Sheldon Brown’s Journal – Health Issues
Sheldon Brown is the authority on cycling. He works out of a cycling shop in Newton, Massachusetts (Harris Cyclery) and is cited by every bike geek as the authority on everything from Sturmey-Archer hubs to fixed-gear cycling set ups. In fact, there is an acronym devoted to Sheldon: AASHTA (As Always, Sheldon Has The Answer).
The man seems to live and breathe cycling and his site, Sheldon Brown’s Bicycle Technical Info is literally an encyclopedia of cycling. He also seems like a really great man gauging from his personal observations and approach to life.
Now it appears he has multiple sclerosis and has to give up cycling. This is tragic. Having made the decision to voluntarily give up cycling as a pastime after my accident in May, I know what it feels like to miss it, but can’t imagine the pain of having it taken away the way it has for Sheldon.
Hi David,
Sorry to hear about Sheldon. Based on your post and links, I may have had the pleasure of riding with Sheldon on one of his last bike rides. It was the late summer of ’06 I think, when I was commuting home near nightfall on a long downhill. I saw the eagle on the helmet first. When I caught up, he said, “People don’t often catch me on downhill.” He was a big guy, but also a strong rider. Perhaps the eagle helped. When I told him I had founded a bike magazine nearly 20 years ago that had long ago ceased to exist, his recall was instant. In fact, he was a reliable resource for us, and, as you say, an unquestioned authority. At a time when cycling was a near guerrilla pastime for a few intrepid souls, Sheldon helped many people become aware not just of how to fix these contraptions, but of how much cycling has to offer us. This sense is now almost mainstream, but you can thank him for being one of the people who made it so.