The Force who Rode
Jobst Brandt; the legendary rider, mentor, theorist, and engineer; died yesterday May 5, 2015. Many around the world and, particularly, on the San Francisco Mid-Peninsula are now reflecting on the incredible influence he had on us all, while living a cycling-centric life without compromise.
Jobst 2004, Bike Cult Archives
Ray Hosler, journalist formerly with the SF Chronicle, comes closest to anyone for sustaining a personal yet detached and lengthy relationship with Jobst. Here he offers us elegant and accurate retrospection. Thanks, Ray.
I worked under Jobst’ influence for 25 years. Palo Alto was such a small place in the ’70’s and ’80’s. He was generous with his advice and disapproval through at least four channels.
First, two local bicycle businesses were each within a few blocks of his home and en route to his day job at HP. The Hoffacker brothers (Palo Alto Bike Shop and Avocet) developed many commercial projects with him, tires, cycle computers, etc. Wheelsmith (Jon and I) focused more on deciphering the tensioned wheel structure. We picked apart each others ideas to move our mutual understanding forward.
Second, he cultivated an extended group of like-minded riders who met on weekends for epic tours of the region and on Wednesday evenings for peanuts and tire patching.
Third, he was a relentless, fearless contributor to rec.bicycles.tech. Over the years, many of his exchanges form a bulwark of our general understanding of bicycle function and design.
Fourth, his master-work, The Bicycle Wheel, a careful, organized treatment of the tensioned wire wheel has no peer in the subject.
Ah, the remarkable world of ’70’s and ’80’s Palo Alto. The Midpeninsula, in that time, was closely related to SF. We shared one area code (415, SF and San Mateo County), and a remoteness from the rest of the Bay Area. This little world offered so much glorious riding and modest size to encourage exchange and friendships. The early computer industry benefited. So did cycling.
As years pass, it begins to resemble a wonderland. Ritchey, Avocet, Rockshox, Wheelsmith, Greg LeMond, much of the 7-11 Team. As seminal for mountain biking as Marin, progress moving south with Phil Wood, Blackburn, Specialized, Bontrager, Giro. A can-do spirit and backdrop of luscious mountains leading to the coast.
Jobst 2005 © Bill Bushnell
Hard to imagine it turning out as it did without Jobst. Immodest, principled, much missed.
Thanks for that Ric.
Thanks Ric.
He was a force. So so lucky to have known Jobst because of you and Jon. I sure do relish my time at the Wheelsmith. Hope you’re doing well.
Best.,
Dan
Thanks. All good up here. Looks like you and your athletes are going pretty fast! Say Hi to Andi.
No matter how much research you do on the tensioned structure known as the bicycle wheel,the first and last name on the subject is…”The Bicycle Wheel”…..
Amen. Just for anecdotal purpose I should now tell part of the book’s story. Initially, Jobst and I agreed there needed to be a book. We agreed to co-author it. Over the course of one year it became unworkable. Now I better understand why. I wanted something more current, more topical. I wanted to mention brands, refer to specific wheel design challenges, reference the wheel’s history. We didn’t differ about withholding opinions/judgements but he was resolute to discuss the subject in the most remote and deattached way. Now, 34 years later, the book has not lost anything. Sure, it lacked some context and immediacy, but consequently it is not aging. I’ll blame it on my youth but The Bicycle Wheel will never become outdated and I did not understand his vision. I would have been happy revising it every few years. He wanted a permanent statement and came pretty damn close. What he and I share with too few in our realm is a passion to demystify. Such people remember their costly/painful/slow path to understanding and want other to benefit from their toil. Plus, when anything is poorly understood, those in the know will manipulate those who are not. It is irresistible to most. Thanks, Shaun.
And Thank You!
I purchased “The Bicycle Wheel” some fifteen odd years ago,from a veteran mechanic;he told me that was all I needed to start my foray into wheelbuilding,and he was,of course,right….
A TRUE artisan shares his/her knowledge freely…
Shaun