RIP Sheldon Brown

Wallace1492
Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
edited January 2010 in Commuting chat
I have been reading posts on here for about 6 months.
Been pointed a few times in the direction of Sheldon Brown's pages, and had occassion to browse them for fixes.

However, up until now, I had no idea that the great man was no longer with us.

It has come as a bit of a shock, but not too much of one.
I am sure most of you will know, but me being newish to the online cycling community was unaware.
"Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"

Comments

  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Crikey - I thought he'd died for a second time :shock:
    Faster than a tent.......
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    ... he's a very naughty boy ;)


    Was a shock. I'd only really started to appreciate his work just before he popped off this mortal coil.
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    JonGinge wrote:


    Was a shock. I'd only really started to appreciate his work just before he popped off this mortal coil.

    This..

    Legend
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    Don't quite see how you didn't notice Wallace. I've been here less time than you and I knew (from his website).

    But he was a wealth of information, shame he was taken so soon.
    Whippet
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    -null- wrote:
    Don't quite see how you didn't notice Wallace. I've been here less time than you and I knew (from his website).

    But he was a wealth of information, shame he was taken so soon.

    Never browsed his personal pages or looked into who he was, quite unusual for me as I am normally an information junkie. Still dam good stuff on his site.
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • Hondated
    Hondated Posts: 136
    Whilst we have lost Sheldon his web site will go on for ever so generations from now he will still be helping us cyclists in trouble.
    I sent him an Email some years ago and to my surprise received a detailed reply from him rather than the automatic one I expected to receive. Sadly the PC went kaput and i lost it.
    So in death Sheldon lives on.
    hondated
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    -null- wrote:
    Don't quite see how you didn't notice Wallace. I've been here less time than you and I knew (from his website).

    But he was a wealth of information, shame he was taken so soon.

    Never browsed his personal pages or looked into who he was, quite unusual for me as I am normally an information junkie. Still dam good stuff on his site.

    posted or rather used to in one of the cycling newsgroups, which I suspect was more personal.

    there was a bike ride(s) shortly after his death.
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    yep he did keep his illness quite hush hush.

    He was well known for replying to every E mail he received.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • condorman
    condorman Posts: 811
    Hondated wrote:
    Whilst we have lost Sheldon his web site will go on for ever so generations from now he will still be helping us cyclists in trouble.
    I sent him an Email some years ago and to my surprise received a detailed reply from him rather than the automatic one I expected to receive. Sadly the PC went kaput and i lost it.
    So in death Sheldon lives on.

    I too was surprised when he replied in person to my query regarding how tight to tighten the wheels on my fixed and I've kept it -

    It's very important to lubricate the threads and the gap where the
    nut presses on the washer.

    Should be good and tight so the wheel doesn't slip.

    Sorry, I don't have any torque numbers, I never use a torque wrench,
    since I don't work on automobiles.

    All the best,

    Sheldon
    --
    Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
    Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
    http://harriscyclery.com
    Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
    http://captainbike.com
    Useful articles about bicycles and cycling
    http://sheldonbrown.com
    Condor Pista
    50x16
  • prj45
    prj45 Posts: 2,208
    condorman wrote:
    Sorry, I don't have any torque numbers, I never use a torque wrench, since I don't work on automobiles.

    Legend.
    Photos - Blog - Bike
  • Canny Jock
    Canny Jock Posts: 1,051
    Must admit I missed this as well - been on the site a few times, only been cycling for a few months and didn't realise he wasn't still with us.
  • antfly
    antfly Posts: 3,276
    nicklouse wrote:
    yep he did keep his illness quite hush hush.

    He was well known for replying to every E mail he received.

    It wasn`t that hush hush, he talked about it on his website. He got a full page obit in the times which was nice.
    Smarter than the average bear.
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    yes he did but kept the details out of his blog.
    I have not chosen to bore people by whining about every ache and pain of my 62 year old body on my Journal/Blog ,

    http://sheldonbrown.org/journal/health.html

    I was a follower of his blog for quite some time and it caught me out as i must have missed a week or so.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • antfly
    antfly Posts: 3,276
    He did die suddenly, I think it was a heart attack in the end.
    Smarter than the average bear.
  • stomith
    stomith Posts: 332
    Ditto... I'm embaressed to say - I only noticed yesterday - when a site used the term 'Late Sheldon Brown'....even then...there was nothing obvious on his site.

    Wikipedia sorted me out.

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