I learned today that a man who lives in a place I've never visited, who does not count me among his friends and whose life has not intersected mine has died. I do not feel wracked with grief, perhaps if I had met him I would, but I do feel a sense of loss that goes well beyond a selfish frustration that he will no longer be posting his musings on the internet.
My only access to Sheldon Brown was via his website and his writing reeks of a man with a passion not just for cycling but for life. Like many people I was fascinated by his advocacy of fixed gear cycling and only today, when I saw the BikesnobNYC posting I delved more deeply into his blog discovered the many facets of his life. His devotion to charting this makes for fascinating reading. There isn't that furtive feeling when a private diary is discoved, this is a genuine interest in another human. Perhaps that's guff, but Sheldon Brown writes with an impact that many copywriters can only dream of.
With regards cycling, it appeared that Sheldon didn't allow himself to be pigeon-holed into road/fixie/mountain biker categories. His stable of bikes was as varied as his off-the-wall ideas for modifying them
- a BMX tandem for his children
- a fixed gear mountain bike
- a fixed gear tandem
- a bike with two sets of handlebars
Every now and again the internet actually connects humanity in a positive way and for me this has been one of those events.
No comments:
Post a Comment