Sheldon Brown, 1944-2008

[Robert Chung]

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

RIP.

[DanKMTB@gmail.com]

On Feb 4, 2:43*pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 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.

[Art Harris]

Robert Chung wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

This is a sad day for cyclists. Condolences to Sheldon's family.

Art Harris

[Tosspot]

Robert Chung wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

Well I'll miss the old mans postings. He was helpful, considerate with
a great sense of humour and an ambassador for cycling. An example to us
all.

[dustoyevsky@mac.com]

On Feb 4, 1:43*pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

A mighty large pair of shoes to fill.

--Tom Paterson aka Dustoyevsky

[Paul Turner]

On Feb 4, 1:43*pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

His was a voice of unfailing helpfulness and good humor. No newcomer
in need of advice can ever forget Sheldon Brown's web site and his
many contributions to the internet cycling dialogue.

--
Paul Turner

[Artoi]

In article
<6139082b-5d1f-4f78-aff4-6d810344ca40@k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com>,
Robert Chung <rechung@gmail.com> wrote:

> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

The man will be remembered.
--

[sergio]

On 4 Feb, 20:43, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
> RIP.

Not a tremendous loss for the cycling community only.
But for all men and women of good will.

Thanks for so much you taught us, Captain.

Sergio
Pisa

[SlowRider]

Others have already said more than I could. Goodbye, Sheldon, we will
miss you.


- JR

[DennisTheBald]

On Feb 4, 1:43 pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

What a nice guy.

I certainly feel like he is gone too soon. It's hard to say what
choice you would make until you're actually at the fork in the road,
and I can't imagine that Mr. brown had any choice in the matter... but
I think I would rather go quickly than to struggle with MS for years
on end.

[Jay]

"Robert Chung" <rechung@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6139082b-5d1f-4f78-aff4-6d810344ca40@k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.
>
This is a shock! When I first looked for Internet bike info, I was amazed
that someone had done such an expert and thorough job of bike documentation,
as can be found on Sheldon's website. The website is not flashy (just the
facts, ma'am), but it has undoubtedly helped countless people understand and
enjoy their bikes.

Saddened J.

[John Forrest Tomlinson]

On Mon, 4 Feb 2008 11:43:33 -0800 (PST), Robert Chung
<rechung@gmail.com> wrote:

>http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

I will always remember him.

[Ed Pirrero]

On Feb 4, 11:43 am, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 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.

[Carl Sundquist]

"Robert Chung" <rechung@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6139082b-5d1f-4f78-aff4-6d810344ca40@k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

Exactly.

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

[Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com]

On Feb 4, 12:43*pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

oh dear, a friend lost.

[Eric Vey]

Robert Chung wrote:
> 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.

[yhg]

On Feb 4, 2:43 pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 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

[Kelt]

On Feb 4, 2:43*pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 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.

[JeffWills]

On Feb 4, 11:43*am, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 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
|
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+

[Coal Porter]

On Mon, 4 Feb 2008 11:43:33 -0800 (PST), Robert Chung
<rechung@gmail.com> wrote:

>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

[delurker]

On Mon, 4 Feb 2008 11:43:33 -0800 (PST), Robert Chung wrote:

> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

The Eagle has landed. 8(

[jim beam]

Robert Chung wrote:
> 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.

[Werehatrack]

Words fail.

[Kurgan Gringioni]

.

[aeiouy]

"Robert Chung" <rechung@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6139082b-5d1f-4f78-aff4-6d810344ca40@k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

RIP

[Howard Kveck]

In article <6139082b-5d1f-4f78-aff4-6d810344ca40@k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com>,
Robert Chung <rechung@gmail.com> wrote:

> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

That's a real loss, for his family, his friends and for the bicycling community at
large. I'm sorry to hear this news. He was always a nice guy and a gentleman.

--
tanx,
Howard

Whatever happened to
Leon Trotsky?
He got an icepick
That made his ears burn.
But I've already got a pitchfork...

remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?

[Dave Reckoning]

"Robert Chung" <rechung@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6139082b-5d1f-4f78-aff4-6d810344ca40@k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

We are all truly blessed to have had Sheldon as part of the community. His
lithe spirit and ability to convey knowledge in a way that built pride,
returned us all to simplicity. In doing so brought a hearty dose of reality
to a world where hype sells. He changed us all for the better.

May we all dedicate ourselves to carrying these ideals.

There will never be another Sheldon, let us honor him through our own
simplicity and good humor.

--
Dave Reckoning
Noblesville, Indiana

[GarryJones]

On Feb 4, 8:43*pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

Sad news. Sheldon Brown and Ken Kifer were the first two cyclists
(back in 1997) that I exchanged views and opinions with via
newsgroups. These were the pre broadband days of dialup connections
when rec.bicycles.* was the central hub of activiity for cycling on
the Internet. I got to know Ken quite well, and remember being
enlightened by Sheldon on many a occasion.

When Ken was Killed in 2003 I wrote the following

"If I have one regret it is that I never met the man himself, but
perhaps that is testimony to the cycling community on the web. We know
each other through words and views and that is the very essence of how
and why we know each other. It suffices. "

Those words are equally true of Sheldon Brown.

RIP

Garry Jones
English Cyclist in Sweden

[Alan Hoyle]

In rec.bicycles.tech Robert Chung <rechung@gmail.com> wrote:

> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/

> RIP.

I did not know him, except through his words. I always found him to be
generous with his knowledge, time, humor, and patience.

He will be missed by many, but part of his legacy will live on as long
as the Internet exists. I can only imagine how those who knew him
personally must feel right now.

Would that we were all as good as him.

Tearily,
alan

--
Alan Hoyle - alanh@unc.edu - http://www.alanhoyle.com/

[Marz]

On Feb 4, 1:43*pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

Very sad. Sad for his family, sad for the cycling community and sad
that I never got a chance to say Hi and shake his hand. Here's a thank
you to Sheldon, because I was able to learn and grow as a cyclist
(and human) because of his knowledge and experience.

[danielmerrick@gmail.com]

I hate losing friends.

[Johnny Two Pedals]

On Feb 4, 2:43 pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

My deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Sheldon's family and
friends. My heart skiped a beat when I saw the notice of his passing.
His knowledge, passion and humor will be sorely missed by many
thousands of cyclists who, like me, never met the man in person, but
considered him a good friend.

[Bob Schwartz]

http://www.grahamwatson.com/dublin/lemond/image9.html

When you look at that picture, what do you see?

Sheldon saw the little bits of red and white underneath
the aerobar clamps. At the time Coke was a Tour sponsor.
Because of Sheldon I know that Lemond used shims from an
aluminum soda can to get his leading edge equipment to
work with his existing bike before what is certainly one
of the most famous Time Trials in the history of the
sport.

Screw mourning. Don't tell me how sad you are, how much
he'll be missed. I don't care. **** that.

Tell me about one of the millions of ways he reached out
and did something that made you feel like a little kid
while riding your bike. And leave the weepy sad crap
out. Riding a bicycle is a joyful act.

Bob Schwartz

[Tom Ace]

I called Sheldon in 2001 to get his opinion on a bike part that
was fairly new on the market. He said, "It's a great product."
Because of what I knew about Sheldon's character, four words
from him told me pretty much everything I needed to know to
make the choice: I bought it from him.

I will go out of my way to do business with someone who is
honest and helpful: Sheldon was all that, and more.

Tom Ace

[neil0502@yahoo.com]

On Feb 4, 11:43 am, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

Awwwwwww, ****.

That just sucks.

He wasn't having much fun since the medical stuff started. I visited
him in West Newton, and exchanged a few e-mails since -- mostly about
our respective medical battles.

I can only hope that this is -- in that weirdest of ways -- for the
best.

He will be missed.

[BCDrums]

Robert Chung wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

I talked with him at the shop a number of times. Pleasant, helpful,
funny. My condolences to his family.

BC

[SYJ]

On Feb 4, 12:43*pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

RIP indeed.

I've been a fan of Sheldon (and his wisdom, both bike related and
otherwise) for 15 years, dating back to my early internet addiction as
an 18 year old college student unwittingly participating in the
'birth' of the internet as it is now known. Indeed, it was just last
week that I sought out the page that Cap'n bike set up to document his
medical trials and tribulations (so as not to "bore people by whining
about every ache and pain of [his] 62 year old body" on any of his
numerous other pages). I was heartened to see that he appeared to
have a somewhat more definitive diagnosis, and that despite his
various stumbles, he was finally able to point a finger at the medical
'bad guy' and figure out how to deal with it, if not treat it. It was
thus with no shortage of shock and dismay that I read of his passing.
My heart goes out to Sheldon's wife and children, to his extended
family, to his many friends, and to anyone else fortunate enough to
have had their lives touched by this special person.

Tailwinds, Sheldon

SYJ

[spikenettles@earthlink.net]

On Feb 4, 1:43 pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.


Amongst so many, I too am greatly saddened by Sheldon's passing. He
continues to live as an example for all to emulate.

Steven Kahle

[ilaboo]

what a fantastic man--he will be sorely missed

peter
"Robert Chung" <rechung@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6139082b-5d1f-4f78-aff4-6d810344ca40@k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

[HankB]

On Feb 4, 1:43 pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

What they said.

:(

How many times did I look for information and wind up at his site,
only to find much more.

[byers.jason@googlemail.com]

On 4 Feb, 19:43, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

Sad indeed, Sheldon helped me keep my 10yr old commuter on the road on
many occasions.

J

[JohnC]

Yes indeed this is very sad. I was out of town and did not get this news
until last week. I've spent hours on Sheldon Brown's web site. It was
(and still is) a resource of technical information and commentary on
cycling.



I was also shocked because as recently as January 27, Sheldon posted a
response to a newsgroup message that I posted on January 24. See below for
the thread. I had some really bad photos of a rim and Sheldon somehow
noticed that half the spokes were going the wrong way. I worked on this
wheel for several hours on the truing stand and never noticed that. Sad
that my Feb 4 response to Sheldon was not timely.



I see that he posted messages up to February 3. He was doing what he loved
in the end.



My prayers to his family and friends..



John



>>>>> cut <<<<<<<



----- Original Message -----

From: "JohnC" <anonymous@news.groups.com>

Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.tech

Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 7:03 PM

Subject: Re: Can you identify make of this rim?





>From: "Sheldon Brown" <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com>

>Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace

>Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 8:16 PM

>Subject: Re: Can you identify make of this rim?

>

>"JohnC" queried:
>> Can someone identify the make of this 27" alloy clincher rim. There is
>> not much to go on.. It was on a Lambert (early 70's). Any ideas?
>>
>> http://home.everestkc.net/upperquad/Rim/
>
>Looks like a Weinmann. Back in the day there were two popular
>Weinmann models: the #210 and the #256. I can never remember which
>number went with which rim.
>
>One model had plain drilled spoke holes. The better model had the
>domed spoke holes as with the one in your photos.
>
>The good news is that these domed spoke holes were 4-way drilled, so
>the nipple would be in line with the spoke, whether it was a leading
>or trailing spoke, left flange or right flange.
>
>The bad news is that it appears your wheel was built up incorrectly so
>that half of the spokes are going the wrong way (rotationally) for the
>rim drilling. :-(
>
>Sheldon "Hot Stuff In 1973" Brown

>

>


Thank you everybody for the information and especially to Sheldon's keen eye
on half the spokes going the wrong way. Amazing to be able to see that from
those bad photos. I came across a picture of a Milremo sticker and it looks
very similar to the remnants of mine. I posted the Milremo rim/pic at:
http://home.everestkc.net/upperquad/Rim/ .


John

[Tom Kunich]

<DanKMTB@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:f750414b-cdd6-474c-b6ab-9864179471df@v4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
On Feb 4, 2:43 pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > 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.

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 pissed 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.

That was the only disagreement we had and it was only a tiny little thing.

Sheldon started early building websites pertaining to cycling early and
became very good at it. He also handled other website development and showed
a lot of people the effects of web advertising.

Sheldon was a humanitarian and leaves behind a wife and two children. I'll
miss him and I think that a large number of cyclists will.

[Tom Kunich]

<DanKMTB@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:f750414b-cdd6-474c-b6ab-9864179471df@v4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
On Feb 4, 2:43 pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.

If anyone wondered what sort of impact Sheldon had - here's something from
the San Francisco Craigslist:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/563230363.html

[Tom Kunich]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgPL-w8ny0

I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.

[Jean Pasquet]

Bonjour,

DanKMTB@gmail.com a écrit :
> On Feb 4, 2:43*pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> 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.

Pardon pour le français !
Sheldon, tu étais mon maître à penser en matière de vélo !
Tu étais pour moi l'idéal du cycle par ta passion, ta volonté et tes
connaissances.

Combien de cyclistes te doivent beaucoup !
Moi, je te dois la passion que tu as su insuffler en moi, au delà du
vélo, pour comprendre que ce sport était aussi une merveilleuse
invention technique, faite de sommes de détails et ... de solutions.

Tu m'as donné la volonté de savoir, de comprendre et de partager.

Là-haut, il doit y avoir encore beaucoup de routes à faire à vélo,
loin, très loin de la douleur humaine !
Fais les, Sheldon, fais les pour nous !

Sheldon, Adieu L'Ami !
Je t'aimais bien !

--
Cordialement
Jean Pasquet
[On respecte un homme qui se respecte lui-même] Honoré de Balzac
(pour réponse, remettre les 3 voyelles de mon nom)

[Veloise]

Tom wrote:
> 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.

[Robert Perkins]

I will miss Sheldon alot. He was a special, kind, knowledgeable
person. When I lived in Germany, reading r.b.t. and his postings were a
touch of home. I was just on his website earlier today looking up
arcana about axles. I've been following his illness in his health and
personal journal and thought it very sad that a man who loved bikes so
much would be afflicted with a disease that would keep him from riding.

My love of bikes and bike mechanics was mentored by him through his
r.b.t postings and his website. I find myself tearing up even though I
only knew him through his writings.

There are few people you meet in life who are almost always right.
Sheldon was one of those people.

I think his website sums it up really well:
Sheldon wrote:

Some Things I Believe In

* Democracy
* Duty
* Equality
* Exogamy
* Family
* Freedom
* Justice
* Kindness
* Law
* Love
* Loyalty
* Mathematics
* Science
* Space Exploration
* Truth


Some Things I Do Not Believe In

* Angels
* Astrology
* Death Penalty
* Devils
* Elves
* Faeries
* Faith
* Gods
* "Intelligent Design"
* Leprechauns
* Luck
* Magic
* Racial Purity

Here's to Sheldon.

== Rob Perkins

[Tim McNamara]

In article <13qesa2kn2mji07@corp.supernews.com>,
"Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:

> <DanKMTB@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:f750414b-cdd6-474c-b6ab-9864179471df@v4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com.
> .. On Feb 4, 2:43 pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > 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!

[Jym Dyer]

=v= I used to live in Massachusetts. The Mass. Bike Coalition
at the time was a terrible, elitist group ("avid" cyclists).
There was one, and only one*, voice of sanity on the massbike
list: Sheldon Brown.

=v= I lived in a different part of the state and never met him
in person, but we kept in email contact for 20 years. What a
guy. He has a posse, you know:

http://bikeblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/rip-bicycle-guru-sheldon-brown-1944.html

<_Jym_>

__________________________________________________ ______________
* I was not a voice of sanity in those days. Or these days.

[Ryan Cousineau]

On Feb 4, 12:15 pm, Veloise <galena3...@mypacks.net> wrote:
> Tom wrote:
> > 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.

[still just me]

On Mon, 4 Feb 2008 12:34:53 -0800 (PST), "dustoyevsky@mac.com"
<dustoyevsky@mac.com> wrote:

>On Feb 4, 1:43*pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>>
>> RIP.
>
>A mighty large pair of shoes to fill.

A sad day.

[Bill C]

On Feb 4, 3:34*pm, "dustoyev...@mac.com" <dustoyev...@mac.com> wrote:
> On Feb 4, 1:43*pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> > RIP.
>
> A mighty large pair of shoes to fill.
>
> --Tom Paterson aka Dustoyevsky

Definitely a huge loss, and we're all a lot poorer for it, but a whole
lot richer as riders, and people from what he gave to all of us out
here.
Just a wonderful, eccentric, real, human being, and someone we all
could be a bit more like.
Bill Crowther

[ZBicyclist]

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
>
> 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

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> 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" <rcousine@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:a5fe3ab5-90fe-4627-be07-7bf534e0a850@1g2000hsl.googlegroups.com...
> On Feb 4, 12:15 pm, Veloise <galena3...@mypacks.net> wrote:
>> Tom wrote:
>> > 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.

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Ryan Cousineau:
>the massive volume of practical cycling pages (mostly
>revolving around bike mechanics) he assembled endures as,

Maybe somebody who knows what they're doing should snag all the
pages and archive them against the day when whoever is hosting
them now removes them.

I think there's something out there called "SiteSnagger" that
claims to do that kind of thing.
--
PeteCresswell

[Jay]

On Feb 4, 5:40*pm, "Jay" <jbol...@gmail.com> wrote:
> "Robert Chung" <rech...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:6139082b-5d1f-4f78-aff4-6d810344ca40@k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com...>http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> > RIP.
>
> This is a shock! When I first looked for Internet bike info, I was amazed
> that someone had done such an expert and thorough job of bike documentation,
> as can be found on Sheldon's website. The website is not flashy (just the
> facts, ma'am), but it has undoubtedly helped countless people understand and
> enjoy their bikes.
>
> Saddened J.
>
Here is a link to a family pic from Sheldon's MySpace page:

http://orion.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/temp/sb-family.jpg

J.

[Jay]

I found this blog interesting:

http://www.thegardencity.net/?q=node/669

J.

[Eric Vey]

Robert Perkins wrote:
>I find myself tearing up even though I
>only knew him through his writings.

Me, too.

[Howard Kveck]

In article <47a7a8ea$0$17364$4c368faf@roadrunner.com>,
Robert Perkins <robert.perkins@hotpop.com> wrote:

> I think his website sums it up really well:
> Sheldon wrote:
>
> Some Things I Believe In
>
> * Democracy
> * Duty
> * Equality
> * Exogamy
> * Family
> * Freedom
> * Justice
> * Kindness
> * Law
> * Love
> * Loyalty
> * Mathematics
> * Science
> * Space Exploration
> * Truth
>
>
> Some Things I Do Not Believe In
>
> * Angels
> * Astrology
> * Death Penalty
> * Devils
> * Elves
> * Faeries
> * Faith
> * Gods
> * "Intelligent Design"
> * Leprechauns
> * Luck
> * Magic
> * Racial Purity

Those are some good thoughts.

--
tanx,
Howard

Whatever happened to
Leon Trotsky?
He got an icepick
That made his ears burn.
But I've already got a pitchfork...

remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?

[SMS]

Robert Perkins wrote:
> I will miss Sheldon alot. He was a special, kind, knowledgeable
> person. When I lived in Germany, reading r.b.t. and his postings were a
> touch of home. I was just on his website earlier today looking up
> arcana about axles. I've been following his illness in his health and
> personal journal and thought it very sad that a man who loved bikes so
> much would be afflicted with a disease that would keep him from riding.
>
> My love of bikes and bike mechanics was mentored by him through his
> r.b.t postings and his website. I find myself tearing up even though I
> only knew him through his writings.
>
> There are few people you meet in life who are almost always right.
> Sheldon was one of those people.
>
> I think his website sums it up really well:
> Sheldon wrote:
>
> Some Things I Believe In
>
> * Democracy
> * Duty
> * Equality
> * Exogamy
> * Family
> * Freedom
> * Justice
> * Kindness
> * Law
> * Love
> * Loyalty
> * Mathematics
> * Science
> * Space Exploration
> * Truth
>
>
> Some Things I Do Not Believe In
>
> * Angels
> * Astrology
> * Death Penalty
> * Devils
> * Elves
> * Faeries
> * Faith
> * Gods
> * "Intelligent Design"
> * Leprechauns
> * Luck
> * Magic
> * Racial Purity

Nice summary, and he lived his life by those beliefs.

There was a nice story about him on
"http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/927.html".

[Ron Wallenfang]

> Sheldon wrote:
>
> Some Things I Believe In
>
> * * ** Democracy
> * * ** Duty
> * * ** Equality
> * * ** Exogamy
> * * ** Family
> * * ** Freedom
> * * ** Justice
> * * ** Kindness
> * * ** Law
> * * ** Love
> * * ** Loyalty
> * * ** Mathematics
> * * ** Science
> * * ** Space Exploration
> * * ** Truth
>
> Some Things I Do Not Believe In
>
* * * * Faith

Looks to me like he had plenty of faith. RIP

[Dan O]

On Feb 4, 4:10 pm, Ed Pirrero <gcmschem...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Feb 4, 11:43 am, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >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.
>

And at the same time, kept the essential child's perspective - an
invaluable thing for which there is no substitute.

I kid you not: I introduced my own children to Sheldon on the World
Wide Web only yesterday. Needless to say I too was stunned today. He
lived, though, as well as anyone ever could, I believe - a great
example thoroughly par excellence+

Sheldon Brown lives forever - that is for sure. When you spread it
around for the benefit of others, your impact is multiplied. With all
that he touched (... oh crap - now I'm getting all verclempt)... and
all that he documented... Well, there never was and never will be
another like the amazing Sheldon :-)

[bjw@mambo.ucolick.org]

On Feb 4, 5:21 pm, "Carl Sundquist" <carl...@cox.net> wrote:
> "Robert Chung" <rech...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:6139082b-5d1f-4f78-aff4-6d810344ca40@k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
>
> >http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> > 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

[Tom Sherman]

Werehatrack wrote:
> Words fail.
>
My thoughts also.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia

[JG]

Goodbye Sheldon.

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

JG

[nmp]

Alan Hoyle wrote:

[..]

> Would that we were all as good as him.

Could not agree more.

These are sad days, but let's celebrate his legacy.

[Veloise]

Here's Sheldon's MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/captbike

--Karen D.

[Michael Johnson]

nmp wrote:
> Alan Hoyle wrote:
>
> [..]
>
>> Would that we were all as good as him.
>
> Could not agree more.
>
> These are sad days, but let's celebrate his legacy.
>

I was stunned to hear this unbearably sad news. I consider Sheldon to be
a mentor because I have learned so much from him. Though I never met him
personally (he was out of the shop on the day I visited Harris Cyclery)
I feel like he was a friend, because he gave of himself so freely and
completely. My stable of bicycles (and those of my friends and family)
runs smoother because of him.

Whatever higher power there may be, please be kind to our friend. His is
a great soul, and he will be sorely missed.

I believe that tonight I will raise a glass of wine (French, of course)
to the memory of Sheldon, and hope that I can in some small way live up
to his example.

How much harder this must be for his family, who knew him best and must
therefore love him more completely than the rest of us can. Harriet,
George and Tova, my thoughts are with you. Please accept my condolences
on your loss.

Michael Johnson
Gorham, ME

[Dave]

Marz wrote:
> On Feb 4, 1:43 pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>>
>> RIP.
>
> Very sad. Sad for his family, sad for the cycling community and sad
> that I never got a chance to say Hi and shake his hand. Here's a thank
> you to Sheldon, because I was able to learn and grow as a cyclist
> (and human) because of his knowledge and experience.

I was much too bummed out yesterday to post a response to the sad loss
of one of cyclings' best. My thoughts and condolences go to his family.

That said, I say we all raise a glass (Ryan?) and celebrate Sheldon's
contributions to cycling and humanity. Life is short and now is the
time for all of us to try to offer even 1% of what Sheldon gave the
world. Let his example be a benchmark for all of us to strive for.

Dave Andersen

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <foa6bs01l9s@news4.newsguy.com>,
Dave <blkcatREMOVETHIS@gmail.com> wrote:

> Marz wrote:
> > On Feb 4, 1:43 pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
> >>
> >> RIP.
> >
> > Very sad. Sad for his family, sad for the cycling community and sad
> > that I never got a chance to say Hi and shake his hand. Here's a thank
> > you to Sheldon, because I was able to learn and grow as a cyclist
> > (and human) because of his knowledge and experience.
>
> I was much too bummed out yesterday to post a response to the sad loss
> of one of cyclings' best. My thoughts and condolences go to his family.
>
> That said, I say we all raise a glass (Ryan?) and celebrate Sheldon's
> contributions to cycling and humanity. Life is short and now is the
> time for all of us to try to offer even 1% of what Sheldon gave the
> world. Let his example be a benchmark for all of us to strive for.

Sheldon appears to have been fond of wheat beers and beer in general:

http://sheldonbrown.com/org/journal/journal-9907.html

Though he commented on the low cost of wine in France:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/france-wickersham.html

If one wishes to consume a mixed drink in his honor, I can only
recommend the Radler ("rider," idiomatically a cyclist, in German) which
is a 50/50 mix of beer (pilsner, usually?) and lemon-lime soda (aka
Sprite or 7-Up). I believe some use lemonade instead of soda.

http://www.csulb.edu/~parayner/Radler.html

For myself, I strangely have no beer in the house, but I do have half a
bottle of Sumac Ridge's Black Sage Vineyard 2005 Meritage, and requiring
no other excuse, I shall raise a glass to the memory of Mr. Brown.

And then I will clean my chain in the proper fashion:

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

--
Ryan Cousineau rcousine@gmail.com http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

[jobst.brandt@stanfordalumni.org]

Tom Kunich writes:

> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgPL-w8ny0

> I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.

Apparently you didn't know him.

Jobst Brandt

[Bill Sornson]

Tom Kunich wrote:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgPL-w8ny0
>
> I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.

A thought occurred to me this morning: how many people ever find a true
passion in life, and of those how many manage to make a very successful
livelihood from passion? Sheldon was truly blessed, which is why he was
able to bless so many others.

Bill S.

[Tom Kunich]

<jobst.brandt@stanfordalumni.org> wrote in message
news:47a8ad4f$0$36395$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
> Tom Kunich writes:
>
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgPL-w8ny0
>
>> I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.
>
> Apparently you didn't know him.

You know, I met you a couple of times as well Jobst and my guess is that you
remember nothing whatsoever of those meetings.

Sheldon and myself met in a similar manner - an internet argument about some
insignificant detail about a size of tubing - and yet he became a pretty
good friend with whom I shared a lot.

The really surprising thing is that Sheldon became so widely loved for
little more than the same sort of thing that you've become pretty widely
despised. And the main difference between you two is only your attitude.

[Bill C]

On Feb 5, 1:44*pm, "Bill Sornson" <as...@ask.me> wrote:
> Tom Kunich wrote:
> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgPL-w8ny0
>
> > I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.
>
> A thought occurred to me this morning: *how many people ever find a true
> passion in life, and of those how many manage to make a very successful
> livelihood from passion? *Sheldon was truly blessed, which is why he was
> able to bless so many others.
>
> Bill S.

Add to that the kind of person he was, thoughtful, caring, and a real
student, as well as teacher. Most people who have that depth of
expertise seem to have the ego problems to go with it. I never got
even a hint of that from Sheldon, or heard any of that about him.
Bill C

[Tim McNamara]

In article <47a8ae75$0$1117$4c368faf@roadrunner.com>,
"Bill Sornson" <askme@ask.me> wrote:

> Tom Kunich wrote:
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgPL-w8ny0
> >
> > I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.
>
> A thought occurred to me this morning: how many people ever find a
> true passion in life, and of those how many manage to make a very
> successful livelihood from passion? Sheldon was truly blessed, which
> is why he was able to bless so many others.

Now there is a legacy that we can all aspire to. Well put, Bill.

[jim beam]

Tom Kunich wrote:
> <jobst.brandt@stanfordalumni.org> wrote in message
> news:47a8ad4f$0$36395$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
>> Tom Kunich writes:
>>
>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgPL-w8ny0
>>
>>> I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.
>>
>> Apparently you didn't know him.
>
> You know, I met you a couple of times as well Jobst and my guess is that
> you remember nothing whatsoever of those meetings.
>
> Sheldon and myself met in a similar manner - an internet argument about
> some insignificant detail about a size of tubing - and yet he became a
> pretty good friend with whom I shared a lot.
>
> The really surprising thing is that Sheldon became so widely loved for
> little more than the same sort of thing that you've become pretty widely
> despised. And the main difference between you two is only your attitude.
>

since you started it, i have to say how struck i was by brandt's earlier
comment:

"NO! The trees in my forest are not allowed to fall."

/his/ freakin' forest??? it takes a truly a narcissistic blockhead to
embitter a time for reflection such as this.

[catzz66]

Tom Kunich wrote:
> <jobst.brandt@stanfordalumni.org> wrote in message
> news:47a8ad4f$0$36395$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
>
>> Tom Kunich writes:
>>
>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgPL-w8ny0
>>
>>
>>> I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.
>>
>>
>> Apparently you didn't know him.
>
>

Don't nibble on this one, please. Let it go, in honor of Sheldon.

[Tom Sherman]

Bob Schwartz wrote:
> http://www.grahamwatson.com/dublin/lemond/image9.html
>
> When you look at that picture, what do you see?
>
> Sheldon saw the little bits of red and white underneath
> the aerobar clamps. At the time Coke was a Tour sponsor.
> Because of Sheldon I know that Lemond used shims from an
> aluminum soda can to get his leading edge equipment to
> work with his existing bike before what is certainly one
> of the most famous Time Trials in the history of the
> sport.
>
> Screw mourning. Don't tell me how sad you are, how much
> he'll be missed. I don't care. **** that.
>
> Tell me about one of the millions of ways he reached out
> and did something that made you feel like a little kid
> while riding your bike. And leave the weepy sad crap
> out. Riding a bicycle is a joyful act.
>
I believe Sheldon would want us to take Jobst's advice - Ride Bike!

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia

[SMS]

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Per Ryan Cousineau:
>> the massive volume of practical cycling pages (mostly
>> revolving around bike mechanics) he assembled endures as,
>
> Maybe somebody who knows what they're doing should snag all the
> pages and archive them against the day when whoever is hosting
> them now removes them.

Since the Harris site forwards to his domain, the store will probably be
sure to keep the pages around.

[bantae@adelphia.net]

I was shocked when I heard the news this afternoon. It has been some
time since I lurked around this group, but I still often refer to
Sheldon's site when I have questions, or just to check out "Whats
New". Sheldon will be missed by all that ever came in contact with him
in person or via the web. Thanks for all the info Sheldon.

[Tom Sherman]

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> ...
> Sheldon appears to have been fond of wheat beers and beer in general:...
>
I hope Sheldon had a chance to enjoy some Goose Island 312 [1] on his
visits to Evanston.

[1] <http://www.gooseisland.com/beers/pop-ups/5_312.html>.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

[Jasper Janssen]

On Wed, 06 Feb 2008 03:18:22 GMT, Ryan Cousineau <rcousine@gmail.com>
wrote:

>If one wishes to consume a mixed drink in his honor, I can only
>recommend the Radler ("rider," idiomatically a cyclist, in German) which

'Rider' would be "Reiter" or "Ritter" in German (for the latter aka,
'knight'), "Radler" is built up from -ler, meaning 'someone who uses' and
"Rad", which is short for "Fahrrad" (going-wheel) = 'bicycle'. "Rad" for
bicycle is slightly more idiomatic but widely used. In other words, it's a
cyclist, but not through the etymology you present.

As for the topic at hand.. I'll miss Sheldon. Much. But I don't think he'd
begrudge me hoisting a glass of *my* favorite tipple rather than his,
though, so tonight I'll drink some Islay single malt in his honour.

Jasper

[Tom Kunich]

"jim beam" <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote in message
news:dJqdnQo5j4DirzTanZ2dnUVZ_uevnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
> Tom Kunich wrote:
>> <jobst.brandt@stanfordalumni.org> wrote in message
>> news:47a8ad4f$0$36395$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
>>> Tom Kunich writes:
>>>
>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgPL-w8ny0
>>>
>>>> I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.
>>>
>>> Apparently you didn't know him.
>>
>> You know, I met you a couple of times as well Jobst and my guess is that
>> you remember nothing whatsoever of those meetings.
>>
>> Sheldon and myself met in a similar manner - an internet argument about
>> some insignificant detail about a size of tubing - and yet he became a
>> pretty good friend with whom I shared a lot.
>>
>> The really surprising thing is that Sheldon became so widely loved for
>> little more than the same sort of thing that you've become pretty widely
>> despised. And the main difference between you two is only your attitude.
>>
>
> since you started it, i have to say how struck i was by brandt's earlier
> comment:
>
> "NO! The trees in my forest are not allowed to fall."
>
> /his/ freakin' forest??? it takes a truly a narcissistic blockhead to
> embitter a time for reflection such as this.

Just let me reiterate - Jobst is also one of the massive contributors to
cycling throughout the years. If he had a more sociable manner like Sheldon
he would be spoken of in the same quiet sort of voice. I'm an engineer like
Jobst and I have been around a lot of people like him so he sort of rolls
off of my back without bothering me too much. But people not used to that
sort of communications sometimes react badly to it.

Let's remember that The Bicycle Wheel was a giant step forward in bicycling.
And his intelligent designed components for Avocet was really important to
all of us. Jobst started a lot of real intelligent thinking about bicycles
and a good deal of it was picked up by the MTB crowd in his area and built
upon. And that has added greatly to what we see as bicycling today.

[jim beam]

Tom Kunich wrote:
> "jim beam" <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote in message
> news:dJqdnQo5j4DirzTanZ2dnUVZ_uevnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
>> Tom Kunich wrote:
>>> <jobst.brandt@stanfordalumni.org> wrote in message
>>> news:47a8ad4f$0$36395$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
>>>> Tom Kunich writes:
>>>>
>>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgPL-w8ny0
>>>>
>>>>> I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.
>>>>
>>>> Apparently you didn't know him.
>>>
>>> You know, I met you a couple of times as well Jobst and my guess is
>>> that you remember nothing whatsoever of those meetings.
>>>
>>> Sheldon and myself met in a similar manner - an internet argument
>>> about some insignificant detail about a size of tubing - and yet he
>>> became a pretty good friend with whom I shared a lot.
>>>
>>> The really surprising thing is that Sheldon became so widely loved
>>> for little more than the same sort of thing that you've become pretty
>>> widely despised. And the main difference between you two is only your
>>> attitude.
>>>
>>
>> since you started it, i have to say how struck i was by brandt's
>> earlier comment:
>>
>> "NO! The trees in my forest are not allowed to fall."
>>
>> /his/ freakin' forest??? it takes a truly a narcissistic blockhead to
>> embitter a time for reflection such as this.
>
> Just let me reiterate - Jobst is also one of the massive contributors to
> cycling throughout the years. If he had a more sociable manner like
> Sheldon he would be spoken of in the same quiet sort of voice. I'm an
> engineer like Jobst and I have been around a lot of people like him so
> he sort of rolls off of my back without bothering me too much. But
> people not used to that sort of communications sometimes react badly to it.
>
> Let's remember that The Bicycle Wheel was a giant step forward in
> bicycling. And his intelligent designed components for Avocet was really
> important to all of us. Jobst started a lot of real intelligent thinking
> about bicycles and a good deal of it was picked up by the MTB crowd in
> his area and built upon. And that has added greatly to what we see as
> bicycling today.
>
>

i don't agree with you. "the bicycle wheel" is a hideous travesty of
mistake and misconception. the only thing it has going for it is lacing
instruction, but beyond that, it misleads and deceives in subtle ways at
pretty much at every page. and lacing instruction is available from
multiple other sources.

is the intention worthy? arguably. but that is probably its biggest
deception. like a cathedral with no roof and no buttresses, it looks
interesting from a distance, but closer examination reveals it to be a
wet, windy and dangerous edifice to ego and stupidity. and after no
less than four editions, the fact that its original errors continue
uncorrected, simply blows any worthiness of original intent clear off
the horizon.

so what then /is/ jobst's greatest achievement? illustration of how
shameless self aggrandizement and bullying of critics can bamboozle the
proles pretty much most of the time. that so many can be taken in for
so long is actually rather impressive. in a perverted kind of way.

[Peter Cole]

Tom Kunich wrote:
> "jim beam" <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote in message
> news:dJqdnQo5j4DirzTanZ2dnUVZ_uevnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
>> Tom Kunich wrote:
>>> <jobst.brandt@stanfordalumni.org> wrote in message
>>> news:47a8ad4f$0$36395$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
>>>> Tom Kunich writes:
>>>>
>>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgPL-w8ny0
>>>>
>>>>> I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.
>>>>
>>>> Apparently you didn't know him.
>>>
>>> You know, I met you a couple of times as well Jobst and my guess is
>>> that you remember nothing whatsoever of those meetings.
>>>
>>> Sheldon and myself met in a similar manner - an internet argument
>>> about some insignificant detail about a size of tubing - and yet he
>>> became a pretty good friend with whom I shared a lot.
>>>
>>> The really surprising thing is that Sheldon became so widely loved
>>> for little more than the same sort of thing that you've become pretty
>>> widely despised. And the main difference between you two is only your
>>> attitude.
>>>
>>
>> since you started it, i have to say how struck i was by brandt's
>> earlier comment:
>>
>> "NO! The trees in my forest are not allowed to fall."
>>
>> /his/ freakin' forest??? it takes a truly a narcissistic blockhead to
>> embitter a time for reflection such as this.
>
> Just let me reiterate - Jobst is also one of the massive contributors to
> cycling throughout the years. If he had a more sociable manner like
> Sheldon he would be spoken of in the same quiet sort of voice. I'm an
> engineer like Jobst and I have been around a lot of people like him so
> he sort of rolls off of my back without bothering me too much. But
> people not used to that sort of communications sometimes react badly to it.
>
> Let's remember that The Bicycle Wheel was a giant step forward in
> bicycling. And his intelligent designed components for Avocet was really
> important to all of us. Jobst started a lot of real intelligent thinking
> about bicycles and a good deal of it was picked up by the MTB crowd in
> his area and built upon. And that has added greatly to what we see as
> bicycling today.
>
>

This thread reminded me of another Sheldon story. A few years ago, I was
involved in a rather sharp exchange on a local (Boston) bike list. I
don't remember who brought it up when I next visited Sheldon's shop, but
I started to go on about how rigid, etc. I thought the other guy was.
Sheldon only looked pained. "You both are good guys," he said "you
should be friends." He was right, as usual. He couldn't see the sense of
two people with so much in common getting petty over some trivial issue.
It genuinely bothered him that two people he liked could fail to like
each other.

We are in this group because of our connection to cycling, and on this
thread because of our connection to Sheldon. The things that bring us
together are deep, those that divide us, shallow. I feel a little
awkward, he'd never sermonize like this, but I know that's the way he felt.

[Stephen Harding]

Tom Kunich wrote:

> Just let me reiterate - Jobst is also one of the massive contributors to
> cycling throughout the years. If he had a more sociable manner like
> Sheldon he would be spoken of in the same quiet sort of voice. I'm an
> engineer like Jobst and I have been around a lot of people like him so
> he sort of rolls off of my back without bothering me too much. But
> people not used to that sort of communications sometimes react badly to it.
>
> Let's remember that The Bicycle Wheel was a giant step forward in
> bicycling. And his intelligent designed components for Avocet was really
> important to all of us. Jobst started a lot of real intelligent thinking
> about bicycles and a good deal of it was picked up by the MTB crowd in
> his area and built upon. And that has added greatly to what we see as
> bicycling today.

Gosh, I think Jobst now has an obit he can use when the time comes!


SMH

[datakoll]

HOLY COW ! DID JOBST GO TO HIS REWARD ?
or was he deported?
say. why don't all of us chip in $5 in Sheldon's memory to a Boston
Charity?

[Robert Perkins]

You never saw Sheldon get into these kinds of personal conflicts.
Another reason why I will really miss him.

[Espressopithecus (Java Man)]

In article <trSdnUZSnrNCpjTanZ2dnUVZ_hCdnZ2d@speakeasy.net>,
spamvortex@bad.example.net says...

It takes a pretty self-obsessed misanthrope to hijack a tribute thread
to Sheldon Brown!

Java

[SYJ]

Jobst, Tom, and Jim

Seriously? I realize that the entire purpose of usenet is to flame,
but really...is a thread eulogizing a fallen friend/compatriot/teacher
the proper forum?

You are all undoubtedly smart men. Think...then type. If necessary,
click the 'new thread' button in your newsreader.

Stacey "flabbergasted...absolutely flabbergasted" J

[Brian Huntley]

On Feb 5, 11:58 pm, datakoll <datak...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> HOLY COW ! DID JOBST GO TO HIS REWARD ?
> or was he deported?
> say. why don't all of us chip in $5 in Sheldon's memory to a Boston
> Charity?

I didn't think you could deport Americans from the USA, even under
GWB.

But your other idea is a splendid one.

[neil0502@yahoo.com]

On Feb 5, 8:58 pm, datakoll <datak...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> HOLY COW ! DID JOBST GO TO HIS REWARD ?
> or was he deported?
> say. why don't all of us chip in $5 in Sheldon's memory to a Boston
> Charity?

Good call, Gene.

I asked the San Diego County Bicycling Coalition if, by chance, they'd
heard of one via the grape vine or Sheldon's family.

I'm on vacation, but ... when I get home ... I'll reach out to Harris
to see if they know who might be worthy.

[landotter]

On Feb 5, 10:58 pm, datakoll <datak...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> HOLY COW ! DID JOBST GO TO HIS REWARD ?
> or was he deported?
> say. why don't all of us chip in $5 in Sheldon's memory to a Boston
> Charity?

Or better yet, teach a child to ride a bicycle! I think that dear
Sheldon's overall message was to demystify cycling and its technology
and bring the joy to as many folks as possible. At my local community
center there's a great example of this, there's this guy that teaches
inner city youth about cycling, he not only shows them how to maintain
bikes, but also proper road skills. It's really super cool when I see
them out, very disciplined, riding in formation. :-D

[Veloise]

Neil wrote:
....
> > say. why don't all of us chip in $5 in Sheldon's memory to a Boston Charity?
>
> Good call, Gene.
>
> I asked the San Diego County Bicycling Coalition if, by chance, they'd
> heard of one via the grape vine or Sheldon's family.
>
> I'm on vacation, but ... when I get home ... I'll reach out to Harris
> to see if they know who might be worthy.
Did that for ya, and suggested that they add Sheldon's favorite
charities to their website. (Says there will be a memorial service in
March.)

--Karen D.

[datakoll]

On Feb 6, 12:17*am, neil0...@yahoo.com wrote:
> On Feb 5, 8:58 pm, datakoll <datak...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > HOLY COW ! DID JOBST GO TO HIS REWARD ?
> > or was he deported?
> > say. why don't all of us chip in $5 in Sheldon's memory to a Boston
> > Charity?
>
> Good call, Gene.
>
> I asked the San Diego County Bicycling Coalition if, by chance, they'd
> heard of one via the grape vine or Sheldon's family.
>
> I'm on vacation, but ... when I get home ... I'll reach out to Harris
> to see if they know who might be worthy.

try the public library with a cycle related tome and a plaque for
Sheldon.

[jim beam]

Robert Perkins wrote:
> You never saw Sheldon get into these kinds of personal conflicts.
> Another reason why I will really miss him.

not strictly true - some of his fights with brandt, while civil on
sheldon's side, yielded no result - for obvious reasons. but sheldon
was smart, could reason, and was open minded. /that/ was his gift.

[ZBicyclist]

Robert Perkins wrote:
> You never saw Sheldon get into these kinds of personal conflicts.
> Another reason why I will really miss him.

Maybe not "never", but at least "seldom". One might specifically recall the
"party doll" thread of 2000,
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.bicycles.tech/browse_frm/thread/ef777f172afe58e6/3d0742d3f819d3d6?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=sheldon+brown+doll#3d0742d3f819d3d6

in which Sheldon's seemingly innocent SIGNATURE before the 2000 election:
>Sheldon "Epicyclic" Brown
>+---------------------------------------------------------+ | West Coast
>Nader fans: Please vote late in the day. | | Your vote may turn out to
>be crucial, and the early, | | returns from the east should make this
>clear. |
>+---------------------------------------------------------+

turned into a thread of 1072 archived posts lasting seven weeks.

Sheldon Brown's contribution to this thread was as follows:

"I have no interest in being an Internet cop, and personally, I have a
fast enough connection that I don't much mind off-topic threads, within
reason.

"I could, and would, easily enough ignore the current political thread.
Unfortunately, it has my name on it. I'm becoming concerned that people
will lose sight of the fact that I've not been involved in this thread
(and its vulgar "subject:" line) with the exception of a single
humorous, _bike-related_ posting using my Carapace alter ego.


"I do have strong opinions on the topics being discussed, but I respect
the charter of these newsgroups, and have refrained from taking part in
this inappropriate thread.


"I care about my reputation, and want to make sure that folks understand
that, despite my name being attached to off-topic vulgarity, I had
nothing to do with it.


Sheldon "Don't Blame Me!" Brown "



and, hundreds of posts later, this humorous reply:



"[NAME] wrote:
> I just think his [Sheldon's] political/religious tags are innapropriate in
> this forum.


"What about the ones where I recommend music, books or films that I've
enjoyed?

"How 'bout the ones that deal with philosophy or various collected
aphorisms neither political nor religious?


"How about the odd poem now and then? The jokes?


"Where would you have me draw the line and practice self-censorship?


Sheldon " " Brown
+------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| |
| This space intentionally left blank |
| |
| |
+------------------------------------------------------+








--
Mike Kruger
On the other hand, it's probably best if we forget all about the "party
doll" thread.

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per jim beam:
> for obvious reasons. but sheldon
>was smart, could reason, and was open minded. /that/ was his gift.

I say this as a self-proclaimed borderline narcissist - who has
never felt even a twinge of sorrow or even regret at any other
stranger's passing.

I've never met, never even talked to Sheldon.

But when I heard the news, I felt an immediate sense of loss that
hasn't gone away.

In Sheldon's case, the bell really does toll for us all.
--
PeteCresswell

[datakoll]

On Feb 6, 1:12*pm, Espressopithecus (Java Man)
<ri...@letterectomyTELUS.net> wrote:
> In article <trSdnUZSnrNCpjTanZ2dnUVZ_hCdn...@speakeasy.net>,
> spamvor...@bad.example.net says...
>
> It takes a pretty self-obsessed misanthrope to hijack a tribute thread
> to Sheldon Brown! *
>
> Java

I'll send a clam over...

[jim beam]

Espressopithecus (Java Man) wrote:
> In article <trSdnUZSnrNCpjTanZ2dnUVZ_hCdnZ2d@speakeasy.net>,
> spamvortex@bad.example.net says...
>
> It takes a pretty self-obsessed misanthrope to hijack a tribute thread
> to Sheldon Brown!
>
> Java


"misanthrope: a person who hates or distrusts humankind."

that may be your world, but it's not mine. as the bearer of false
witness yourself, perhaps you don't understand why such a one might
experience the dislike of others?

[John Forrest Tomlinson]

Some wrote about someone else "Face it, Tom, you're a self-absorbed
prick "

Tom's behaviour started to make more "sense" to me when I began
considering him mentally ill.

[Tom Kunich]

"(PeteCresswell)" <x@y.Invalid> wrote in message
news:d0mkq39gh6c7ebsv6hjappj314j70dkitl@4ax.com...
>
> In Sheldon's case, the bell really does toll for us all.

Geez Pete, how many of the wankers here would have read Hemingway?

[Jay Beattie]

On Feb 6, 5:03*pm, "(PeteCresswell)" <x...@y.Invalid> wrote:
> Per jim beam:
>
> > for obvious reasons. *but sheldon
> >was smart, could reason, and was open minded. */that/ was his gift.
>
> I say this as a self-proclaimed borderline narcissist - who has
> never felt even a twinge of sorrow or even regret at any other
> stranger's passing.
>
> I've never met, never even talked to Sheldon.
>
> But when I heard the news, I felt an immediate sense of loss that
> hasn't gone away.
>
> In Sheldon's case, the bell really does toll for us all.
> --
> PeteCresswell

He was our Party Doll! By the way, it is good to see some of the old
timers dropping by and giving their condolences. I wonder if Hickey
has heard the news.

When I first got involved in this group twelve or thirteen years ago,
Sheldon was among a small core of contributors who made it both
informative and civil. It was a nice foil to RBR -- with very little
name calling apart from the once a year anti-helmet thread by
JPoulos. But even the helmet threads were full of real content --
like medical journal cites and detailed discussions of the
epidemiology. It was not all sweetness and light back then, but
nothing like the sometimes psychotic, personal jihads we see these
day. Sheldon never took part in that. -- Jay Beattie.

[fred.garvin@yahoo.com]

On Feb 6, 6:23*pm, "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:
> "(PeteCresswell)" <x...@y.Invalid> wrote in message
>
> news:d0mkq39gh6c7ebsv6hjappj314j70dkitl@4ax.com...
>
>
>
> > In Sheldon's case, the bell really does toll for us all.
>
> Geez Pete, how many of the wankers here would have read Hemingway?

Tom,

Pay attention. Re-read your post quoted above as if you were someone
else. You know what many, if not most, other people see? One more
frikkin' example of you trying to point out how damn smart you think
you are, and how much smarter you are compared to the rest of us.

I mean, c'mon, who the f... hasn't read Hemingway, or if not, at least
would recognize the reference to Hemingway in Pete's post???

We are ALL very proud of you. YOU read Hemingway. YOU are smart, and
smarter than us wankers.

Tell us about your bike collection again, won't you please???

[ZBicyclist]

Tom Kunich wrote:
> "(PeteCresswell)" <x@y.Invalid> wrote in message
> news:d0mkq39gh6c7ebsv6hjappj314j70dkitl@4ax.com...
>>
>> In Sheldon's case, the bell really does toll for us all.
>
> Geez Pete, how many of the wankers here would have read Hemingway?

Or Donne, who's the original source of the phrase Hemingway re-used.
http://incompetech.com/authors/donne/bell.html
"therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."



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

[Michael Press]

In article <13qknbbt598f797@corp.supernews.com>,
"Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:

> "(PeteCresswell)" <x@y.Invalid> wrote in message
> news:d0mkq39gh6c7ebsv6hjappj314j70dkitl@4ax.com...
> >
> > In Sheldon's case, the bell really does toll for us all.
>
> Geez Pete, how many of the wankers here would have read Hemingway?

How `bout us wankers whut read John Dun?

--
Michael Press

[Dan Gregory]

Tom Kunich wrote:
> "(PeteCresswell)" <x@y.Invalid> wrote in message
> news:d0mkq39gh6c7ebsv6hjappj314j70dkitl@4ax.com...
>>
>> In Sheldon's case, the bell really does toll for us all.
>
> Geez Pete, how many of the wankers here would have read Hemingway?
>
I thought it was Donne

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
***
(Appropriate though)

[Tom Kunich]

"ZBicyclist" <ZBicyclist@excite.com> wrote in message
news:nhtqj.12872$EZ3.6328@nlpi070.nbdc.sbc.com...
>
> "Where would you have me draw the line and practice self-censorship?
>
>
> Sheldon " " Brown
> +------------------------------------------------------+
> | |
> | |
> | This space intentionally left blank |
> | |
> | |
> +------------------------------------------------------+

You have to admit that he was obviously very highly moral.

I will miss his presence.

[datakoll]

On Feb 6, 8:29*pm, "ZBicyclist" <ZBicycl...@excite.com> wrote:
> Robert Perkins wrote:
> > You never saw Sheldon get into these kinds of personal conflicts.
> > Another reason why I will really miss him.
>
> Maybe not "never", but at least "seldom". One might specifically recall the
> "party doll" thread of 2000,http://groups.google.com/group/rec.bicycles.tech/browse_frm/thread/ef...
>
> in which Sheldon's seemingly innocent SIGNATURE before the 2000 election:
>
> >Sheldon "Epicyclic" Brown
> >+---------------------------------------------------------+ | *West Coast
> >Nader fans: *Please vote late in the day. * | | *Your vote may turn out to
> >be crucial, and the early, * | | *returns from the east should make this
> >clear. * * * * *|
> >+---------------------------------------------------------+
>
> turned into a thread of 1072 archived posts lasting seven weeks.
>
> Sheldon Brown's contribution to this thread was as follows:
>
> "I have no interest in being an Internet cop, and personally, I have a
> fast enough connection that I don't much mind off-topic threads, within
> reason.
>
> "I could, and would, easily enough ignore the current political thread.
> Unfortunately, it has my name on it. *I'm becoming concerned that people
> will lose sight of the fact that I've not been involved in this thread
> (and its vulgar "subject:" line) with the exception of a single
> humorous, _bike-related_ posting using my Carapace alter ego.
>
> "I do have strong opinions on the topics being discussed, but I respect
> the charter of these newsgroups, and have refrained from taking part in
> this inappropriate thread.
>
> "I care about my reputation, and want to make sure that folks understand
> that, despite my name being attached to off-topic vulgarity, I had
> nothing to do with it.
>
> Sheldon "Don't Blame Me!" Brown "
>
> and, hundreds of posts later, this humorous reply:
>
> "[NAME] wrote:
> > I just think his [Sheldon's] political/religious tags are innapropriate in
> > this forum.
>
> "What about the ones where I recommend music, books or films that I've
> enjoyed?
>
> "How 'bout the ones that deal with philosophy or various collected
> aphorisms neither political nor religious?
>
> "How about the odd poem now and then? * The jokes?
>
> "Where would you have me draw the line and practice self-censorship?
>
> Sheldon " * * *" Brown
> +------------------------------------------------------+
> | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *|
> | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *|
> | * * * * This space intentionally left blank * * * * *|
> | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *|
> | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *|
> +------------------------------------------------------+
>
> --
> Mike Kruger
> On the other hand, it's probably best if we forget all about the "party
> doll" thread.

where's the "party doll" thread?
you know I could post an accurate description of a zero G device and
generate zero interest. Brownie could discuss belly button lint and
yawl follow him over the cliff.

[Tom Kunich]

<fred.garvin@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:60b1879e-9d28-4434-ad62-c8a34e0dcf7d@f47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
>
> Pay attention. Re-read your post quoted above as if you were someone
> else. You know what many, if not most, other people see? One more
> frikkin' example of you trying to point out how damn smart you think
> you are, and how much smarter you are compared to the rest of us.

So, you believe that anyone that reads is smarter than you? Oh, wait, you're
saying that you have read Hemingway's books?

[Howard Kveck]

In article <60b1879e-9d28-4434-ad62-c8a34e0dcf7d@f47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com>,
fred.garvin@yahoo.com wrote:

> On Feb 6, 6:23*pm, "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:
> > "(PeteCresswell)" <x...@y.Invalid> wrote in message
> >
> > news:d0mkq39gh6c7ebsv6hjappj314j70dkitl@4ax.com...
> >
> >
> >
> > > In Sheldon's case, the bell really does toll for us all.
> >
> > Geez Pete, how many of the wankers here would have read Hemingway?
>
> Tom,
>
> Pay attention. Re-read your post quoted above as if you were someone
> else. You know what many, if not most, other people see? One more
> frikkin' example of you trying to point out how damn smart you think
> you are, and how much smarter you are compared to the rest of us.
>
> I mean, c'mon, who the f... hasn't read Hemingway, or if not, at least
> would recognize the reference to Hemingway in Pete's post???
>
> We are ALL very proud of you. YOU read Hemingway. YOU are smart, and
> smarter than us wankers.
>
> Tell us about your bike collection again, won't you please???

He's got more bikes than Hemingway.

--
tanx,
Howard

Whatever happened to
Leon Trotsky?
He got an icepick
That made his ears burn.
But I've already got a pitchfork...

remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?

[Rick Denney]

On Feb 6, 9:27 pm, Jay Beattie <jbeat...@lindsayhart.com> wrote:
> By the way, it is good to see some of the old
> timers dropping by and giving their condolences. I wonder if Hickey
> has heard the news.
>
> When I first got involved in this group twelve or thirteen years ago,
> Sheldon was among a small core of contributors who made it both
> informative and civil. It was a nice foil to RBR -- with very little
> name calling apart from the once a year anti-helmet thread by
> JPoulos. But even the helmet threads were full of real content --
> like medical journal cites and detailed discussions of the
> epidemiology. It was not all sweetness and light back then, but
> nothing like the sometimes psychotic, personal jihads we see these
> day. Sheldon never took part in that. -- Jay Beattie.

Amen, and amen.

My first post to RBT was on my 38th birthday. I'm very close to 50
now. I learned a lot about how to communicate with people over the
Internet from Sheldon. He led by example, of course, rather than by
instruction or correction.

What I read in this thread explains why I stopped participating in RBT
some 8 years ago. The example it provides is the opposite of what
Sheldon provided.

I didn't agree with a lot of Sheldon's non-bicycle views, but that
didn't matter. He expressed them eloquently and with great civility,
and that forced me to consider my own views carefully before
continuing to disagree with him. My disagreements with him led to
learning and respect, rather than bitterness and entrenchment.

I once was chatting with Sheldon at Harris when I visited on a
business trip to Boston, and I congratulated him on a recent technical
argument in which he had engaged Jobst sufficiently to extract an
acknowledgment. At that time, I still (foolishly) looked on arguments
with Jobst as a sport for the courageous few, and awarded points to
those (few) who did so successfully. Sheldon corrected me by saying,
"It was a disappointment for me. I pride myself on my ability to
explain things clearly, and I knew I had missed that mark when Jobst
didn't understand what I had said." (The subject of that debate was
the then-new parallelogram design of the Shimano mountain-bike brakes
from so long ago that I don't even remember the product name any more.
The long endurance of that exchange in my memory indicates the
importance I give it.)

When I read Jobst's response to Tom, I read not an attack on Tom but
the typical curmudgeonly compliment of Sheldon, to wit: If you are
surprised by the breadth of the reaction to the loss of Sheldon, then
maybe you didn't know him as well as you thought you did. Jobst talked
that way a dozen years ago. Expecting him to change is very, well, un-
Sheldonlike. The bitterness that followed in this thread was even
moreso.

Rick "also wondering if Mark Hickey has gotten the news" Denney

[jim beam]

ZBicyclist wrote:
<snip for clarity>

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


great quote. a maxim by which many here could be improved.

[frkrygow@gmail.com]

On Feb 6, 9:52 pm, datakoll <datak...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Feb 6, 12:17 am, neil0...@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>
> > I'm on vacation, but ... when I get home ... I'll reach out to Harris
> > to see if they know who might be worthy.
>
> try the public library with a cycle related tome and a plaque for
> Sheldon.

Excellent idea! I'm on that one.

- Frank Krygowski

[jim beam]

datakoll wrote:
> On Feb 6, 8:29�pm, "ZBicyclist" <ZBicycl...@excite.com> wrote:
>> Robert Perkins wrote:
>>> You never saw Sheldon get into these kinds of personal conflicts.
>>> Another reason why I will really miss him.
>> Maybe not "never", but at least "seldom". One might specifically recall the
>> "party doll" thread of 2000,http://groups.google.com/group/rec.bicycles.tech/browse_frm/thread/ef...
>>
>> in which Sheldon's seemingly innocent SIGNATURE before the 2000 election:
>>
>>> Sheldon "Epicyclic" Brown
>>> +---------------------------------------------------------+ | �West Coast
>>> Nader fans: �Please vote late in the day. � | | �Your vote may turn out to
>>> be crucial, and the early, � | | �returns from the east should make this
>>> clear. � � � � �|
>>> +---------------------------------------------------------+
>> turned into a thread of 1072 archived posts lasting seven weeks.
>>
>> Sheldon Brown's contribution to this thread was as follows:
>>
>> "I have no interest in being an Internet cop, and personally, I have a
>> fast enough connection that I don't much mind off-topic threads, within
>> reason.
>>
>> "I could, and would, easily enough ignore the current political thread.
>> Unfortunately, it has my name on it. �I'm becoming concerned that people
>> will lose sight of the fact that I've not been involved in this thread
>> (and its vulgar "subject:" line) with the exception of a single
>> humorous, _bike-related_ posting using my Carapace alter ego.
>>
>> "I do have strong opinions on the topics being discussed, but I respect
>> the charter of these newsgroups, and have refrained from taking part in
>> this inappropriate thread.
>>
>> "I care about my reputation, and want to make sure that folks understand
>> that, despite my name being attached to off-topic vulgarity, I had
>> nothing to do with it.
>>
>> Sheldon "Don't Blame Me!" Brown "
>>
>> and, hundreds of posts later, this humorous reply:
>>
>> "[NAME] wrote:
>>> I just think his [Sheldon's] political/religious tags are innapropriate in
>>> this forum.
>> "What about the ones where I recommend music, books or films that I've
>> enjoyed?
>>
>> "How 'bout the ones that deal with philosophy or various collected
>> aphorisms neither political nor religious?
>>
>> "How about the odd poem now and then? � The jokes?
>>
>> "Where would you have me draw the line and practice self-censorship?
>>
>> Sheldon " � � �" Brown
>> +------------------------------------------------------+
>> | � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �|
>> | � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �|
>> | � � � � This space intentionally left blank � � � � �|
>> | � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �|
>> | � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �|
>> +------------------------------------------------------+
>>
>> --
>> Mike Kruger
>> On the other hand, it's probably best if we forget all about the "party
>> doll" thread.
>
> where's the "party doll" thread?
> you know I could post an accurate description of a zero G device and
> generate zero interest. Brownie could discuss belly button lint and
> yawl follow him over the cliff.


style man, style. beats content - although in sheldon's case, the two
were aligned.

[Phil Holman]

"datakoll" <datakoll@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:14046997-7ec9-482c-9b49-162b45b864cb@i72g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
On Feb 6, 8:29 pm, "ZBicyclist" <ZBicycl...@excite.com> wrote:
> Robert Perkins wrote:
> > You never saw Sheldon get into these kinds of personal conflicts.
> > Another reason why I will really miss him.
>
> Maybe not "never", but at least "seldom". One might specifically
> recall the
> "party doll" thread of
> 2000,http://groups.google.com/group/rec.bicycles.tech/browse_frm/thread/ef...
>
> in which Sheldon's seemingly innocent SIGNATURE before the 2000
> election:
>
> >Sheldon "Epicyclic" Brown
> >+---------------------------------------------------------+ | West
> >Coast
> >Nader fans: Please vote late in the day. | | Your vote may turn out
> >to
> >be crucial, and the early, | | returns from the east should make this
> >clear. |
> >+---------------------------------------------------------+
>
> turned into a thread of 1072 archived posts lasting seven weeks.
>
> Sheldon Brown's contribution to this thread was as follows:
>
> "I have no interest in being an Internet cop, and personally, I have a
> fast enough connection that I don't much mind off-topic threads,
> within
> reason.
>
> "I could, and would, easily enough ignore the current political
> thread.
> Unfortunately, it has my name on it. I'm becoming concerned that
> people
> will lose sight of the fact that I've not been involved in this thread
> (and its vulgar "subject:" line) with the exception of a single
> humorous, _bike-related_ posting using my Carapace alter ego.
>
> "I do have strong opinions on the topics being discussed, but I
> respect
> the charter of these newsgroups, and have refrained from taking part
> in
> this inappropriate thread.
>
> "I care about my reputation, and want to make sure that folks
> understand
> that, despite my name being attached to off-topic vulgarity, I had
> nothing to do with it.
>
> Sheldon "Don't Blame Me!" Brown "
>
> and, hundreds of posts later, this humorous reply:
>
> "[NAME] wrote:
> > I just think his [Sheldon's] political/religious tags are
> > innapropriate in
> > this forum.
>
> "What about the ones where I recommend music, books or films that I've
> enjoyed?
>
> "How 'bout the ones that deal with philosophy or various collected
> aphorisms neither political nor religious?
>
> "How about the odd poem now and then? The jokes?
>
> "Where would you have me draw the line and practice self-censorship?
>
> Sheldon " " Brown
> +------------------------------------------------------+
> | |
> | |
> | This space intentionally left blank |
> | |
> | |
> +------------------------------------------------------+
>
> --
> Mike Kruger
> On the other hand, it's probably best if we forget all about the
> "party
> doll" thread.

where's the "party doll" thread?
you know I could post an accurate description of a zero G device and
generate zero interest. Brownie could discuss belly button lint
..............

You cannot imagine how many good ol' boys lost in the woods after a
drunken day of deer hunting have reached into their beer bellybuttons,
pulled out a wad of lint, and saved themselves by starting a campfire
with that kindling to keep warm in the night. That is why the outsie
bellybutton is mostly found in tropical regions. It was
evolutionarily bred out in less temperate climes.

and getting back on topic............we will miss Sheldon Brown, may he
rest in peace.

Phil H

[Tom Kunich]

"jim beam" <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote in message
news:58ydnRBT__Ok6zfanZ2dnUVZ_j2dnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
> Espressopithecus (Java Man) wrote:
>> In article <trSdnUZSnrNCpjTanZ2dnUVZ_hCdnZ2d@speakeasy.net>,
>> spamvortex@bad.example.net says...
>>
>> It takes a pretty self-obsessed misanthrope to hijack a tribute thread to
>> Sheldon Brown!
>
> "misanthrope: a person who hates or distrusts humankind."
>
> that may be your world, but it's not mine. as the bearer of false witness
> yourself, perhaps you don't understand why such a one might experience the
> dislike of others?

Although you might both have valid points why don't you start a separate
thread to argue it?

This is in memory of Sheldon please.

[fred.garvin@yahoo.com]

On Feb 6, 8:26*pm, "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:
> <fred.gar...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> news:60b1879e-9d28-4434-ad62-c8a34e0dcf7d@f47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> > Pay attention. *Re-read your post quoted above as if you were someone
> > else. *You know what many, if not most, other people see? *One more
> > frikkin' example of you trying to point out how damn smart you think
> > you are, and how much smarter you are compared to the rest of us.
>
> So, you believe that anyone that reads is smarter than you? Oh, wait, you're
> saying that you have read Hemingway's books?

I figured you'd respond like that. Completely glossing over the point
and launching some sort of childish 'I know you are, but what am I'
bull****. Face it, Tom, you're a self-absorbed prick who just doesn't
get that people despise you for your egocentrism and inability to see
how big a prick you are.

So, how many other times were you smarter than Sheldon?

[Donald Munro]

fred.garvin wrote:
>> Tell us about your bike collection again, won't you please???

Howard Kveck wrote:
> He's got more bikes than Hemingway.

He's probably got more marlin too.

[landotter]

On Feb 6, 9:31 pm, "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:
> "jim beam" <spamvor...@bad.example.net> wrote in message
>
> news:58ydnRBT__Ok6zfanZ2dnUVZ_j2dnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
>
> > Espressopithecus (Java Man) wrote:
> >> In article <trSdnUZSnrNCpjTanZ2dnUVZ_hCdn...@speakeasy.net>,
> >> spamvor...@bad.example.net says...
>
> >> It takes a pretty self-obsessed misanthrope to hijack a tribute thread to
> >> Sheldon Brown!
>
> > "misanthrope: a person who hates or distrusts humankind."
>
> > that may be your world, but it's not mine. as the bearer of false witness
> > yourself, perhaps you don't understand why such a one might experience the
> > dislike of others?
>
> Although you might both have valid points why don't you start a separate
> thread to argue it?
>
> This is in memory of Sheldon please.

It is, and we're about four glasses of wine into the buffet at the
wake! Hey, that last deviled egg, I saw it first!

<throws 4spd freewheel at Tom like a velo-ninja!>

[Tom Kunich]

<fred.garvin@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c60ab698-5b1c-4cc2-9bcc-ee4a2ae6f20a@e25g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
>
> Face it, Tom, you're a self-absorbed prick who just doesn't
> get that people despise you for your egocentrism and inability to see
> how big a prick you are.

Nice entry into a string about Sheldon Brown. Any normal person would have
started a new string to insult me. But then I suppose your overwhelming
piety would prevent that.

[Tom Kunich]

"landotter" <landotter@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6aad49c5-1a2f-4dc1-a7b0-92529cd41c9e@i72g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
> On Feb 6, 9:31 pm, "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:
>> "jim beam" <spamvor...@bad.example.net> wrote in message
>>
>> news:58ydnRBT__Ok6zfanZ2dnUVZ_j2dnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
>>
>> > Espressopithecus (Java Man) wrote:
>> >> In article <trSdnUZSnrNCpjTanZ2dnUVZ_hCdn...@speakeasy.