Remembering Sheldon

Richard reading to Sheldon
Big brother Richard reading to Sheldon, around 1949

Gingerbread boy bookSheldon Brown would have been 77 years old today. We miss him very much.
In this picture his big brother Richard is reading to him. And at the right is the cover of the book Richard was reading.

“Run, run
As fast as you can,
You can’t catch me,
I’m the gingerbread man.”

Cable installation

John added photos and a quite a lot of additional information to our page about cables, and the page got too long — so we have split it into two pages. The original cables page now includes more background information — why use cables, the different types, and a video showing how they work. The cable installation page has many new photos, added details, and tricks and tips.

We are here!

Harris cyclery logo

Ah, the hand-wringing. It seems to have started with someone  at the road.cc blog who inquired on our Facebook page, then posted on without waiting for our response.

Harris Cyclery has closed after a 70-year run, hit hard by pandemic supply issues. Sheldonbrown.com got its start when Sheldon worked at Harris Cyclery, and we are very grateful to Harris Cyclery for its support. But, since 2010, sheldonbrown.com (except for the /harris pages) has floated its own boat, through online advertising.

We don’t know yet what other affiliation we may find, or whether we’ll go it alone, but you may rest easy. Ride your bike, and feel free to come to us for help keeping it in top shape.

On-Road Repairs update

We have added to our page about on-road repairs. There is now a quick list so you can check which particular tools you might need for your bicycle, and we have covered some additional tools.

The basic on-road repairs will get you home or to the next bike shop on your bike, almost every time. If you can’t find the time or inspiration to learn them yourself, you might  ride with someone who did!

Modeling bicycle dynamics

We publish another paper by Osman Isvan. He uses a simplified model with only 3 degrees of freedom and simulates system frequency response under steady-state and transient conditions. He investigates the effects on vibration isolation of several key parameters including tire pressure, frame compliance and riding position. The graph below from his paper, one of several, shows results when tire pressure is changed.

Graph from Osman Isvan’s paper on bicycle dynamics

Osman Isvan on Hills, Winds — and Data

Osman Isvan takes a deeper look into hills and winds.

  • Do you (or should you) work harder when climbing a hill?
  • How hard do you (or should you) work on a given hill? Does it depend on your gearing? The slope of the hill? What are all the relevant factors?
  • Do you (or should you) work harder against an uphill slope than you would work against a headwind? Why?

Hill and Wind factors in Osman’s effort

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