Dunno, but back in the ’60s she was always known for this odd asymmetry. Whatever eases the pain….

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/features/pez-bookshelf-ride-the-revolution-the-inside-stories-from-women-in-cycling/#.VsCDJDZki_U

In late July 1963 I was riding my regular training route around the perimeter road of Richmond Park – west of London, (I was a feisty 15 yr old on my first serious lightweight road bike) when this cyclist just flew past me at astonishing speed. It was Beryl getting some last minute training in before setting off for the UCI world track championship in Belguim – which she won. Quite why she was on the Park road circuit rather than at the track at Herne Hill I never did figure – but it was definitely her. Her pace was blisteringly quick and she was gone in a flash.

THAT is seriously cool!  Those moments when we are in touch with history, even peripherally, seem to stick wth us, eh?  My VMH and I met Sir Edmund Hillary in Nepal in the Spring of 2000 flying into Lukla.  We were on the same small little flight and no one else had recognized him.  I walked up and introduced myself and he was the most amazingly nice and friendly and humble guy.  That moment will stick with me until they pull me off my bike and bury me.

xactly, make them even pink with flowers and up the price with 100%. That’s what Gillette has done..

Ugh, seeing those bare, awful hoods makes me realize how easy we have it today with ergonomic levers, articulated hoods, and a variety of bars to allow the transition that works best for you and your hands.

I’m still thinking that one market segmentation coming is the offering of different sizes of shifters for different sizes of hands.

Yeah, you’d a thunk that SRAM and Shimano would at least do small, medium and large hoods for their shifters, wouldn’t you? Surely it wouldn’t be too difficult to engineer/fabricate. I mean, that’s pure after-sale-marketing opportunity right there..

I’m still thinking that one market segmentation coming is the offering of different sizes of shifters for different sizes of hands.

I like that she rides so exclusively in the drops, that the rest of the bars isn’t even wrapped. Pretty Raleigh Team Professional.

I think it was regulated that bars must have plugs and be taped, but not quite clear on just how much tape. As anyone knows, less tape = mo fasta. I just noticed too that she’s removed the rubber hoods from the brake levers. Who needs them when you’re 100% on the drops? She’s getting that bike as light as possible without resorting to some of the gimmicky drilling that some TT riders (Alf Engers, I’m looking at you) did.

@wilburrox

@ChrisO

One other biographical note of interest…

The sort of competitive urge that drives someone like Beryl Burton is not without a down side.

When her daughter Denise won the national championship in 1976, beating her mother, Beryl refused to shake her hand because she didn’t like the way she had raced.

I guess they made it up because they continued to ride and race together but her daughter said she rarely spoke about her riding and even she learnt things about her mother from her autobiography.

Determination and effort at that level often comes with a personal cost. The guy who just broke Tommy Godwin’s annual mileage record is another example.

There was a kinda sorta relevant article posted re: Lindsey Vonn after she’d knocked off her 37th WC downhill win. Indeed it’s not out of question that kinda laser focused dedication, determination, and commitment can come with sacrifices elsewhere.

I read one article on Vonn a few years back now and she came off as a nutjob. Sounds like she essentially ruined her family, ruined her parents marriage, then married her wacko coach/ski caretaker, which caused a split with her father. And now she’s split with that dude. And…was/is dating a guy who banged women in parking lots and on diner table tops while his wife and children were at home. Totally a guy I’d like my daughter to date!

Vonn clearly uses her mental focus to stay sharp on the skis, but not off them. And the rah-rah atmosphere around her is exactly the reason I don’t like the Olympics.

Yeah, put Vonn in the same category as Hope Solo and Tonya Harding. Talented . . . . but crazy.

@wiscot

That’s domination and puts her in a select group with two other incredible women cyclists: Jeanne Longo and Marianne Vos.

And you could definitely argue that it puts her in a class with just Vos as there is a “cloud of uncertainty”, to say the least, around good ol’Gramma Longo’s career results!

Agreed. I don’t think the Divine Ms Marianne has ever had a whiff of doubt as to her achievements, whereas for Mme Longo . . . cough, cough.

@ChrisO

One other biographical note of interest…

The sort of competitive urge that drives someone like Beryl Burton is not without a down side.

When her daughter Denise won the national championship in 1976, beating her mother, Beryl refused to shake her hand because she didn’t like the way she had raced.

I guess they made it up because they continued to ride and race together but her daughter said she rarely spoke about her riding and even she learnt things about her mother from her autobiography.

Determination and effort at that level often comes with a personal cost. The guy who just broke Tommy Godwin’s annual mileage record is another example.

There was a kinda sorta relevant article posted re: Lindsey Vonn after she’d knocked off her 37th WC downhill win. Indeed it’s not out of question that kinda laser focused dedication, determination, and commitment can come with sacrifices elsewhere.

I read one article on Vonn a few years back now and she came off as a nutjob. Sounds like she essentially ruined her family, ruined her parents marriage, then married her wacko coach/ski caretaker, which caused a split with her father. And now she’s split with that dude. And…was/is dating a guy who banged women in parking lots and on diner table tops while his wife and children were at home. Totally a guy I’d like my daughter to date!

Vonn clearly uses her mental focus to stay sharp on the skis, but not off them. And the rah-rah atmosphere around her is exactly the reason I don’t like the Olympics.

 That’s domination and puts her in a select group with two other incredible women cyclists: Jeanne Longo and Marianne Vos.

 

And you could definitely argue that it puts her in a class with just Vos as there is a “cloud of uncertainty”, to say the least, around good ol’Gramma Longo’s career results!

I’m bot sure how the British TT scene is now, but certainly through the 80s, the BBAR (British Best All-Rounder) competition for time triallists was fierce, and Cycling Weekly (aka The Comic) covered it diligently. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Best_All-Rounder

From 1959 to 1983 Burton won the women’s classification. That’s domination and puts her in a select group with two other incredible women cyclists: Jeanne Longo and Marianne Vos.

Love the pics of Burton posted above. Note: no water bottles. I suspect that she had then handed up to her if required. Also the gear she’s pushing on her Ron Kitching bike is massive. 54-12 I’d imagine. I think the crankset is a TA with long cranks – TA made chainrings bigger than the standard 52. Love too the positioning of the rear brake inside the stay bridge.

@ChrisO

One other biographical note of interest…

The sort of competitive urge that drives someone like Beryl Burton is not without a down side.

When her daughter Denise won the national championship in 1976, beating her mother, Beryl refused to shake her hand because she didn’t like the way she had raced.

I guess they made it up because they continued to ride and race together but her daughter said she rarely spoke about her riding and even she learnt things about her mother from her autobiography.

Determination and effort at that level often comes with a personal cost. The guy who just broke Tommy Godwin’s annual mileage record is another example.

Thanks Chris – I knew I could rely on Velominati to add some colour to the black & white picture that Beryl’s racing achievements provide. The dedication and competitive spirit that makes a drives a champion great often seems to make them ill-suited to ‘normal’ life.

But it’s often the case that the most interesting sporting stories are those that reveal something of the character of the people involved, a light shining on who they were, rather than what they were capable of. The best example I can think of this is finding the stories associated with Hinault and Lemond more compelling that Merckx. Through Mercxk’s racing we find out what he could do, the rivalry between Hinault and LeMond tells us a lot about who they were.

Or maybe I’m over thinking it. Cheers anyway.

:D

Lesson 2: How To Ride A Big Gear

 

A cyclist writes: “Fuck me, that’s a V to the power of awesome gear.”

One other biographical note of interest…

The sort of competitive urge that drives someone like Beryl Burton is not without a down side.

When her daughter Denise won the national championship in 1976, beating her mother, Beryl refused to shake her hand because she didn’t like the way she had raced.

I guess they made it up because they continued to ride and race together but her daughter said she rarely spoke about her riding and even she learnt things about her mother from her autobiography.

Determination and effort at that level often comes with a personal cost. The guy who just broke Tommy Godwin’s annual mileage record is another example.

There was a kinda sorta relevant article posted re: Lindsey Vonn after she’d knocked off her 37th WC downhill win. Indeed it’s not out of question that kinda laser focused dedication, determination, and commitment can come with sacrifices elsewhere.

Great piece about an absolutely peerless rider.

I’ll whisper this, but isn’t there a case for her being not only recognised as a total badass but also as the greatest the sport has known? If she dominated for 25 years then 525 wouldn’t appear to be a very big number.

I’d best be off now, I’ve got a garage to clear out. There’s a bike in the somewhere and hopefully some form.

One other biographical note of interest…

The sort of competitive urge that drives someone like Beryl Burton is not without a down side.

When her daughter Denise won the national championship in 1976, beating her mother, Beryl refused to shake her hand because she didn’t like the way she had raced.

I guess they made it up because they continued to ride and race together but her daughter said she rarely spoke about her riding and even she learnt things about her mother from her autobiography.

Determination and effort at that level often comes with a personal cost. The guy who just broke Tommy Godwin’s annual mileage record is another example.

Thank you. BB was a boss and a class act, the Cogmother whose likeness will be carved into Mt Velomis.

@Buck Rogers

Might just be slit scan distortion from a Graflex roller shutter, but I’m going with pure unadulterated V buckling her wheel.

Lesson 2: How To Ride A Big Gear

…despite seven world titles, 96 national titles and being the best British all-rounder for 25 consecutive years.

How amazing is that – to be at the top of your game for TWENTY FIVE years?!

Clearly Beryl dished out Rule #5 in spades!

Great work, Rob! I only know of her from someone previously bringing her up ’round here, which is not to say that I don’t welcome your contribution to my knowledge of Burton. Thanks for this!

“…when road races were banned on UK roads…”

Can anyone expand on this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Cyclists%27_Union

Can anyone expand on this?

I also like to refer to her as Queen B, even if that’s a bit soppy.

I read the script of that play – it’s excellent. Can’t wait to see it on stage when it comes to London.

What a massive hero Beryl B is. Thank you @RobSandy for this excellent article.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/bridie-odonnell-hour-record-attempt-2016/results/

While the siren call of regaling the surrounding youth with stories, as I slip further and further into my own twilight, is strong; just as noble would be to be consumed by some great conflagration of muscle and sinew that shuffles off my mortal coil, saving for last, the smile on my face as I head into the great unknown.

@RobSandy forgive my waxing poetic, but that epilogue is one of the best constructed paragraphs I’ve read.

Ho-ly smokes, no case needs to be made for her at all (more a case for us to be in her company). It’s an absolute crime that she is not known, this story helps. It is also telling for what’s on the horizon: there’s going to be a day where woman are equal to men in some endurance events (middle distance and marathon running for instance). Beryl has shown that some have already been better than men.

And Burton’s achievement was no fluke either. I think it’s fair to say that in terms of comparison it’s like the men’s marathon record being beaten by a woman.

Look at that front ring! Guessing from the size it’s a 55 or 57.

Thanks.

Wow, what a story. Thanks for sharing that. 37 kph for 12 hours… that’s insane. And to die on the bike, too. Very sad but poetic, I suppose.

I love that lead photo too. Sur la plaque all damn day.

Way to ride the big dog, remove the inner ring!

https://www.wyp.org.uk/latest_news/beryl-on-tour/

Great stuff! I just finished reading “Ride the Revolution” (I have a book review on PEZ forthcoming) and the first chapter is about Beryl Burton. Eddy Merckx is the Beryl Burton of men’s cycling.

I love that lead photo too. Sur la plaque all damn day.