[CR]Eugene Sloan passes away

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme)

Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 12:17:33 -0500 (CDT)
From: <kurtsj@mtco.com>
To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Eugene Sloan passes away

hi gang,

As a kid, during the bike boom, I received a lot of my cycling education from the book "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene Sloan. This was where I learned to do mainenance, including building wheels. Living in a small midwest town, this book had a very large influence on me.

I was saddened to see the obituary for Eugene Sloan in today's edition of the Chicago Tribune. (see below). His work certainly influenced many of the CR members, and I'll always be grateful for his work.

regards,

Steve Kurt Peoria, IL

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/obituaries/chi-hed_sloaneapr01,0,7770360.story chicagotribune.com

Eugene A. Sloane 1916 ~ 2008

His passion for cycling led to best-selling book Longtime resident of Evanston 'found a market waiting to happen,' son says

By Trevor Jensen Tribune reporter April 1, 2008

Eugene A. Sloane took up bicycling in middle age to get in shape and then turned his exercise into a second career with "The Complete Book of Bicycling," which was published just as bikes were booming in popularity.

Mr. Sloane, 91, died of complications from pneumonia on Saturday, March 29, at Manorcare Health Services in Wilmette, said his son Nick. He was a longtime resident of Evanston.

"The Complete Book of Bicycling" came out in 1970. Covering everything from how to buy a bicycle to detailed explanations on maintenance and repair, it filled a void and caught on quickly with an American public just starting to embrace bikes in large numbers.

"He found a market waiting to happen," his son said. "When he sat down to write the book, he had zero expectations. You still didn't see a lot of people out on their 10-speeds."

The book went through multiple editions and allowed Mr. Sloane to leave his job in public relations at the Midwest Stock Exchange. He followed up with "Sloane's Handy Pocket Guide to Bicycle Repair" and "Sloane's Complete Book of All-Terrain Bicycles."

The books were researched in the basement of Mr. Sloane's home, where he disassembled bikes and did the repairs that were laid out, step-by-step, in his book. Although mechanically inclined, he wasn't especially patient, and his workshop was often filled with loud invective as he struggled to assemble scattered parts, his son said.

Mr. Sloane also became an expert on bicycle accidents who was frequently called to testify in court cases, said his son Todd.

A native of the East Coast, Mr. Sloane graduated from Morton High School in Cicero. From a young age, he was curious about machines and other devices, taking apart radios and car engines for fun.

He served two years in the Navy before World War II and worked as a civilian in the Signal Corps during the war, his son said. A long and well-traveled career in public relations followed, with stops in La Crosse, Wis., St. Paul, Milwaukee and Detroit.

Mr. Sloane had many interests that, at their zenith, became close to obsessions, his sons said. At various times, his world revolved around sailing, motorcycling and photography.

Mr. Sloane took up bicycling in the mid-1960s aboard a heavy three-speed bicycle. He rode it to work through the winter, wearing a pair of battery-powered heated socks.

During a business trip to New York in the late 1960s, he heard that Simon & Schuster was looking for someone to write a book on bicycling. He promptly went to the publisher's office and got himself hired.

Mr. Sloane traveled extensively, rode a bike all over Europe and continued to take regular rides on the Green Bay Trail through the north suburbs into his 80s, often with a group of friends.

"He was a world-class extrovert. He loved to tell stories and tall tales," his son Todd said.

Mr. Sloane is also survived by his wife, Emily; a third son, Peter; a brother, Joseph Arnold; a sister, Peggy Poulton; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be private.

ttjensen@tribune.com

Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune