Icons Notebook 002: Beryl Burton

Beryl Burton has a claim to be not just the finest female cyclist of all time, but the finest rider of all. Unbeatable in the time trial for over 20 years, Beryl was an unstoppable force of nature.

Twice world champion on the road, winner of seven world titles in total. Holder of over 90 domestic titles, Beryl truly was Britain's answer to Merckx. Perhaps her finest achievement was setting a new women's record for the 12-hour time trial with a mark that beat the men's record - one of the very few times this has ever happened any any sport.

As she passed the winning male rider on the road she famously offered him a liquorice allsort sweet by way of apology: the inspiration for this artwork's colour palette.

Despite her brilliance, Beryl remained a Yorkshire woman, wife and rider throughout her career, riding for Morley CC and working full-time around her training. It was this attitude to hard work that gave us the perfect quote for our print:

"I just can't rest unless I'm doing something".

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All The Handmade Cyclist’s designs start life as a sketch in a notebook. A shape, a line, a story. Pen, pencil, or whatever was to hand. Thoughts, ideas, plans. A great notebook is a companion, a colleague and a confidante.

Our beautiful notebooks feel as good as they look, with a luxurious and durable soft-touch cover (don’t be surprised if you can’t stop stroking them) and with 96 pages there’s month's worth of doodling to be done. The ideal size to fit in a jacket pocket or bag, with an elastic closure to keep things tidy. A great gift for the cycling fan if your life, or a perfect treat for you.