Sheldon Brown, 1944-2008

Robert Chung said:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

RIP.

A sad day. He was an adult in a land of children, both in his
knowledge of things bicycle, and his behavior in Usenet.

We have lost twice today.

E.P.

"Robert Chung" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

RIP.

Exactly.

He was one of a kind, but there should be many others like him.

Robert Chung said:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

RIP.

oh dear, a friend lost.

Robert Chung said:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

RIP.

Man, does this bite. Sheldon saved me SO MUCH money. His website taught
me how to confidently approach the kids behind the counter in the LBS
and talk sense to them.

I really wonder if I would be biking as much if not for Sheldon.

Robert Perkins said:

I find myself tearing up even though I
only knew him through his writings.

Me, too.

Robert Chung said:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

RIP.

This is really a shame. Harris Cyclery is nominally local to me and
one of the things that gets me to schlep out there (besides excellent
service, inventory, knowledge etc) is the possibility of running into
Sheldon, or even asking him about whatever it was I was in the shop
for. I unfortunately never managed to meet him, though his coworkers
never disappointed.

It seemed that he was dealing with his illness well and more or less
enjoying his forced semi-retirement and convalescence. I hope that
was accurate and that he went more or less comfortably with family
around him.

He'll be missed.

-Gabriel Ytterberg

Robert Chung said:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

RIP.

I have been educated by his pages, amused by his writings and inspired
by his knowledge.
My prayers for his family.

Ryan Cousineau said:

There's far too much about Sheldon that is worth memorializing, but
his sense of humor (manifest in both the great "Carapace Completed
Umber" series and the even greater April 1st ShelBroCo offerings)
stands out:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/carapace.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

However, the massive volume of practical cycling pages (mostly
revolving around bike mechanics) he assembled endures as, simply, the
most useful bike-related website on the planet. Although it is now
arguably so comprehensive as to verge on being complete, I hope that
somehow, either within Harris Cyclery or otherwise, someone can step
up and maintain the service.

Alas, it's not a trivial endeavor.

No, it's not a trivial endeavor.

I didn't know Sheldon Brown personally, but he would seem like the kind of
man who would want his web pages to continue and grow and serve as a
resource. But this will be a big helmet to fill, even without the eagle on
the top.

At a time when websites are becoming more standardized and corporate, his
was not only a treasure-trove of information but a personal treasure-trove.
You were not only getting good advice, you were getting it from a person --
a person who cared deeply about the topic he was writing about.

He not only invented the real man saddle
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/real-man.html
he was a real man.

--
Mike Kruger
Say not always what you know, but always know what you say.
Claudius; 10 BC-AD 54, Roman Emperor

In article <[email hidden]>,

William R. Mattil said:

Tom Kunich wrote:
n

Quoted message said:

I first encountered Sheldon on the technical group. We seemed to agree
with each other on most things until I started discussing French bikes.
We got into an argument about the tubing and he really [censored] me off
since he passed it off so easily without even bothering to look anything
up. Reynolds made 531 tubing in a special "French" size though it was
only a tiny difference you had to use different lugs, different
components in some cases and certainly a lot of failures on French bikes
turned out to be using English sized components on the French size tubes.

Eventually he sent me an email apologizing after he got around to
checking out what the argument was about and finding out that I was
correct.

Why didn't you spend more time remembering his good qualities instead of
, again, pontificating on how smart you (think you) are ?

I really found your post to be completely out of line. Even for you.

Bill

In all seriousness, Bill, take the story as Tom offered it, as a tribute
to Sheldon's humility.

Heaven knows Usenet could use a lot more humble people, and rb* will
miss this one terribly.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

Quoted message said:

However, the massive volume of practical cycling pages (mostly
revolving around bike mechanics) he assembled endures as, simply, the
most useful bike-related website on the planet. Although it is now
arguably so comprehensive as to verge on being complete, I hope that
somehow, either within Harris Cyclery or otherwise, someone can step
up and maintain the service.

Alas, it's not a trivial endeavor.

I know first-hand how time-consuming it can be to create relevant, original
content that's personal, not cookie-cutter stuff. Sheldon will certainly be
missed. Obviously, his content will be yet one part of his legacy that will
live on.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

"Ryan Cousineau" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Veloise said:

Tom said:

Not just a dark day for cycling but for humanity as a whole. He and I
had
been corresponding lately and he didn't give me the slightest hint that
the
illness he was suffering from was possibly fatal.

...

From the MichBike list:
"This came over a few of the Boston area lists today:

Sheldon's wife Harriet sent out mail this morning saying that Sheldon
Brown died of a massive heart attack last night."

RIP Sheldon!

--Karen D.

Interesting. For those just catching up, Sheldon has been suffering
for some time from a degenerative illness that was eventually
diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis. I'm no medical professional, but it
sounds as if this heart attack wasn't really related to his illness.

There's far too much about Sheldon that is worth memorializing, but
his sense of humor (manifest in both the great "Carapace Completed
Umber" series and the even greater April 1st ShelBroCo offerings)
stands out:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/carapace.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

However, the massive volume of practical cycling pages (mostly
revolving around bike mechanics) he assembled endures as, simply, the
most useful bike-related website on the planet. Although it is now
arguably so comprehensive as to verge on being complete, I hope that
somehow, either within Harris Cyclery or otherwise, someone can step
up and maintain the service.

Alas, it's not a trivial endeavor.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Tom Kunich' cyclintom@yahoo. com said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden].

.. On Feb 4 said:

Quoted message said:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

RIP.

RIP indeed. This sucks in a way I can't hope to convey. This is a
dark day for cycling.

Not just a dark day for cycling but for humanity as a whole. He and I
had been corresponding lately and he didn't give me the slightest
hint that the illness he was suffering from was possibly fatal.

In the short term, it wasn't. On another mailing list, Sheldon's wife
Harriet Fell sent a note to a participant that Sheldon suffered a heart
attack. He had even posted an entry to his journal that evening on his
decision to vote for Barack Obama in the Massachusetts primary.

I am very sad and shocked. Even though I had never met Sheldon, his
presence on the Internet was so warm that I felt like I knew him. That
seems to be the sentiment for many today.

It's a reminder that there is not much point in being petty because,
well, any minute might be our last.

Tailwinds always, Sheldon!

"Ryan Cousineau" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:rcousine-177BD0.18145204022008@[74.223.185.199.nw.nuvox.net]...

Quoted message said:

In all seriousness, Bill, take the story as Tom offered it, as a tribute
to Sheldon's humility.

Which was indeed the way it was meant. It was an argument about a
vanishingly unimportant detail save among specialists. That he was incorrect
in that case was important merely to demonstrate that it was about the only
point he was ever wrong about that I detected. The value of that is that
Sheldon was a reference point on the web that was essentially always correct
and didn't charge you a penny for his knowledge.

Robert Chung said:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

RIP.

Indeed it is a sad day.

I had hoped to meet him in person this summer. Now I won't get the
chance.

Jeff

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
| If I have seen further it is by standing upon the shoulders of
giants. |
| Isaac
Newton
|
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+

Robert Chung said:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

RIP.

sob

Condolences for his immediate family from a member of the world wide
community whose ride today was noticeably silent in the New England
chill as hail crackled in the leaves beside the road. My ride
functions flawlessly because Sheldon taught me just about everything
that I know.

bonjour ami

Robert Chung said:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

RIP.

The Eagle has landed. 8(

Robert Chung said:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

RIP.

that's sad news. condolences to friends and family.

for the rest of us, we have a lot to be grateful for. a real giver.

Words fail.

Werehatrack said:

Words fail.

My thoughts also.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia

Goodbye Sheldon.

I shall aspire to have as positive a web presense as you did.

JG

Carl Sundquist said:

"Robert Chung" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

Quoted message said:

RIP.

Exactly.

He was one of a kind, but there should be many others like him.

Sheldon had a generous spirit. Which is not to say
he was a pushover, because he wasn't, but in crotchety
times and a sometimes unfriendly medium, he was
always a gentleman.

Ben