Tom Ritchey on Jobst Brandt

[mvrider]

I managed to record most of Tom's talk at NAHBS on my iPhone. I missed the first few minutes, at the tail end of which he said, "Jobst Brandt was not a racer, but led rides that racers feared." The recording starts with an explanation of that remark.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fgqdC6Gm3TLeVmVpUTZqVeFWlaogmRUIhZIZkGeiDQyXd2lQ0r gvjkMZXo2MRSWDnqhDhFVkMb-Y1_C6-K25elx02LMHh1iuaHutsIbiTRzWMOdhGIJ-Py94yQMJ2KqBXnr5xvI8x6fdy2IJ_e9HQGlU-mVNPzSJDWUenl-sI-0GoWmcdn8yGKHuYcHY3D92u_IwujSxWQyuTEQGhpO1vhdczDcc QPF1_UKRW8-dGvHNmkoPfcygKOvUsDtVhctfU70scgBCvDeygwwZ6lmUnglAO ij_WaQ2h7sy15OSLSrHyLng2PpRMDNmVHIaYk_bO8KnsTNrx5f t91vyrLqOxbK-1xDCdB97rkCO1fc55HbSWck5X0rVK9MW2937unQghpeBSWXZ8y JA3pTXkYw0ReTnk2uUK-vd0xvwgyAD0S4M62Ic8ph81nfDiA3w8xnvfbxIIjfWN4dCGr-wBuUdHpvSkviY0aTkrCrDkZZq0XcUw_54-q_PFGMXdRXBt2EoPoi0JivHPsAwRbtD26-si9BFK1uYA4j7LFPHbQJcEEIRD_VAqQmLnHOd4IftZNc=w640-h427-no

Further in, there was a further interruption of a minute or two... sorry. Otherwise, it's a reasonable audio file. Download here. (https://www.dropbox.com/s/793af5b0311sgvm/Tom%20Ritchey%20on%20Jobst%20Brandt%2020160228.mp3 ?dl=0) (~40MB)

Moderators: please let me know if this presents any copyright issues, and I'll remove the file. I'm not well versed on such legal matters.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cNS8-A6Dn-SBl0s2MEEOFEEzKLg3ORRJTCzTn0v8xCUw_Z1OGwA-1e4Yg1g_MFx6ZiGVh7zDCOyX-IhdFSFONBYdLqzyxB3NIbmEbUmPrbyxxsiY_sjjI8D8uqf9EPF 6uV_eIYLhiG1SEnzlmfEJ6-S5GAQjclIUPBijSDCvcFzDhoULXRzYbaQB9sm178A2_5v3PK1K 6WjLgWO4i7a6jJwoLRaZcvpHhDXLSJCYaEmQOr_1cYxCAtcgmI GDdmDHPqa7H9J0eOn7FEvDVqvBNPn4TzYMiiXX8r0fUdmbePtA aLdULZ8pWVhHdrKc5eGGHC7C6dVPFsYgvsvFwZWB7vRvK5G71R F6d9oyVhUmhhUSndNBC0QvYpVRmBBSqsFPq8hJHtHKlz3pF7oF 7wJHHGkRLApFwYvqHjToXJVmYpEQJf2lWnyqw0fSl4e831v8IE sJwRFe4uQcx5Jr-YR_RsaRgQSvyHjZ0464nfsOqmj3IG25-31RAnabbRpyKRJ5Fh1-b_zpCZpUSBVTiNFXPXEgBIaickpbQgJO8hvO_o4CM-HCmevnlEwBe3Rjbz0=w640-h473-no

[Hindmost]

Thanks for posting this!

Holy moly, I just spend 45 minutes of time travel into extreme nostalgia.

Tom's description of cycling during that period and of the SF Bay Area community was dead-on.

"Jobst Rides" were spoken of then with a mix of awe and fear. At the first one that I attended I arrived at Jobst's early, went into the house, and saw what appeared to have been a bike components bomb that had exploded in the living room, dining and kitchen areas. Bike stuff was everywhere. There was a wheel truing stand on the dining room table. I thought, cool!

[dsillito]

Thanks for posting that. Even though I have no personal connection to that era or place, it still resonated.

[fiamme red]

That was a fascinating lecture. Thanks so much for posting it.

[OperaLover]

We don't need no stinkin' gravel bikes!

[rePhil]

Thanks for posting. It is a good listen.

[zacstanley]

thanks for sharing.

[randonneur]

Thanks for sharing this!! I caught Ritchey's talk at the last Sac NAHBS 4 years ago, and it was one of the highlights of my time there. I could listen to that man talk about bikes for weeks, years even...

[sw3759]

really enjoyed that.45mins well spent,many thanks for sharing that and along with your nahbs album.which was outstanding

[tumbler]

That was cool, thanks for sharing.

[F150]

Love it when something amazing happens during the workday! Wonderful listen.

[velomateo]

Really enjoyed this, thanks for sharing.

[MatthewL]

Thanks for posting this. I live in Sunnyvale. I'm not from here, but I feel very privileged to live here both for the incredible riding on the peninsula that Jobst loved and to be surrounded by so much of the US bike industry and it's history, including Tom Ritchey and Jobst Brandt.

I never met Jobst, and I'm in no way the natural athlete that he and Tom seem to be, but as I learned about cycling (while living in the midwest) many of his writings (along with Sheldon Brown's) had a big influence on me and helped me understand cycling from engineering, materials, and failure perspectives.

I had a chance to fondle Jobst's old bike at the Rivendell picnic this past summer, and that was a very cool experience. This talk, however, brought a lot more depth to Jobst and his impact on everything that happened here. Can't wait for the forthcoming book!

For those of you who'd like a fresh dose of Jobst...
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/
http://yarchive.net/bike/

[bironi]

thanks

[Samuel D]

I had a chance to fondle Jobst's old bike at the Rivendell picnic this past summer, and that was a very cool experience. This talk, however, brought a lot more depth to Jobst and his impact on everything that happened here. Can't wait for the forthcoming book!
I also enjoyed this talk by Tom Ritchey. And I’m curious about the book he mentioned. Has anyone got any news about it?

I think it’s a great pity that no-one has yet written a biography of Jobst Brandt. Despite his significant contributions to cycling and fascinating personality he is largely unknown, and I don’t mean on the street but in cycling circles! I know he was a maverick and occasionally seen as a renegade by the industry. But he was a huge inspiration to many cyclists in California and far beyond. I’d like to learn more about him and his thoughts than can be gleaned from trawling the web as I have done for years.

On another forum it was said that Brandt’s bicycle would end up in museum. Since you saw it (or one of them?) at the Rivendell picnic, maybe you know something about that too?

[Hindmost]

Ray is in a position to know about these matters.

https://rayhosler.com

[pbarry]

I also enjoyed this talk by Tom Ritchey. And I’m curious about the book he mentioned. Has anyone got any news about it?

I think it’s a great pity that no-one has yet written a biography of Jobst Brandt. Despite his significant contributions to cycling and fascinating personality he is largely unknown, and I don’t mean on the street but in cycling circles! I know he was a maverick and occasionally seen as a renegade by the industry. But he was a huge inspiration to many cyclists in California and far beyond. I’d like to learn more about him and his thoughts than can be gleaned from trawling the web as I have done for years.

On another forum it was said that Brandt’s bicycle would end up in museum. Since you saw it (or one of them?) at the Rivendell picnic, maybe you know something about that too?

Not in bicycle geekdom. ;) The Bicycle Wheel has had multiple printings in it's three iterations. I would wager JB is a close second to Zinn in bicycle manual sales, after the encyclopedic type books.

To the OP, thanks for the thread!

[CSTRider]

Ray is in a position to know about these matters.

https://rayhosler.com

And Ray has published a book: "Once Upon a Ride: Adventures with Jobst Brandt and friends 1980 - 2007" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074D693FK/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb)

[AngryScientist]

Not sure how i missed this the first time around, but happy to see the audio file still around. will give a listen today.

[oldpotatoe]

Not in bicycle geekdom. ;) The Bicycle Wheel has had multiple printings in it's three iterations. I would wager JB is a close second to Zinn in bicycle manual sales, after the encyclopedic type books.

To the OP, thanks for the thread!

Yes, many thanks..Jobst's 'The Bicycle Wheel' was the 'bible' when I was in bike school, the last few sessions about building wheels. He was a curmudgeon after my own heart..I only got yelled at by Jobst(RIP sir) once:eek:..had many 'conversations' with him over at Google groups, rec.bicycle.tech..

[Samuel D]

Ray is in a position to know about these matters.

https://rayhosler.com

I read Hosler’s blog and once even emailed him to encourage him to write Brandt’s biography since, as you say, he’s in a position to know about the man. He directed me to Mark Eastman’s article on Brandt in Bicycle Quarterly issue 53 (autumn 2015), saying that would cover everything I needed to know about Brandt. I still haven’t managed to read that article, because shipping to France takes the price to well over $30.

Now I hear that Ritchey or his company intended to publish a book, but I see no sign of it years later. I’m starting to wonder if Brandt’s family doesn’t want a biography published for some reason, possibly even that Brandt indicated he didn’t want it. I doubt he would have wanted anyone to fawn over him and slavishly copy his minor choices of equipment, which is always a risk with these things.

All the same, his old acquaintances shouldn’t let him fade away so easily. Where’s his bicycle, at least? This thread on another forum (https://forums.mtbr.com/vintage-retro-classic/rip-jobst-brandt-967743.html) suggests it’s going to a local museum, which sounds like a great idea. But no-one knows anything about that either.

Not in bicycle geekdom. ;) The Bicycle Wheel has had multiple printings in it's three iterations. I would wager JB is a close second to Zinn in bicycle manual sales, after the encyclopedic type books.
Yes, there’s a core of bicycle geeks who still know him and have his book and read his articles on the Sheldon Brown website and even keep a local copy of the old Rec.Bicycles FAQ (http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/part1/index.html) lest the internet falls over. Take that FAQ, though. Half of it was written by Brandt and it contains more bicycle history and engineering knowledge and practical advice than 99% of the magazine-style websites and YouTube videos that have effectively replaced it. It’s a shame no-one reads it any more.

And Ray has published a book: "Once Upon a Ride: Adventures with Jobst Brandt and friends 1980 - 2007" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074D693FK/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb)
Yeah, I have that too.

[…] had many 'conversations' with him over at Google groups, rec.bicycle.tech..
I didn’t have that chance but have enjoyed reading his writings on Google Groups since his death. However, searching that content is difficult.

[ergott]

Thanks for sharing.

Sheepishly learned how to pronounce his name from this. Always respected Brandt's work.

[monkeybanana86]

Not sure how i missed this the first time around, but happy to see the audio file still around. will give a listen today.

Moi aussi.

Thanks for posting!

[Hindmost]

The Marin Museum of Bicycling is local and likely the one that's been referred to recently.

https://mmbhof.org

[Samuel D]

The Marin Museum of Bicycling is local and likely the one that's been referred to recently.

https://mmbhof.org
Thanks. I wrote them a note asking if they had the bicycle or knew where it ended up. I’ll report back with any news.

That looks like a pretty cool place to visit whether or not they have Brandt’s bicycle!