05:14:23.738-04:00Comments on Lovely Bicycle!: Remembering a Man I Never KnewVelouriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-65100086593604770132013-05-25T09:30:07.420-04:002013-05-25T09:30:07.420-04:00He was so kind and knowledgeable about most things...He was so kind and knowledgeable about most things. He even helped me decide on a Brooks leather saddle over the phone. I'm glad I spoke with Sheldon, the iconic presence in the world of cycling. I still have the saddle, which I will someday pass down to my grandchildren with a little story to accompany it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-89130170055303907592011-05-09T15:17:23.993-04:002011-05-09T15:17:23.993-04:00Very well said. I too came across his webpage and ...Very well said. I too came across his webpage and found him fascinating. He has lots of info about a Raleigh I was restoring and helped out tremendously. Much like you, I was upset when I found out he had passed just a few months prior to when I first discovered him. May he rest in peace.Christopherhttp://www.thedirtieduckie.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-91573362338722671442011-03-31T11:36:05.395-04:002011-03-31T11:36:05.395-04:00That is very sad news for me also. Thank you for t...That is very sad news for me also. Thank you for the article and the photos.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272755559589366573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-33539065190823578242011-03-02T17:21:18.185-05:002011-03-02T17:21:18.185-05:00What a great tribute and a great post.What a great tribute and a great post.woollypigshttp://www.woollypigs.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-39037840123303201772011-02-18T02:25:55.268-05:002011-02-18T02:25:55.268-05:00beautiful post and nice selection of images of she...beautiful post and nice selection of images of sheldon... definitely a giant figure in todays vintage bike boom... along with grant pedersen, hiroshi iimura of jitensha studio, he has had an immense influence on my obsession with (particularly) japanese bicycles... well done!!!jitensha-jinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15829504304472195723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-17437981150120217622011-02-11T21:59:26.158-05:002011-02-11T21:59:26.158-05:00Wonderful post... I, like you, continue to learn s...Wonderful post... I, like you, continue to learn so much from Sheldon via his superb writing and deep, deep technical knowledge.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-87841088961894439512011-02-10T14:09:40.237-05:002011-02-10T14:09:40.237-05:00We only knew him in passing before his passing but...We only knew him in passing before his passing but we rode out with others to attend his memorial service. Due to personal things that were going on at the time we felt connected to him in five very deep ways, something I've shared with his wife when I bumped into her.<br /><br />I sat in that church and I looked at the people around me and I pondered what I could do, in my own way, that could influence or inspire people in a small approximation of what he had done. <br /><br />On the bike ride home I decided I could start a blog, and the next day I did: <a href="http://chiccyclist.blogspot.com/2008/03/inspiration-for-this-blog.html" rel="nofollow">inspiration for this blog</a>Charlottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08036691849337099909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-31133462879840340742011-02-10T12:35:37.803-05:002011-02-10T12:35:37.803-05:00vast experience X love to share X sensitivity X at...vast experience X love to share X sensitivity X attitude... make a truly great man. - funky head wear and expressive facial hair come as no hindrance.<br />craft X reflection is something that to us humans comes as a very rare and highly appreciated - almost poetic - combination. it is also for example what we love in true design of any kind.<br />sheldon's highly accessible way of writing to me lives somewhere in the same sphere. it puts me right into his head and makes me look at his hands. zen and the art of bicycle maintenance.<br />a generous man. the soul of cycling.jenshttp://www.bellaciao.de/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-87931048209100293432011-02-10T09:22:19.071-05:002011-02-10T09:22:19.071-05:00Sheldon Brown is looking over my shoulder every ti...Sheldon Brown is looking over my shoulder every time I lace a wheel or have a mechanical problem. Who sez he's dead??Bob Baxternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-57743964175129175022011-02-10T07:54:35.622-05:002011-02-10T07:54:35.622-05:00It says a lot about a person who can affect so man...It says a lot about a person who can affect so many who didn't even know him personally, even after his death. I too stumbled across his website purely by accident whilst looking for vintage bike parts. His articles really gave me the help I needed working on the 3-speed bikes I love so much. I think this is a great tribute, and may his work continue to help other bicycle lovers and owners to become a little more self-sufficient in their bicycle repairing adventures! What a great person!RadlerAdlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16587606309948388742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-23291542959174337302011-02-10T05:43:39.341-05:002011-02-10T05:43:39.341-05:00Maybe the last image is prophetic in the sense, if...Maybe the last image is prophetic in the sense, if you look hard or out of the corners of your eyes you might discover he is still here.<br /><br />AlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-41306965419758016312011-02-10T04:20:49.656-05:002011-02-10T04:20:49.656-05:00Incredible man, always loved his passion for Engli...Incredible man, always loved his passion for English bikes! <br /><br />Ben <br />(Lincoln England) Home of ElswicksBen Hildredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01297877530875449504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-90841597404633991902011-02-10T01:11:41.154-05:002011-02-10T01:11:41.154-05:00Great post, Velouria. Like you I discovered him af...Great post, Velouria. Like you I discovered him after he died, while researching hub gears. I was so saddened to see on his website that he was no longer with us...the guy was a genius. His website is not only full of brilliant articles but laugh out loud humour as well. <br />Happy freewheeling, Sheldon, wherever you are.Carinthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09490217708697574505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-84032092366062309012011-02-09T21:09:08.938-05:002011-02-09T21:09:08.938-05:00Amen, to all of the above.Amen, to all of the above.apophasishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04491833621021343116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-10255111717895656712011-02-09T17:28:56.684-05:002011-02-09T17:28:56.684-05:00I was lucky enough to have one email exchange with...I was lucky enough to have one email exchange with him before he died. My Dad was a Sheldonite before I had any idea- we happened to be in West Newton and my Dad was so excited when we drove past Harris!<br /> <br />I think that the magic of his website is that not only is it so comprehensive and exhaustively crosslinked, but it's written in a completely accessible and surprisingly non- technical style (Ok except for the gear ratio stuff which I can never understand). It actually reminds me a bit of the Car Talk Guys- pragmatic and results oriented.<br /><br />"So you want to spread your rear dropouts. Here's how you do it...."<br />No, ooh- this is crazy and technical and you should really pay someone else to do it" Instead it's very encouraging and implies that anyone, no matter how inexperienced can do just about anything to a bike with the appropriate amount of persistence and a bit of guidance from an old pro.<br /><br />If he's looking down from the great bicycle shop in the sky, I hope he's proud of the growing re-appreciation of old steel bikes and bicycles for transportation.cyclerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10331461189944538729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-15024283076727723952011-02-09T17:11:59.064-05:002011-02-09T17:11:59.064-05:00So amazing and funny...I encountered Sheldon Brown...So amazing and funny...I encountered Sheldon Brown in very much the same way. Every google search I did that involved Raleighs, vintage English bikes, rod brakes, what have you all seemed to the same place--Sheldon's site with that wonderful goofy photo and all of that wonderful, hands-on detail and info. And then yes--it was probably only after months that I came across the dates of his death and I was so sorry. Still, so incredible that he continues to help and inform so many of us and inspires such affection and respect.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05544085626784199782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-50999876050059776352011-02-09T16:25:04.080-05:002011-02-09T16:25:04.080-05:00Thanks Velouria. Like you I enjoyed Sheldon's...Thanks Velouria. Like you I enjoyed Sheldon's style, humor and way with words. I never met him but was aware of him while he was alive through internet forums, etc. I had an experience like yours with a man named Bill Mason of canoeing fame whom I only became aware of shortly after he died through discovering his books. It says a lot that people can have a profound impact on others even after their passing.Paul W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10574676317885857733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-12198004225034775292011-02-09T16:18:45.398-05:002011-02-09T16:18:45.398-05:00The first bike I rode for transportation, my old R...The first bike I rode for transportation, my old Raleigh 3-speed, was fixed up by a friend using Sheldon Brown's website. So if it weren't for him, would I have fallen in love with cycling? I don't know. It would have taken longer, in any case. <br /><br />I loved looking up all the neato information I could find about my bicycle after I started riding. Within a few days I could brag that I knew my bike was from 1961 (after reading on his website to check for a two-digit number on my hub gear). <br /><br />I'll never forget the header to one section: "These are real bikes!" That was my mantra when people (particularly a now-ex) told me to sell the Raleigh because it was so heavy and slow, and get a "real" bike. It *IS* a real bike! Sheldon Brown says so! And he knows everything!<br /><br />A friend of mine who used to be an active mod on bikeforums said he was extremely generous with his time and loved answering people's questions on the forum, and that there was an acronym for "As Always, Sheldon Has The Answer!"<br /><br />And!! I hired a lawyer recently (Mark Ginsberg, here in Portland OR, *excellent* in bike cases) because I had a crash on private property. I was amazed and awed to find out that he worked at Harris Cyclery most of the way through college! Mark said he was in email contact with Sheldon up until the day he died. <br /><br />I never met him or communicated with him in any way, but I'm grateful for the effect he's had on biking, and I still use his website for reference probably once a week! <br /><br />Heh. I should find the plastic eagle flag-topper I got at his memorial ride here in Portland and put it on my helmet again. ;^)<br /><br />If cycling had saints, he would be one for sure. St. Sheldon! The saint of all curious cyclists and home mechanics.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-46705587834053269952011-02-09T15:42:40.658-05:002011-02-09T15:42:40.658-05:00Thanks, Velouria.
Posts like this make me feel old...Thanks, Velouria.<br />Posts like this make me feel old, but in a happy way. I have had many cycling "eras" and Sheldon Brown only entered my world during the internet era, but surely he was the first on the internet with bicycle knowledge "writ large". I don't know what he was like personally, but I get that, if I had known him, we could have been friends.<br />Sheldon still inhabits the pages of the Classic & Vintage pages of Bike Forums, in the person of the many who share their knowledge with wit and humility, and on this page too, though with a more stylish look.Davehttp://davidnewtonguitars.squarespace.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-21997324645982030112011-02-09T15:00:15.016-05:002011-02-09T15:00:15.016-05:00Thanks for this. You and I stepped into this at th...Thanks for this. You and I stepped into this at the same time and I also remember searching online and then coming to Harris and feeling lucky to have my lbs be the place he worked. That there was the echo of greatness there if that makes sense.MamaVeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09519007680870604271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-44950340528251881462011-02-09T14:55:03.857-05:002011-02-09T14:55:03.857-05:00Nice post Velouria.
Sheldon helped me just last w...Nice post Velouria.<br /><br />Sheldon helped me just last week when I had to re-dish a rear wheel and re-position the hub on the axle of a multi-to-single-speed conversion I'm doing.frozen prairienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-76676206278984168962011-02-09T14:47:38.424-05:002011-02-09T14:47:38.424-05:00I learned how to build wheels from an article Shel...I learned how to build wheels from an article Sheldon wrote in Bicycling! magazine about thirty years ago. That, after buying a short book by a writer whose name I can't recall. That book was useless.<br /><br />I never met Sheldon, but I wrote to him for advice on one aspect and another of cycling. I was always impressed with, and appreciative of, the promptness as well as the clarity of his responses. <br /><br />But he wasn't just a techie who could explain things coherently (as if that weren't enough of a find!). He was also very human and humane. That, in itself, is reason to miss him.Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-42825867171301933802011-02-09T14:37:14.304-05:002011-02-09T14:37:14.304-05:00Even though I've been cycling for more than 30...Even though I've been cycling for more than 30 years, I hadn't discovered Sheldon's invaluable site until after his death. I was going to suggest the Sheldon/Grant Petersen podcast, and was pleased to see somebody had already linked to it.MT cyclisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17451590809473759574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-15356219927435178302011-02-09T14:34:35.817-05:002011-02-09T14:34:35.817-05:00I knew of Sheldon and had seem him once or twice w...I knew of Sheldon and had seem him once or twice while I was visiting Harris; but at the time, I was somewhat inexperienced and shy, and never felt like I had a question or project that was worthy of his time. Still, he always seemed like a genuinely nice fellow, and a welcome change from so many other experts in the bike industry who seemed to guard their expertise jealously.<br /><br />His death was a bit of a shock, even if his health had been deteriorating, it seemed like he was finding new ways to keep on going. There's a nice little eulogy that his wife posted to Massbike, if you subscribe to their Google Group.<br /><br />I still use his wheelbuilding page as a reference for when my memory gets sketchy and I might not remember which order the spokes are supposed to go in when lacing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-32803356690176682772011-02-09T13:46:05.914-05:002011-02-09T13:46:05.914-05:00I corresponded with him once, over a question abou...I corresponded with him once, over a question about a frame lock I'd seen once. It was cool that he answered random email like mine. Somewhere I have the reply, which I treasure.<br />Thanks for posting the pictures. I had never seen anything but the color photo of him with the silly flagpole eagle on his helmet.<br />We have, here in Pittsburgh, something equivalent in the person of Jerry Kraynick, of Kraynick's Bike Shop in Lawrenceville. He has no web presence but he has had a huge impact on bicycling here, and runs a really cool shop. Worth a look if you happen to be in the 'Burgh. It is filled, I mean really filled, with bike parts, with a narrow aisle you can roll your bike in so he can have a look, and a place at the back where you can fix it yourself (he encourages this, and will lend you tools).Jon Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02944939117507730995noreply@blogger.com