The bicycle industry is not changing that quickly, however. Sure, I'm sure Campagnolo now has a 12 speed drivetrain with a chain made from nanotubes and Shimano probably has a derailleur that posts each gear change to Twitter, but the way parts fit together hasn't changed much in the last 20 years. You still start the bike in the same way he describes. You still inflate the tires in the same way he describes. And 99% of bikes still have the same brakes and shifting mechanisms he describes in detail. And of course, all the bikes that existed when he was alive and writing didn't magically vaporize; there are still perfectly functional bikes from the 1900s around, not to mention the 70s and 80s.
True, but one thing I can only hope we have in the future is compatibility charts like http://sheldonbrown.com/dura-ace.html#indexing and the neat rerouting trick that's described below it...
That was the first bookmark i added to my browser when i got a bike a long time ago. If you work on your own bike, and you are a geek/nerd, you will end up on this site regardless.
i'm using a lot the bicycle site at stackexchange. granted that most answers are just pointers to sheldon's site for now :)
Where I think bicycles.se tends to excel is less on the mechanical aspects of cycling and more on the technical aspects of riding. There have also been interesting discussions that are more esoteric, too, like how to get your bike on an airplane while avoiding fees.
I remember, when he was still alive, a heated flamewar would break out on Bikeforums and he'd appear out of the ether and authoritatively quash all argument with his immense knowledge. RIP
I love this guy. He was the only place online that I could find an explanation for why the left pedal of a bike screws on opposite to normal direction. Everyone that fixes bikes knows the left one screws on "wrong", but no one at any bike shop could explain why the left. Because on a first analysis, it seems that it should be the right one that needs reverse threading to keep from getting unscrewed.
This is a great example of a mature vanity website. I mean that in the best possible way. It's a throwback to the early web days, pre-geocities even, when people would make unique websites about themselves and their hobbies. The UI and the information architecture might follow some best practices, or mimic slightly the arrangement of another site, but they were fundamentally unique to the site in question.
Brown's in particular is full of personality, not only in his writing, but in the layouts, color choices, photo choices, quotes, et cetera.
I also have benefitted from many hours spent reading through Brown's site. What a great resource and gift.
Like many others, his was one of the very first sites i came upon in my search for great bike nerd info.
In addition to the incredible depth of very practical info, the fact that his site exists is a demonstration of what the pre-commercial web was all about: 1 guy contributing knowledge for the benefit of many others, giving time/effort for the greater good.
Somewhat surprised and delighted that this site has surfaced on Hacker News. It's a wonderful resource provided in the true spirit of the old-school web.
I never met Sheldon but he has been and will continue to be my go-to person for bike advice. Whenever I'm fixing my brakes and have to take a minute to think about mechanical advantage, I think of Sheldon. I'm very thankful for his efforts and the ongoing efforts of the people who maintain his site.
I've been a fan of his since the '90s. I once had the opportunity while visiting a relative in Boston to ask Sheldon in person at the shop where he worked (Harris Cyclery) if he could help me find a rather obscure part for my old Raleigh. I really had no expectation they would have it, I just wanted to see the shop and maybe encounter him. Sure enough, they had it, and my encounter with The Oracle only cost me about $5.
The author is sadly deceased and while this is a great resource it's worth noting that a lot of the technical stuff on here is not very applicable to newer bicycles which use threadless headsets etc.
Slightly surprised but very pleased to see Sheldon's site on hackernews. The wealth of information on the site is fascinating to go through even if you don't do any kind of bike activities.
His cycling in France articles were a pleasure to read.
He inspired me to start building my own wheels, to experiment more with 70s-era French steel frames, Raleigh 3-speeds, Raleigh 20s, flip-flop hubs, fixed 3-speed Sturmey-Archer hubs, and on and on. Wonderful man.
Especially good information on practical fixed gears and three speed hubs.
Before he passed, I sent an e-mail asking a few questions and Sheldon responded personally, with fairly detailed responses. It was pretty rad.
There's a lot of really useful information on there.
Some of my favorite parts.
The three speed hub with a fixed gear: http://sheldonbrown.com/asc.html
The section on frame fit (semi controversial topic depending on the crowd): http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-sizing.html