Everyone who blogs about bikes has a tribute to Sheldon. (The Bike Snob NYC tribute is especially well done: http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/ )

Think about what a testimony it is to your life that so many people are moved to remember you. I wish that could be said about all of us.

Sheldon, you will be missed. Thank you for all you help, advice and laughs.
God bless.

very sad news. Big loss.

A trove of cycling information and lore and, by all accounts, a nice man.
God bless him.

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"Always drink upstream from the herd."

What tragic news. <tears>

Jenn

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Global Warming begins at home. Stop Local Warming!

Sad indeed. I remember him personally advising me several times on component choices for French bikes, when no one else had the knowledge or interest.

Kent Peterson said it well: http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2008/...ldon-brown.html

I am shaken.

Ride on, Captain. May you never flat again.

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what a resource and icon you'll always be...

I can remember one instance that illustrates just how helpful your incredible web site was for me: I believe it was the summer of '02 (year I was bit by the road bug). My wife & I were driving to the Seacoast Century ride and I had stopped to pick up a new battery for my cyclometer along the way. I replaced the battery but lost all my settings, including wheel circumference. I couldn't just choose the default setting and leave close enough alone, as my only bike at the time was a mtb w/slicks. I knew 26" x 1" would probably be far enough off the default setting to really throw my numbers off. I was disappointed I hadn't thought ahead and brought the Vetta brochure w/me, nor did I have a tape measure to literally measure wheel circumference. Fortunately, I had remembered that Sheldon had published these Vetta brochures online. To that end, I made a cell phone call to my mother, and asked if she'd be kind enough to look up this info online. She quickly found Sheldon's site and provided the appropriate number. I now had peace of mind that my puter's feedback would be accurate (was only my 2nd century, so this was important to me!). Thanks, Sheldon. From there forward, I've always thought of his website as the quintessential reference (like a cyclist's bible).

I echo everybody else's sentiments and hope your family and loved ones find peace & strength in knowing how many lives you've touched and what contributions you've provided!

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-Jeff

There's not a week that goes by that I haven't gone to one of his pages for something. Always enjoyed every visit. His spirit endures. God bless ye Capn.

Andy

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Vaagen Serotta #70411

sheldon story:
ive been in the bike business in basicly every possible category over the last 35 years. a decent mechanic, etc, etc.
owned a shop, a distribution company and worked as a rep...

im in the basement of harris cyclery chatting with sheldon and a couple of the guys there a few years ago.. and note well... he was never in any remote way a normal retail operation...
he chimes in...
"hey, let me give you an idea of what i do.." and puts his phone on speaker.
first call...
a guy from down south asking for help with a 1971 mercier with a french thread 5 speed freewheel. believe me, i smile cause this is something that i extremely doubt that you could buy anywhere for many years...likely not even in france.
sheldon..." sure, what ratios do you want?". walks the guy through the ratios and sends him what he needs.

the next call is a guy looking for helicomatic cassettes... these are french cassette hubs made for a few years a long time ago...
sheldon..." what ratios? and you need a chain as well cause its skipping..."

you guys in bike retail will remember this stuff.
there is no shop ( i'll bet anyone ) in america that could have serviced these customers.
he is irreplaceable.
his knowledge is irreplaceable.

i got a couple of others...maybe later. this thread will go for weeks.

Like many on the board, I visited Sheldon's web site and feel though I never met him personally that I got to know him through his writing and his photographs. A little bit like the relationship that some here share.

We are bound by some interesting threads. Love of cycling. Memories. Beauty. Energy.

I have always been taught and do believe that 'we live on in the memory of others'...I cannot speak for the unknown beyond that though optimism and belief if it were enough would ensure eternal happiness.

It is love that gets us through. It is our interest in life and vitality that sustains us. I wish peace for everyone who mourns. I wish strength for anyone who hurts.

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"Mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.”

Posted by Corvus Corvax at r.b.t.

Said Molly to Sheldon that's a fine fixie bike
A girl could feel special on any such like.
Said Sheldon to Molly, well my hat's off to you
It's a brakeless Bianchi and the chainring's 52
And I've seen you at the corners and cafes it seems
Red hair and black spandex, my favorite color scheme
And she drafted on behind
And down to Box Hill they did ride

Said Sheldon to Molly, here's a ring for your right hand
But I'll tell you in earnest I'm a dangerous man
I've fought with the cars since I was seventeen
I ran many a light on my fixie machine
Now I'm 61 years, I might make 62
And I don't mind dying, but for the love of you
And if fate should break my spin,
Then I'll give you my fixie to ride

Come down, come down, Red Molly, called Sergeant McRae
For they've taken in Sheldon at the end of his days
He called out for you on his long and final ride
Oh come down Red Molly to his dying bedside
When she came to the hospital, there wasn't much left
He was running out of road, he was running out of breath
But he smiled to see her cry
And said I'll give you my fixie to ride

Says Shel, in my opinion, there's nothing in this world
Beats a fixed-gear Bianchi and a red headed girl
Now Shimano LX or XT won't do
They don't have a soul like a Phil Wood tightly trued
He reached for her hand, gave her his Allen keys
He said I've got no further use for these
I see angels on Brooks's in spandex and chrome
Swooping down from heaven to carry me home
And he gave her one last kiss and died
And he gave her his fixie to ride

See http://www.rtlist.net/listen.htm for the original lyrics to "Vincent Black Lightning 1952" by Richard Thompson.

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Don't buy upgrades - ride up grades

Ray,

This really deserved a run through with a guitar.........here is my humble attempt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea1GC81yLF4 R.I.P Sheldon.

Attached Images

tandem-wedding.jpeg (96.3 KB, 76 views)

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"Mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.”

Ti-Boi, that is just friggin' WONDERFUL. First off, pulling off any sort of performance of a Richard Thompson tune takes some musicianship, even without the insane finger-picking. Second, its just very well done. This may be getting a bit overboard, but if you were to change the words 'Molly' to Harriet and instead of her being red-headed, make her gray headed, I think it would be worth sending that to Harriet, his widow. On the off-chance that there was a red-headed Molly in his life at some point, perhaps best not to go with it as written.

But seriously, that's just great as is. VERY nicely done.

Thanks so much for putting that together,

-Ray

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Don't buy upgrades - ride up grades

ti_boi

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My red, white & blue CSi and pearl white Legend Ti (version 1.0, 2.0)