Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Technical Info(sheldonbrown.com)
sheldonbrown.com
Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Technical Info
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/
133 comments
Back in the day, when not everyone felt the need yet to be on the world wide web, I knew at least a couple of mechanics and builders who would explain they'd heard of this Sheldon Brown guy and ... could I please print out some stuff from him like gear ratio tables or spoke length calculations or lacing patterns? :-) Simpler times. RIP Sheldon.
Aw shoot! Back in the early 1990s when I got on the Internet I also got back into biking. Sheldon's site seems like something 20-something me would really have liked.
Sheldon's site was hugely influential back in the day. Maybe even more so than the Park blue book.
You could find answers you didn't know to questions you didn't know to ask for hours and hours. And then some tangent about French derailleurs, besides.
I still have tools color-coded Sheldon's way.
You could find answers you didn't know to questions you didn't know to ask for hours and hours. And then some tangent about French derailleurs, besides.
I still have tools color-coded Sheldon's way.
As a former pro bike mechanic I have never used the park blue book, I cannot count the number of times after he created the site that I leaned on Sheldon. I still use his wisdom and knowledge even having not professionally serviced bikes for 10 years. My retirement plan is to become wealthy enough to afford working in a bike shop again.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/colorcode.html
That's great idea.
That's great idea.
In rock climbing you'll find that protective gear follows a similar system.[1] Though of course different manufacturers choose different color schemes mostly. Being able to quickly grab the right size piece that fits the crack you're placing into is exceedingly important.
[1] https://www.summitpost.org/size-matters-a-gear-comparison/69...
[1] https://www.summitpost.org/size-matters-a-gear-comparison/69...
It doesn't really follow his suggestions but these are nice hex wrenches: https://www.wihatools.com/products/color-coded-hex-l-keys-9-...
If you get the right kind of paint/marker you can mark the bolts with the same color as the wrench, then you can see what wrench you need from many feet away.
Or just grab the 10mm, it's always 10mm.
Or just grab the 10mm, it's always 10mm.
I can't think of any 10mm bolts on my bike. Most of the time, it's 4, 5 or 6mm hex bolts.
Nail polish works great.
It still is. Or have I missed a site that has similar amount and quality of information?
Sheldon's site was a great resource because it was meticulously organized information written by someone immensely respected for having expert knowledge from decades of being a bike mechanic and massive bike nerd who seemingly spent every waking hour of his life either riding, tinkering with, or repairing bikes.
The site has been "maintained" (heavily edited and appended) by a guy named John Allen who I think mostly just knows a bunch of people in the retrogrouch scene (you know the types - $10k steel randonneur bikes), has never worked as a bike mechanic, seems to have little practical hands-on knowledge, and repeatedly pontificates about stuff he doesn't seem to have experience with. A lot of his additions and modifications seem to be his personal opinions.
I don't know if it's since been revised, but the stuff he wrote about belt drive bikes years ago made it clear he was just parroting shit he'd read elsewhere by people who had never ridden one for an extended period of time or owned one. Despite what he claims, they're virtually unbeatable for all-weather transportation bikes.
The site has been "maintained" (heavily edited and appended) by a guy named John Allen who I think mostly just knows a bunch of people in the retrogrouch scene (you know the types - $10k steel randonneur bikes), has never worked as a bike mechanic, seems to have little practical hands-on knowledge, and repeatedly pontificates about stuff he doesn't seem to have experience with. A lot of his additions and modifications seem to be his personal opinions.
I don't know if it's since been revised, but the stuff he wrote about belt drive bikes years ago made it clear he was just parroting shit he'd read elsewhere by people who had never ridden one for an extended period of time or owned one. Despite what he claims, they're virtually unbeatable for all-weather transportation bikes.
I'm a total newb regarding bikes but this Youtube channel seems quite solid from a distance regarding reliable bikes: https://www.youtube.com/@Cyclingabout
Considering he's the kind of person that rides around the world, and that the suggestions seem well presented, internal gear hub + belt drive seems like a solid combo for reliability.
Considering he's the kind of person that rides around the world, and that the suggestions seem well presented, internal gear hub + belt drive seems like a solid combo for reliability.
> Internal gear hub + belt drive seems like a solid combo for reliability
It is. But make sure you get a solid internal gear hub because they're not all made the same. Shimano has an indestructible five gear model, the higher the number of gears the less torque the hub can deal with. Rohloff is beautiful but I think it is overpriced for what it offers (that's a personal opinion, others may well disagree). B-brands or anything open or chain based is going to be a lot less reliable.
It is. But make sure you get a solid internal gear hub because they're not all made the same. Shimano has an indestructible five gear model, the higher the number of gears the less torque the hub can deal with. Rohloff is beautiful but I think it is overpriced for what it offers (that's a personal opinion, others may well disagree). B-brands or anything open or chain based is going to be a lot less reliable.
> Rohloff is beautiful but I think it is overpriced for what it offers
Rohloff hubs are made in Germany by a workforce that enjoys good working conditions, and moreover each hold a stake in the company. That’s something to remember any time you compare the price of a Rohloff hub to an Asian-made component.
Rohloff hubs are made in Germany by a workforce that enjoys good working conditions, and moreover each hold a stake in the company. That’s something to remember any time you compare the price of a Rohloff hub to an Asian-made component.
All of Asia has the same labor practices? What about Japan?
German worker standards and unions are super strong.
I'd say the onus is on the commenter to show that other countries do better than Germany, a world leader in worker rights.
I'd say the onus is on the commenter to show that other countries do better than Germany, a world leader in worker rights.
Working hours in Japan are infamously higher than the German standard, and vacation days fewer. At German companies, employees can also be much more direct and straightforward with their superiors. Sure, Shimano’s facilities in Japan are no Chinese or Malaysian sweatshop, but I like that a Rohloff purchase supports a higher quality of life.
> Shimano has an indestructible five gear model, the higher the number of gears the less torque the hub can deal with.
He actually recommends Shimano Alfine 8, he finds it has a good balance between robustness and the way it handles.
He actually recommends Shimano Alfine 8, he finds it has a good balance between robustness and the way it handles.
Yes, that makes sense, the 8 is a nice optimum. But if you engineer for maximum reliability and still need more than 3 gears then that five is as good as it gets. It's the NEXUS SG-C7002-5CD 5-speed model, to be specific. There is also an e-bike one for even more torque applications.
IMO for e-bike you probably should be looking at the enviolo CVTs. Sure they're a little less efficient but you can get 330% gear range with ridiculous durability and have the option for electronic shifting. (that said my bike is a non-ebike shimano alfine 8)
I bought a enviolo CVT about 12 years ago because I happened to find one unused a cheap on eBay. It was so heavy once I handled it and the shifter seemed cheap so I didn’t even try to build a wheel with it. I could barely give it away, ended up trading it for a tune-up.
Enviolo sucks. We have one Enviolo bike in the family. We use it as creative punishment. It sucks. Even for an e-bike.
Why does it suck?
Because it eats up range like there is no tomorrow, makes all kinds of weird sounds, you need to keep it taut on the shifter to get to the highest gear ratio (it will 'unwind' all by itself if you don't do that), and once the batteries run out the bike is so heavy to cycle you may as well give up. And this is as good as it gets, nicely lubricated, regulated as good as possible. It's a very interesting idea but it is either not executed well enough or it is inherently problematic and it won't get better. Buying that bike was a serious mistake, fortunately that wasn't my decision because I'd feel miserable. CVT on a bike is a very nice feature and there are some really interesting developments in that space, but Enviolo isn't it, no matter how much it gets pushed.
they are slow and heavy. Specifically they are roughly 85% efficient compared to ~90% for an internal gearbox or ~95% for a derailer. They also add about 1 pound compared to a gearbox or 2 pounds compared to a 1x derailer system.
Does it matter for ebikes? Especially for commuter bikes.
You might like these, the even offer Pinions + belt drive bikes!
https://www.prioritybicycles.com/pages/about-us
[disclaimer] Neither affiliated nor do i own one :(
https://www.prioritybicycles.com/pages/about-us
[disclaimer] Neither affiliated nor do i own one :(
I've got an L-Train from them- the belt drive aspect is great, but it's important to note that the lower pricing comes at a cost: their other components are low-quality, particularly their house-branded hydraulic brakes: They were impossible to get to stop rubbing despite all manner of adjustments- the pistons simply don't retract enough. Ended up just buying some Shimano MT200s. The wheels and tires they ship with are also just barely adequate (the tires clearly came out of a well-used mold).
This mirrors my experience pretty well (although I haven't had any issues with the wheels/tires). The brakes are definitely a little annoying (although with a small amount of messing with the alignment I've gotten mine pretty good). Overall I'm very happy with mine. I'll probably eventually replace the brakes, but it's ~600 cheaper than anything similar I've found from another company (assuming the basically permanent $100 sale).
Yep, the price was definitely right, the cheapest belt-drive bike I could find that wasn't a bikesdirect bike. Aesthetically I gotta say it's a pretty nice-looking bike.
They should start making more low entry bikes (edit: low frame/no high cross bar).
I guess biking is still dominated by guys and by racing. If bike commuting picks up, low entry bikes should outnumber sporty bikes 10:1, I hope.
Edit: they only sell in the US, not in Europe :-(
Edit: those are not commuting bikes :-))) Now, THESE are commuting bikes: https://www.batavus.nl/elektrische-fietsen
I guess biking is still dominated by guys and by racing. If bike commuting picks up, low entry bikes should outnumber sporty bikes 10:1, I hope.
Edit: they only sell in the US, not in Europe :-(
Edit: those are not commuting bikes :-))) Now, THESE are commuting bikes: https://www.batavus.nl/elektrische-fietsen
The market for Pinion bikes with belt drives is driven largely by bikes in Western Europe bought by families that need to transport children and shopping. A second market is people wanting a high-end bikepacking bike for expedition cycling. Those families and bikepackers are usually willing to spend several thousand euro for such a bike, so there is not yet the strong demand for low-entry bikes.
I meant "low entry" as in "easy to get on the bike". Low frame/no high cross bar.
I didn't mean cheap, but I can see how it can be read that way :-)
I didn't mean cheap, but I can see how it can be read that way :-)
IMO the mountain bike frame with a lowered crossbar is a pretty good compromise between stiffness and ease of entry.
Enduro mountain bikes tend to be lower, but they won't be great in the city. They're heavier, less efficient because of the dual suspension and the maxim chain ring size is around 34T (they usually come with only 30T or 32T if you're lucky).
I didn't mean that mountain bikes are good for cities, all I meant was that I feel like there should be more city bikes that draw a relatively straight line between the back wheel and stem (e.g. the trek Marin geometry). it seems like a good cross between a diamond and a step through
I know what you meant, but my point still stands. From what I've seen road bicycles seem to be the tallest, while hardcore mountain bikes tend to the shortest.
For example, looking at medium - large sizes, Trek Marlin 8 Gen 3 [1] has a standover of ~750mm, while Nukeproof Scout [2] has one of just ~710mm.
[1]: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/cros...
[2]: https://nukeproof.com/products/2022-scout-290
For example, looking at medium - large sizes, Trek Marlin 8 Gen 3 [1] has a standover of ~750mm, while Nukeproof Scout [2] has one of just ~710mm.
[1]: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/cros...
[2]: https://nukeproof.com/products/2022-scout-290
I've been watching his videos for a while when I was looking to build a bikepacking bike a few years back. For me, he's very good at what he does, but what he does is just a bit too extreme for what I want.
I get how internal gears are great and reliable and probably a great choice if You need a bike that will carry 30kg of baggage for 20k+ kilometers and won't break. However, I don't plan on doing either of those things.
I'm fairly happy to do my basic yearly maintenance myself (chain / cassette change), if in return I get a system that will cost me way less and has an upgrade tree that's an order of magnitude larger than that of belt drives.
For me, part of the fun in bike building / maintenance is the fact that Your tastes / needs change. And to a good degree, if You stay in the mainstream components, bikes these days are pretty flexible / adaptable to that. In my case, I'd probably struggle with handlebars (I'm a fan of drops, which would probably limit my choice of shifters) and frame geometry (as I age, I'm starting to develop a pretty well honed taste for what size / fit do I want to have in a bike frame).
I get how internal gears are great and reliable and probably a great choice if You need a bike that will carry 30kg of baggage for 20k+ kilometers and won't break. However, I don't plan on doing either of those things.
I'm fairly happy to do my basic yearly maintenance myself (chain / cassette change), if in return I get a system that will cost me way less and has an upgrade tree that's an order of magnitude larger than that of belt drives.
For me, part of the fun in bike building / maintenance is the fact that Your tastes / needs change. And to a good degree, if You stay in the mainstream components, bikes these days are pretty flexible / adaptable to that. In my case, I'd probably struggle with handlebars (I'm a fan of drops, which would probably limit my choice of shifters) and frame geometry (as I age, I'm starting to develop a pretty well honed taste for what size / fit do I want to have in a bike frame).
Amusingly, his channel is probably interesting to a different audience than just bikepackers.
Hard core no fuss commuters that don't ever want to touch or tinker with bike parts.
The things that make a bike work well for 20k km in harsh conditions in Kazakhstan and India also make a bike work well with a child seat in the city during the summer and winter and out grocery shopping, etc.
Hard core no fuss commuters that don't ever want to touch or tinker with bike parts.
The things that make a bike work well for 20k km in harsh conditions in Kazakhstan and India also make a bike work well with a child seat in the city during the summer and winter and out grocery shopping, etc.
sure, that was my idea for a while as well. My problem is that I live in a big city. And bike theft is a real problem.
I would have loved to build me something around a Rohloff gearbox with a belt compatible frame, but that thing would set me back at least 2k EUR / USD. By comparison, my current commuter setup is a combo of two single speed bikes (one light, one with racks for more cargo / shopping capacity), either of which I got used for 50 and 100Eur respectively. And my current bikepacking bike is a 1200EUR steel Kona with some extra components slapped on top. Basically, I've got 3 bikes for 3 diferent uses for a price of that gearbox one.
I would have loved to build me something around a Rohloff gearbox with a belt compatible frame, but that thing would set me back at least 2k EUR / USD. By comparison, my current commuter setup is a combo of two single speed bikes (one light, one with racks for more cargo / shopping capacity), either of which I got used for 50 and 100Eur respectively. And my current bikepacking bike is a 1200EUR steel Kona with some extra components slapped on top. Basically, I've got 3 bikes for 3 diferent uses for a price of that gearbox one.
Yeah, that makes sense. Bike theft really needs to be addressed for bike usage to spike. We need proper, secure, bike parking everywhere. Companies should be incentivized to offer it as a benefit, same thing for malls and other venues.
I think outside of niche applications like extreme weather, fleet delivery or public share e-bikes, internal gear hubs and belts aren’t worth it. The efficiency is noticeable if you switch bikes or ride beside someone with a “normal” bike.
Especially not worth it now that midrange bikes come with disc brakes and 1x10 or 1x12 derailleur drivetrains (no front derailleur) that are reliable, efficient, light and inexpensive. Without a front derailleur adjustment is a cinch and any difficulty or mental load for a casual rider to change gears goes away. Things going slightly out of adjustment and then over time some gear combinations causing your chain to skip or fall off is almost a thing of the past.
And only the drivetrain is lower maintenance. Brakes are the same (unless you also decide you don’t really need effective brakes and go with roller/drum brakes over disc brakes). Maintenance of tires/punctures is much more time consuming.
Especially not worth it now that midrange bikes come with disc brakes and 1x10 or 1x12 derailleur drivetrains (no front derailleur) that are reliable, efficient, light and inexpensive. Without a front derailleur adjustment is a cinch and any difficulty or mental load for a casual rider to change gears goes away. Things going slightly out of adjustment and then over time some gear combinations causing your chain to skip or fall off is almost a thing of the past.
And only the drivetrain is lower maintenance. Brakes are the same (unless you also decide you don’t really need effective brakes and go with roller/drum brakes over disc brakes). Maintenance of tires/punctures is much more time consuming.
Changing gears using a front derailleur is a pain in the ass, but cleaning and lubricating the chain (+casette +chain rings) after every ride in the rain, is not?! When it's not raining, there's also the issue of dust.
You don't need super duper brakes for casual riding, hydraulic disk brakes are good enough without much maintenance, maybe just once per year.
Unless the tires are skinny, they shouldn't puncture very often and replacing them isn't that hard or expensive.
You won't break any speed records with a belt and an internal gearhub, but they aren't that inefficient especially when you don't waste time or money cleaning the traditional drivetrain.
You don't need super duper brakes for casual riding, hydraulic disk brakes are good enough without much maintenance, maybe just once per year.
Unless the tires are skinny, they shouldn't puncture very often and replacing them isn't that hard or expensive.
You won't break any speed records with a belt and an internal gearhub, but they aren't that inefficient especially when you don't waste time or money cleaning the traditional drivetrain.
I guess it depends on your climate and habits. If you ride in the rain a lot, belt drive is a nice feature.
But overall I think the benefits are not worth the extra cost/lack of choice in models, and other demerits.
But overall I think the benefits are not worth the extra cost/lack of choice in models, and other demerits.
it depends what you mean by extreme weather. I use my bike for a daily commute in Boston and I love having a gearbox because even though the winter doesn't get that cold (only a few days below freezing this year), rain and salt and snow and dirt will absolutely get into your chain with a chain bike. The CVTs have a really noticable efficiency loss, but the geared ones (alfine or rohloff) are pretty close to a derailer efficiency. Also for city biking, the ability to shift without pedaling is really nice.
It definitely depends on your definition of extreme weather. I've been more of a "take the train unless the weather is nice" or "cycle unless the weather is bad" person at various stages/places. So I admit I am biased. In my defense I have been shopping for commuter bikes recently and I don't see any compelling options (actually no options from most brands) compared to 1x10 and 1x12 bikes this year. I've also seen noticeable efficiency loss in my old Nexus 7speed bike compared to others and never considered getting another IGH bike after that one.
> $10k steel randonneur bikes
Where is this a thing? I’m fairly familiar with retro-grouch bike brands, and their products cost less than half of that. Today when carbon frames, Rohloff hubs, or Pinion gearboxes are all the rage, and those are very expensive parts that push up the cost of a bike by thousands, retro-grouch steel bikes often seem cheap in comparison. One exception is when the frame is custom-made in a Western country instead of outsourced to Taiwan like most brands, but that still shouldn’t reach $10K.
Where is this a thing? I’m fairly familiar with retro-grouch bike brands, and their products cost less than half of that. Today when carbon frames, Rohloff hubs, or Pinion gearboxes are all the rage, and those are very expensive parts that push up the cost of a bike by thousands, retro-grouch steel bikes often seem cheap in comparison. One exception is when the frame is custom-made in a Western country instead of outsourced to Taiwan like most brands, but that still shouldn’t reach $10K.
It still is. It just hasn’t kept up with the new technology of the bike industry and those vintage parts featured on Sheldon’s site are becoming harder and harder to find and when they are found are just as expensive, if not more expensive, than modern componentry.
For those who are unaware, Sheldon Brown died in 2008.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldon_Brown_(bicycle_mechani...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldon_Brown_(bicycle_mechani...
The site is still being updated:
> Reports of the demise of this Web site are greatly exaggerated! We at sheldonbrown.com thank Harris Cyclery for its support over the years. Harris Cyclery has closed, but we keep going. Keep visiting the site for new and updated articles, and news about possible new affilations.
Also:
https://sheldonbrown.com/blog/
> Reports of the demise of this Web site are greatly exaggerated! We at sheldonbrown.com thank Harris Cyclery for its support over the years. Harris Cyclery has closed, but we keep going. Keep visiting the site for new and updated articles, and news about possible new affilations.
Also:
https://sheldonbrown.com/blog/
It's still the main resource for fixed gear cyclists since that stuff hasn't changed at all really. Fixed is a small but very active bike niche and because of the mechanical simplicity most people handle their own maintenance work.
I would bet that most active fixed riders have recent practical exposure to SB because of it, I hear him mentioned regularly IRL. I know a 22-year-old with his face tattooed on his calf lol.
I would bet that most active fixed riders have recent practical exposure to SB because of it, I hear him mentioned regularly IRL. I know a 22-year-old with his face tattooed on his calf lol.
Where are you from? I’m jealous of your cycling community.
> his face tattooed on his calf
Best cycling tattoo I’ve ever heard of
> his face tattooed on his calf
Best cycling tattoo I’ve ever heard of
I'm not from here but this is south side chicago. Very active fixed gear scene, though also very young. Fun to ride with and they have cool bikes, totally different aesthetics from what fixed meant in earlier eras. Lot of modern geo track bikes with wide riser bars for the street. I've given them a spin tho and it is honestly very fun the kids know what's up.
I go to https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench for bike maintenance Q&A. The responders there are often extremely knowledgeable, although it doesn't have the article structure of Sheldon's site.
I frequent that subreddit as well, but one needs to be very careful to navigate the cargo-cult very very wrong "solutions". Some of these sound right on their face, and thus get parroted, but don't really work out.
Any examples come to mind? This is true of most Internet communities but I've actually found that one to have more informed opinions than usual.
Overall I agree, and usually the right answer will filter to the top, but not always. Here's some of the main groupthink pet peeve ones off the top of my head:
- Gorilla Tape for tubeless. Reality is that it's porous and absorbent and the adhesive is hard to remove, and can pull the cosmetic layer off carbon rims. It works, but with all sorts of bad side effects. Standard tubeless (polypropylene strapping) tape applied properly rim wall to rim wall works far better.
- A screwdriver is just fine for removing a crown race from a fork. (This almost always mars the fork, and while on a cartridge bearing fork this is mostly cosmetic, it can do damage and is bad looking. Shows lack of attention to detail.)
- Contaminated disc brake pads can be cleaned to like-new by applying heat. I've never once seen nor heard of this actually working long-term. It's always a "well, it might work" that turns up negative. And the outgassing of burning off break fluid isn't good to be around.
Then the litany of "how's this dent in my frame?" with the inevitable and loud "it's metal it can dent and be fine".
- Gorilla Tape for tubeless. Reality is that it's porous and absorbent and the adhesive is hard to remove, and can pull the cosmetic layer off carbon rims. It works, but with all sorts of bad side effects. Standard tubeless (polypropylene strapping) tape applied properly rim wall to rim wall works far better.
- A screwdriver is just fine for removing a crown race from a fork. (This almost always mars the fork, and while on a cartridge bearing fork this is mostly cosmetic, it can do damage and is bad looking. Shows lack of attention to detail.)
- Contaminated disc brake pads can be cleaned to like-new by applying heat. I've never once seen nor heard of this actually working long-term. It's always a "well, it might work" that turns up negative. And the outgassing of burning off break fluid isn't good to be around.
Then the litany of "how's this dent in my frame?" with the inevitable and loud "it's metal it can dent and be fine".
When I began building bikes 10 years ago, Sheldon's site was already like an old book in the library.
It was a reference for older topics, such as recently when I needed to understand the internal workings of a Sturmey Archer hub to fix one.
However, it hasn't been of much help for the new developments from the past 15 years since his passing.
While less organized and sometimes messy, YouTube and many other sites can answer any bike mechanic question. Even ChatGPT generally provides good answers
It was a reference for older topics, such as recently when I needed to understand the internal workings of a Sturmey Archer hub to fix one.
However, it hasn't been of much help for the new developments from the past 15 years since his passing.
While less organized and sometimes messy, YouTube and many other sites can answer any bike mechanic question. Even ChatGPT generally provides good answers
yeah, same here. I do have one cheap French threaded BB bike and another 20+y old road bike with Shimano 600, so I'm a regular visitor of Sheldon's. But for anything 10y old and less, it's straight to Park Tool's Youtube channel to admire Calvin Jones' moustache wax. However, even Park Tool doesn't have the sheer volume of reference data and simple tables of measurements that Sheldon has gathered over the years.
The people who run the site now are adding new material to it. I built a new bike this year and actually found a lot of useful info for modern components on the site. Maybe our bike types don't overlap much, but I've personally found it useful still.
It’s still my goto, but there’s a ton a new bike tech that’s come about since, e-shifters, disc brakes, bottom bracket standards. Things keep changing…
I really wish they would give up the ads and ask the community for support, I find it difficult to believe that they could not find funding for the site with all the various organizations out there in the bike community who just throw money at such things. A few years ago I could not take the ads on the site any longer and had to enable the ad block, quick look at a random page on the site (canti brake geometry) and ad block reports 30 ads blocked, a little ridiculous. I would pay for an ad free option. Perhaps they will start seeking alternative means now that Harris has closed down. Fantastic site and an invaluable resource to me over the years.
Wow, the ads are new. Back when I used this site it was a delightfully clunky 1990s hyperlink encyclopaedia. I learned an incredible amount about threading sizes
I think I t was in part sponsored by Harris bike store which is no longer a going concern.
Sheldon’s Brown widow I think runs the site now. Prof Fell who taught one of my grad school CS classes.
Sheldon’s Brown widow I think runs the site now. Prof Fell who taught one of my grad school CS classes.
It's mostly (all?) static content.
This should be cheap and easy to host behind a CDN like Cloudflare.
This should be cheap and easy to host behind a CDN like Cloudflare.
Who's "they"?
The bottom of each page has a "Last updated" timestamp (recent) by Harriet Fell. I think this is she: https://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/fell . Perhaps Sheldon's surviving spouse?
The bottom of each page has a "Last updated" timestamp (recent) by Harriet Fell. I think this is she: https://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/fell . Perhaps Sheldon's surviving spouse?
On same pages, the person mentioned is John Allen while on others it says Harriet Fell. I’m not sure I’d trust this footer to be accurate as the “Last Updated” time-stamp is generated server-side to reflect the current time.
Well done on finding Harriet’s own home page. I really like the no-frills, non-fussy presentation style.
Well done on finding Harriet’s own home page. I really like the no-frills, non-fussy presentation style.
Yeah the ads have gotten insane. The site didn’t used to be like this. Now I get dedicated ad-pages when I click a link, and I have to click through to continue to the page I was trying to get to. That’s… excessive.
A banner ad at the top of each page should be more than enough to fund a static site like this (with extra for the authors efforts).
A banner ad at the top of each page should be more than enough to fund a static site like this (with extra for the authors efforts).
I got a popup ad when I clicked a link.
After I dismissed that ad and was actually taken to the link I clicked, the top of the page had a creepy anime dating sim ad that seemed barely SFW.
Another page had four banner ads.
After I dismissed that ad and was actually taken to the link I clicked, the top of the page had a creepy anime dating sim ad that seemed barely SFW.
Another page had four banner ads.
+1
Surely just a small handful of folks donating a few bucks through patreon or whatever, could keep the site ticking over with no ads.
Surely just a small handful of folks donating a few bucks through patreon or whatever, could keep the site ticking over with no ads.
If you tried running anything on user donations, you would see that users are not that generous.
My website has generated quite a bit of goodwill in my community. It saves people considerable stress.
Donations make up less than a percent of my income. About one in ten or twenty thousand visitors donates. It does not cover my grocery bill. Even readers I personally advise rarely donate.
My website has generated quite a bit of goodwill in my community. It saves people considerable stress.
Donations make up less than a percent of my income. About one in ten or twenty thousand visitors donates. It does not cover my grocery bill. Even readers I personally advise rarely donate.
Tbf for a static website without crazy levels of traffic, a weeks worth of groceries is probably more than hosting costs for a year.
It may be more than the _hosting_ cost, but what about the labour in actually generating that insight or maintaining and updating the content. Or what about recompense for, you know, providing such value in the first place?
'The bare minimum hosting cost' is a pretty poor bar for informational content.
'The bare minimum hosting cost' is a pretty poor bar for informational content.
In the case of the Sheldon Brown website, the creator died 15 years ago. This is merely an archive of his work since no updates have been made since then.
John Allen has been updating the website since 2010. It seems like most people think the site should have been left alone, though.
Ah. I had no idea.
I wonder what Sheldon would have wanted. I was always under the impression that he saw it as a community service. Despite working at a bike shop he never seemed to push parts sales in his writings.
I wonder what Sheldon would have wanted. I was always under the impression that he saw it as a community service. Despite working at a bike shop he never seemed to push parts sales in his writings.
I took the parent's comment to be about recovering costs of operation, not supporting oneself.
I think its entirely possible to recover the costs of a hobby that does public good through donations. Making a reasonable wage (especially by software dev standards) is another matter entirely.
I think its entirely possible to recover the costs of a hobby that does public good through donations. Making a reasonable wage (especially by software dev standards) is another matter entirely.
The website costs 10€ a month to keep alive. Unfortunately its author also needs to be kept alive.
the author has been dead for 15 years, though others have shared that some updates have been done over the years
I'm sure that I'm not the only person in this thread, who spent many hours absorbing content from this free resource as a cash-strapped cyclist back in the day, and who now makes enough money in an hour or two to run this site for a year.
Donations seem to do fine for my local makerspace, and local cycling advocacy group. Maybe this site, which for a lot of people would amount to an online memorial, is somehow different?
Donations seem to do fine for my local makerspace, and local cycling advocacy group. Maybe this site, which for a lot of people would amount to an online memorial, is somehow different?
Everyone likes to say they’d contribute - but the percentage of people who are actually willing to put there hands in their pockets is minuscule.
I have some insight into this and it's not good. Quite a while back I supported a charitable drive for a good cause on a well known site (you'll have heard of it).
So, total donations were by about 20 people who really funded all of it, the total take for that was distinctly under £1000. At the time that site had between 2 and 4 million views a month. tl;dr few people will consider paying, far fewer will actually pay, even when it benefits them in the long term.
What really upset me about that is if everyone who looked at that charitable request and had simply coughed up £1, and most of them could (sometimes you can't; I've been in that position so I understand) a real difference could have been made.
If a charitable health-based cause pulls in so little cash, even fewer people will donate just to keep a site running.
So, total donations were by about 20 people who really funded all of it, the total take for that was distinctly under £1000. At the time that site had between 2 and 4 million views a month. tl;dr few people will consider paying, far fewer will actually pay, even when it benefits them in the long term.
What really upset me about that is if everyone who looked at that charitable request and had simply coughed up £1, and most of them could (sometimes you can't; I've been in that position so I understand) a real difference could have been made.
If a charitable health-based cause pulls in so little cash, even fewer people will donate just to keep a site running.
I have just visited the site, and I did not see any ads. But then I have uBlock installed in my Firefox.
Use web.archive.org to find a version of this site from before Sheldon Brown died circa 2009. The new guy seems pleasant, but he doesn’t know his shit the way Mr Brown did
Edit:
https://web.archive.org/web/20080913084945/http://www.sheldo...
Edit:
https://web.archive.org/web/20080913084945/http://www.sheldo...
I recently built my first wheel from scratch. Everything I needed to know was collected on this fantastic page on wheel building https://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
> Learning to build wheels is an important milestone in the education of an apprentice mechanic. A "mechanic" who has not mastered this basic skill cannot be considered to be a fully-qualified professional, and will always feel inferior to those who can list wheelbuilding among their skills.
> Learning to build wheels is an important milestone in the education of an apprentice mechanic. A "mechanic" who has not mastered this basic skill cannot be considered to be a fully-qualified professional, and will always feel inferior to those who can list wheelbuilding among their skills.
Another great resource for that is "The Bicycle Wheel" by Jobst Brandt. Oops. I guess it's out of print as copies on Amazon are going for $35 and up. My local library should have a copy as I managed to buy two and IIRC I donated one.
Not to take anything away from Sheldon Brown. I've spent plenty of time on his site. And of course Brown has a page about Brandt: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/
Not to take anything away from Sheldon Brown. I've spent plenty of time on his site. And of course Brown has a page about Brandt: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/
IMO the Wheelpro [1] book is far better for actually building a wheel. Brandt's book is great, but it's more an engineering textbook explaining why the (generally) strongest wheel is three-cross with butted (swaged) spokes and how spoke tying is irrelevant.
A lot of Brandt's conclusions aren't as relevant in the modern world of carbon fiber rims, which are so stiff that all sorts of interesting things can be done with regards to spoke count.
(For those that aren't aware, carbon rims are so stiff they don't really get trued. They need to be centered so there's no wobble/runout, but tensioning an individual spoke, or even a few near each other, won't create a hop like it does on a flexible metal rim. So building a carbon wheel is more an exercise in evenly bringing up tension while maintaining proper dish and horizontal and lateral centering, but they don't get trued in the traditional sense.)
[1] https://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php
A lot of Brandt's conclusions aren't as relevant in the modern world of carbon fiber rims, which are so stiff that all sorts of interesting things can be done with regards to spoke count.
(For those that aren't aware, carbon rims are so stiff they don't really get trued. They need to be centered so there's no wobble/runout, but tensioning an individual spoke, or even a few near each other, won't create a hop like it does on a flexible metal rim. So building a carbon wheel is more an exercise in evenly bringing up tension while maintaining proper dish and horizontal and lateral centering, but they don't get trued in the traditional sense.)
[1] https://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php
Library staff seem to prefer selling all books that are donated to them. Are there exceptions to this?
A librarian friend explained to me that books they distribute need generally need some extra tagging, bar coding, perhaps cover wrapping to make them more durable, etc. Libraries also curate their collections because they only have so much shelf space.
For a library the money from selling donated books is more valuable than a bunch of (more often than not) filler that'd need to be prepped for loaning (the barcoding, etc) and sorting through to see if they are worth adding to the collection. That money can then be used for books or other library programming.
(Not to mention the awful state some donated books are in... Missing pages, all sorts of things inside of them... Porn stored inside... Wrong covers because of people pulling things... Imagine having to flip through every book to check them out prior to doing all the other prep. It's far simpler to acquire the books from known sources.)
For a library the money from selling donated books is more valuable than a bunch of (more often than not) filler that'd need to be prepped for loaning (the barcoding, etc) and sorting through to see if they are worth adding to the collection. That money can then be used for books or other library programming.
(Not to mention the awful state some donated books are in... Missing pages, all sorts of things inside of them... Porn stored inside... Wrong covers because of people pulling things... Imagine having to flip through every book to check them out prior to doing all the other prep. It's far simpler to acquire the books from known sources.)
The one on cleaning chains is my (scary) favorite: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html
I grew more and more perplexed until I got to the bottom and read the disclaimer.
Real winners ride POWerwheels:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/power-wheel.html
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/power-wheel.html
The dent removal page is invaluable, even for modern carbon fibre frames
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/dent-removal.html
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/dent-removal.html
If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well
Is this the warning on fixed gear chains? Warning received, I'm not clicking on that again.
I love this website - such a great repository of knowledge that presumably would've been lost to time otherwise. Although I don't remember there being so many ads last time I visited the site.
His wife, Harriet Fell, was one of my Computer Science professors at Northeastern. I really regret that I never took the time to talk to her about Sheldon. It always crossed my mind but never seemed like the right time.
His wife, Harriet Fell, was one of my Computer Science professors at Northeastern. I really regret that I never took the time to talk to her about Sheldon. It always crossed my mind but never seemed like the right time.
The place where I learned that a 26 x 1.75 tyre is a different size to a 26 x 1 3/4 tyre.
Like many others I learned to build wheels from this site. It was considered the Bible of bike things by many in the community.
Sheldon Brown was a huge inspiration for me in life and work, despite not being a bike mechanic myself. I love his iconoclastic courage, humor, depth, and meticulousness, as well as the grace and humor he had about his old age and poor health.
Not many people realize how controversial much of his advice and ideas were when he wrote these. He was such a big influence that his once controversial ideas on things like safe (vehicular) cycling technique, tire tread, fixed gear bikes, cadence, and chain lubrication were one heresy- just suggesting these things to other cyclists could inspire intense rage, but everyone pretty much accepts them now.
Not many people realize how controversial much of his advice and ideas were when he wrote these. He was such a big influence that his once controversial ideas on things like safe (vehicular) cycling technique, tire tread, fixed gear bikes, cadence, and chain lubrication were one heresy- just suggesting these things to other cyclists could inspire intense rage, but everyone pretty much accepts them now.
I love Sheldon Brown’s site. If you’re into motorcycles this website is also gold: http://www.dansmc.com/mc_repaircourse.htm
He is responsible for getting me interested in track/fixed gear bikes and using them as daily beaters years ago, very minimal maintenance. I still ride road and cross on the weekends, though.
What a wonderful and pure example of the early web! Brown just put this stuff out there because it was helpful to people, and the web made that easy to do.
I miss that version of the Internet.
I miss that version of the Internet.
Got a lot of use out of his site over the years. What's nice about it is that he's so friendly. I get mixed vibes from various bike communities though.
I always enjoy the folks in bike shops in the cities I live in. I'm definitely not in their 'scene,' but they're super passionate about bikes and cycling as a primary mode of transportation and really want to get as many people on board as possible. I've heard people accuse them of being elitist or whatever, but even in the most notoriously hipster spots, I've always found them just as happy to fix up some kid's beat up used Walmart Schwinn as they are troubleshooting some alignment problem on someone's custom fixie.
That's feels very different to me than the parts of the more "serious" long-distance/touring/sports cyclist crowd I've been exposed to. The folks I've known in person that don lycra and speed down pretty country roads didn't seem unusual, but in groups, they seem like one of the most gatekeep-y, Mean Girls crowds I've encountered. Better have the 'approved' goals, gear, practices and perspectives if you want to sit with them at lunch. Practical transportation cyclists should keep walking, unless they're doing it in full racing gear with clips, wrap-around shades and a helmet that looks like a heavier duty version of what they wore in tron. If you're not cycling hard enough to need a shower once you get to work, you're not really cycling.
Maybe it's a tiny vocal minority? Maybe they're people that are "online only" enthusiasts trying to be cool? I dunno... but it just seems very punitively conformist.
I always enjoy the folks in bike shops in the cities I live in. I'm definitely not in their 'scene,' but they're super passionate about bikes and cycling as a primary mode of transportation and really want to get as many people on board as possible. I've heard people accuse them of being elitist or whatever, but even in the most notoriously hipster spots, I've always found them just as happy to fix up some kid's beat up used Walmart Schwinn as they are troubleshooting some alignment problem on someone's custom fixie.
That's feels very different to me than the parts of the more "serious" long-distance/touring/sports cyclist crowd I've been exposed to. The folks I've known in person that don lycra and speed down pretty country roads didn't seem unusual, but in groups, they seem like one of the most gatekeep-y, Mean Girls crowds I've encountered. Better have the 'approved' goals, gear, practices and perspectives if you want to sit with them at lunch. Practical transportation cyclists should keep walking, unless they're doing it in full racing gear with clips, wrap-around shades and a helmet that looks like a heavier duty version of what they wore in tron. If you're not cycling hard enough to need a shower once you get to work, you're not really cycling.
Maybe it's a tiny vocal minority? Maybe they're people that are "online only" enthusiasts trying to be cool? I dunno... but it just seems very punitively conformist.
There's a big old rules list[0], which I can never tell is satirical or not, that those road bike racers adhere to.
0: https://www.velominati.com/
0: https://www.velominati.com/
Like any good trolling site, a mix of both. See Poe's Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law
I was just on this this weekend (reading up of disc breaks). Obviously, the content can be out-dated, but that's not why I keep coming back. Something about the clarity of Sheldon's writing :) plus a lot of the content provide foundational information.
Anyway, I was also thinking perhaps I could help modernize the website itself in my spare time. If anyone is interested dm me.
Anyway, I was also thinking perhaps I could help modernize the website itself in my spare time. If anyone is interested dm me.
This is one of those sites that I simply loved. And it is also very much the way I think the web should work.
I built my first bike—a fixie—using Sheldon’s site in 2005.
I love sites like this. Sheldon’s site is great.
I’m more of a runner nowadays, and this site is like Sheldon’s but for runners https://fellrnr.com/wiki/Main_Page
I’m more of a runner nowadays, and this site is like Sheldon’s but for runners https://fellrnr.com/wiki/Main_Page
oh damn. The article on cutting up shoes toeboxes still scarily hangs at the back of my mind somewhere
Ken Rockwell for bicycles - but good?
"but good"? Have I missed something? I still occasionally use Rockwell as a bit of a reference (even if slightly dated).
So have I. But when he gives tips like "just turn your white balance nice and yellow for warm pictures" its functional but not very adept. Other than that I strongly suspect that some of the gear reviews has been done with having said equipment.
He gives advice like "no one uses a tripod anymore" then a few months later a glowing review of a tripod appears. What should you make of that?
IMO that's just a change in taste. IT happened to me as well on more than one occasion when You try something new, or just something You haven't bothered to re-try for a few years.
For me, Rockwell is basically an encyclopedia of practical data on lenses (I don't even use him much for camera bodies). Same as Sheldon's site is an encyclopedia of data on bikes. I use them both when I want to figure out how big / heavy / compatible with X something is. Much as I wouldn't bother trying to look up "is X good for me" on Sheldon's site, I wouldn't do so at Rockwell either.
For me, Rockwell is basically an encyclopedia of practical data on lenses (I don't even use him much for camera bodies). Same as Sheldon's site is an encyclopedia of data on bikes. I use them both when I want to figure out how big / heavy / compatible with X something is. Much as I wouldn't bother trying to look up "is X good for me" on Sheldon's site, I wouldn't do so at Rockwell either.
I've been building up a vintage Fuji and have been using Sheldon's site to find data on old standards. It's been incredibly useful. On a similar note I've also used https://www.disraeligears.co.uk/site/home.html to look up derailleur specifics there is a lot of info there.
Somewhat surprisingly, despite five earlier submissions over the years, no discussion:
<https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Sheldon%20Brown%27s%20Bicycle%...>
<https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Sheldon%20Brown%27s%20Bicycle%...>
I'm sad to hear that not only the man himself but Harris Cyclery passed sometime in the middle of COVID. For the younger folks, it's hard to appreciate how influential his kludgey-looking website was. Pre-YouTube it was the go-to source for bike repair info, and was likely the catalyst for the fixed-gear craze of the early 2010s.
This site was invaluable for maintaining my early '70s Peugeot bike. It always had the right measurements, and great practical ideas for solving problems. For example, because my frame spacing was too narrow for modern wheels, I decided to have a shop bend it ('cold set') to the right size. Without this site I never would have thought of it.
If you’re German speaking:
https://wikipedalia.com
They try to preserve and extend the knowledge there.
Thanks to Sheldon Brown I’ve learned how important it is to place the front derailleur as low and far at front as possible. Reduces or eliminates the need for trimming (Trim-Position) and provides better shifting.
https://wikipedalia.com
They try to preserve and extend the knowledge there.
Thanks to Sheldon Brown I’ve learned how important it is to place the front derailleur as low and far at front as possible. Reduces or eliminates the need for trimming (Trim-Position) and provides better shifting.
Amazingly useful resource even today. Because bikes are timeless, a vintage model might only be serviceable with the help of an experienced mechanic or Sheldon Brown’s site. I’m exaggerating since there clearly are other fora of knowledge and advice, but how did those contributors learn? Many roads lead back to Sheldon Brown’s site.
One of the best resources on cycling technical and practical knowledge. Without hesitation, as a former pro mechanic the shop i worked in referenced him often and for some of the trickier stuff too. Even as the industry now is getting more advanced with a bunch of new standards the site remains valuable.
I really like this german channel for bike repairs: https://www.youtube.com/@nlz.fahrrad
It also shows tricks to improvise if you don't have all the tools. Doesn't upload that often though.
I used to use his site a lot, never noticed the spoke horizontal rules, very nice.
Legend. I like watching the park tools videos w Calvin Jones https://youtu.be/3UuWAtEs3WI
I find it odd that it's called a "disk" brake but the one part that most resembles a disk is called a "rotor".
The OG... the master.