Our hearts go out to his family. One of the iconic innovators of wheel aerodynamics.

That sucks. I've always admired Steve. Condolences to Anne and family.

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Suffer Well.

It is true. Dan will write up a story, as Anne saw him the best person to do so (he and Steve had been friends for many, many years). Steve had an unexpected cardiac event after work late last week, underwent CPR, and paramedics were able to get his heart going again. He was hospitalized and put on life support as tests were performed. It was determined that the brain damage was bad enough that he would not survive without life support. He passed away this morning.

Greg

I just happened to be here when Dan got the call, really sad news. Steve, Dan, and I go all the way back to day 1 in triathlon. He was right there innovating, while we were all racing. He was a very mild mannered guy who just trusted and was willing to help anyone. He reveled in the prospects of making things better and faster, and he did just that since his first disc wheel in the early 80's. We were a bunch of traveling hobos back in those early days, but there was just no way it could have been more fun for us all.

I only got to see Steve every once in awhile at this or that function, but he was always his cheerful and inquisitive self. I will miss him dearly, and there is a big hole in the sport from his loss.. )-;

Thanks for the update Greg. I have another good friend who goes way back with Dan and Steve. Quite an innovator, and from all accounts, an awesome guy. Kind of scary when guys my age are dropping.... A very big loss for the cycling community.

Steve was a great guy. He was creative, passionate and nice.

Very sorry to hear this.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I had the pleasure of meeting Steve at my very first Interbike. Really nice guy. Sad Day.

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This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time. - Fight Club
Industry Brat.

Thanks, Gary.

This is sad news. Steve was a true innovator in cycling and triathlon. Always thinking. Always pushing the product envelope.

He was one of those people that always seemed to have time for everyone.

Condolences to Anne, the family and the team at HED.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Oh no...I met Steve at my first Interbike. I went on the last day of the show when everyone was surely tired of talking up their products. Steve was very approachable and was happy to share stories and educate. Bummer...

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http://www.triandcatchme.com
https://twitter.com/kevintaddonio

Thanks Steve. Nice to see how tight the cycling community is. Just talked to my buddy who has known Steve since the beginning....I always think of that first circle of innovators who formed our sport....the Dans, the Steves, and so many more who had such an impact in those formative years. I forget all of the names until something sad like this happens, so I want to say thanks to all of them....including you Fleck, who give so much of yourselves for us to play....

That is really sad news. I always admired him for making very good products and especially for keeping his own course with his company.

My thoughts go out to his family

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Owner at TRIPRO, The Netherlands

Very sad to read this.

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Mat Steinmetz

51-SPEEDSHOP.com - instagram - @matsteinmetz - facebook

Very Sad news. Steve was a legend in our industry. I had just seen Steve a few months ago at Interbike. Prayers go out to his family.

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Keith Simmons
OWNER
XTERRA WETSUITS

Dreadful news.

He has certainly left an indelible mark on the sports of cycling and triathlon

Gerry (owner of 4 Hed wheels)

Wow, such terrible news. Back in 1992, when I was buying my first deep dish wheels, Steve picked up the phone when I called the 1-800 number in Triathlon Today (Lew Kidder's publication) and talked to me and had wheels fedex'd to me for the weekend's race. Very sad news.

My condolences to Steve's family and friends. A terrible loss for the cycling and multisport communities. I'll never forget Steve's personal help to me when I had wheel problems in Kona.

"I'll never forget Steve's personal help to me when I had wheel problems in Kona."

for years steve spent a ton of his money at kona saving the races of people who went to the island with a dream of finishing. the amount of money and time steve graciously and selflessly spent saving races, building careers, caring for athletes post-career, and helping his strategic partners - me included - will never be known.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I never met him, but I bought some base bars with S-bend extensions from HED online. I wasn't sure if one of the brake handles was functioning right or not (seemed a bit sticky). In stead of a runaround trying to figure it out, he just said "I'll send new bars out today and a box that you can return the other one in." I always felt from that minimal interaction that he was a good guy.

What a horrible loss. Not only an innovator and so passionate about cycling but generous too - helping many young athletes. Good thoughts to Anne and the entire Hed family.

Ian

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Ian Murray
http://www.TriathlonTrainingSeries.com
I like the pursuit of mastery
Twitter - @TriCoachIan

Thanks Dan. Here's another report:

"No doubt the loyalty shown Steve Hed flows from the loyalty he exhibited first," the company said. "Stories have been told for decades of Mr. Hed quietly continuing to send stipend checks to athletes for years after those athletes retired, well after they could provide any benefit back to the company."


an amazing and loyal man...

Life seems unfair at times and this is one of them. Steve and I worked on many projects together and he was always selfless in his desire to help people. A great pioneer and a great friend for many people.

so sorry to hear that...one of the main pioneers and perpetual innovators in cycling. so many good ideas.

he was one of the first guys making stuff tri specific and I remember HED sponsoring athletes like 18 year old cam brown when triathlon and duathlon was beginning to take off in new zealand. most people were racing on road bikes but companies like hed and quintana roo came out with all this futuristic NASA looking bike stuff and it was really one factor that got me excited about triathlon

while the tri equipment was radical at the time it slowly crossed over to the pro peloton and became staples which was showed that guys like him knew a good idea when they saw one

his passion for the best equipment and perennial development was so synonymous with cycling that its really strange to think he isn't here to push that envelope any more. rest in peace.

yes. i wrote that. i know who some of those athletes are. triathletes. this man really was one of a kind, and annie let him express his generosity.

one thing i don't know or don't remember, maybe we'll hear more (i don't know), is that way before everything that was to transpire, way before the grand tour wins, when lance was sick with cancer, and thereafter when he was dropped by cofidis, before anyone knew that the phoenix would rise from the ashes, the loyalty and generosity from HED kept flowing. i think that's why the loyalty from lance flowed back in the other direction.

there were so many ways, big and small, that steve hed's generosity was evident and that always happened in secret. whether or not you believe in the afterlife, or the christian afterlife, it is at least a great coincidence if not a predetermined choice that whenever i think of the actual words spoken in the gospels - take care not to do your good deeds publicly or before men, in order to be seen by them - this man was walking that.

a lot of people in this industry are jock sniffers. the thing about steve, way after you jock stopped being sniff-worthy, when you were of no use to him whatsoever, he did not forget you. if you were to ask him why he helped certain people, the answer you would likely get is, "because he needed it." steve always helped based on need, rather than the return on invested help.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman