I just read on Salon that Sheldon Brown passed away on February 3rd, 2008. Brown provided one of the first repositories of bicycling information on the web, one of the first bike shops online, and championed single-speed and fixed-gear bikes. His obituary was run in the London Times.
Sheldon Brown, with his patented POWerwheels
I never met him in person, but he was an active presence on some bicycling mailing lists and message board during the early days of the 'net, and was knowledgeable, funny, and all-around one of those people that made communicating electronically worthwhile rather than just an exercise in personality disorder diagnosis. His posts by his alter-ego, Carrapace Completed Umber, were always hilarious.
His articles on riding fixed-gear bikes convinced me to build up my fixie back in 1999, before I was aware of it being a totem of urban hipsterdom. That bike has some parts I ordered from the shop he worked for, Harris Cyclery. It'd be nice to think a little bit of his spirit is in my bike, and probably thousands of bikes around the world.
I wasn't aware of his illness from multiple sclerosis, as I haven't really kept up with those lists and sites. I'm sorry to hear about his passing, and that for the last two years he couldn't participate in the activity and lifestyle he so clearly cherished. My condolences go out to his wife and kids (whom he loved dearly), and his friends, virtual and IRL.
Edit: Memorial donation info here.
