Melinda McLeod – Bike Check | Interview

February 2016

2016 is an important year in the Elite BMX Racing world and it’s started off brilliantly for Australia’s Melinda McLeod. She has been on the top of the podium at the first 3 BMX Australia Nationals before heading to the US were she has been in the main more times than not, including a podium at the Winter Nationals in Phoenix.

She’s also on board a new SpeedCo Velox Carbon … that’s a lot to be happy about. We caught up with Melinda to have a closer look at the new bike and ask a few questions about her plans for the year before she jets back home for the Australian National Championships …

15: Your 2016 season got off to a great start at the Australian Nationals, top spot on the podium for the first 3 rounds and then two solid performances at the USA BMX opener in Phoenix with a third and forth in the mains … a big confidence boost for the early part of year?

Melinda: Yeah its been a great start to the year for me. I have made some big changes in my environment and life in the off season so I was nervous to see where I was at once we got back into it. But I’m happy and racing well. Of course I still have a few things to improve and I’m working everyday to improve them but I’m having a great time doing it and I’m really enjoying racing my bike which is different to how I felt all last year when I just wasn’t enjoying it as much.

 

15: How would you compare the racing in the US to back home in Australia?

Melinda: Racing in the US vs AUS is similar in some ways but very different in others. We too have small rider numbers in elite women compared to say Europe but we have a very high quality of riders. We have 5 or 6 girls who race SX World Cups so its always a challenging time racing at home in Australia. The biggest difference is the time between motos and for that I much prefer Australia, we have 20min motos for elite whereas the US can be a few hours between motos. I’m still learning how to adjust for that!

 

15: When in the US you’re based in Florida, who are you training with down there? There are some good tracks in Florida, which one do you spend most time at?

Melinda: I’m in Florida training with my good friend and fellow elite women racer Amanda Carr. I love training out here, its such a cool place and Florida really reminds me of where I’m from in Australia so it feels like home. We ride at her track Charlotte BMX where she is the track operator and does a fantastic job running the place. Its an awesome track, probably one of my top 3 favourites ever. I love having someone fast to test myself against everyday but then its nice to have a laugh during training too so we have the best of both worlds here!

BIKE CHECK:

Sprocket: Michram Industries LM17  ( 44/16 )

Bottom Bracket: Shimano

Pedals: Shimano 105 road

Brake Caliper: Shimano DXR

Brake Leaver: Shimano DXR

Front Hub: Onyx 20mm | Candy blue

Rear Hub: Onyx | Candy Blue

Rims: Excess

Tyres: Tioga  20 x 1.75

Plate: Bryce Betts Designs custom

BIKE CHECK:

Frame: SpeedCo Velox Carbon

Forks: Sinz Elite

Bars: Elevn

Stem: Elevn

Grips: ODI

Headset: Sinz

Seat: Elevn

Post: Elevn carbon

Seat Clamp: Jetblack

Cranks: Shimano DXR 175mm

Sprocket: Michram Industries LM17  ~ 44/16

Bottom Bracket: Shimano

Pedals: Shimano 105 road

Brake Caliper: Shimano DXR

Brake Leaver: Shimano DXR

Front Hub: Onyx 20mm | Candy blue

Rear Hub: Onyx | Candy Blue

Rims: Excess

Tyres: Tioga  20 x 1.75

Plate: Bryce Betts Designs custom

15: Is this your first Carbon frame? How does it ride compared to your alloy frames?

Melinda: This is my first ever carbon frame and anyone close to me will tell you how much I’m in love with it! I’ve always heard good things about carbon frames but it wasn’t until I rode my new SpeedCo for the first time that I really understood what stiffness truly is! I couldn’t be happier with the bike and how it feels. The team at SpeedCo have done a fantastic job making this bike one of (if not the best) on the market!

 

15: Do you change gearing for different tracks or training?

Melinda: I change gears in training but not so much for racing, I like to keep it simple, I know what I like and I stick to it. There would have to be a major reason for me to change for racing.

 

15: Clips or flats for purely fun riding?

Melinda: I would have to say flats for fun but I love putting clips on to go fast! Its crazy how big the tracks are getting these days, making it difficult to go down the big ramp in flats for ‘fun’… I’m not as adventurous as some of the elite guys!

 

15: It looks like you use road clip pedals on your bike as opposed to the more traditions SPD type, why the preference for the road type?

Melinda: It was during my shoulder reconstruction rehab that I was doing a lot of road cycling to still keep some fitness before I was cleared to race BMX again and I just fell in love with them so I put them on my BMX my first ride back and haven’t gone back since! I love the stiffness in the gate. I hate having any float in my shoes sitting on the gate so road pedals are perfect for me.

15: What does your race schedule look like this year? Will we see you on the gate at the UCI Supercross rounds? The Worlds in Colombia?

Melinda: I’ll be at all the World Cups, Worlds in Colombia and hopefully that other race in South America in August too.

 

15: 2016 in BMX is all about the Olympics and it looks like Australia will have 2 spots for women. The competition for spots must be intense … how is it decided who gets selected? Highest ranking or like so many other countries are there other factors in play?

Melinda: I don’t really buy too much into it all. I would be absolutely honoured to be selected in the Australian Olympic Team and its something I think about often but I have little control of who the selectors will choose, this year for me is all about having fun on my bike and enjoying every opportunity I am presented with. If I do that well, then I will see you in Rio.

 

15: Being the reserve in London 2012 must give you that extra little bit of fire to secure one of the two spots for Rio?

Melinda: I LOVED my experience as reserve athlete in London 2012. Obviously it was hard to watch my own event from the grandstand and not be out there but I had so much fun experiencing what the Olympic Games are all about. It was bitter-sweet but I loved every moment of it so yes it does drive me to make sure I can experience that again this year!

 

15: What do you think of the Olympic qualification process? While it suits small countries like us here in Ireland it ultimately excludes some of the best riders in the World from the event.

Melinda: I’m very fortunate to be from a country with a very strong national team so we are usually one of the top nations in the world. I can only really speak for my experiences and I have been a part of that qualifying process for both 2012 and 2016 games so I don’t know how it feels to be a smaller country and what they must go through to qualify. I do wish we could have a few more elite women allowed to race at the games so we could showcase some more talent that we have in our sport but I’m sure every sport wishes the same thing!

 

15: You have set up a mentoring programme to help young girls in the sport, what does that involve for you? Do  you plan on expanding it in the future?

Melinda: My mentor program is called Inspire555 and is about giving 3 young girls and their families a direct link to a high achieving elite athlete in their own sport. These 3 girls; Portia Eden (8yr girls), Shannon Petre (13yr girls) and Shelby Green (16yr girls) are all from near where I grew up and are very talented BMX racers on the way to bigger things. The program is more about giving the girls life opportunities than it is “free sponsored products”. We have done some activities together like BMX coaching sessions at their home track, a high rope course in which the girls got a real understanding of fear and how to help each other overcome the fear – the high ropes course even had a zip line over a real life 3m salt water crocodile which even had me quite scared! We’ve also had a Skype video chat with USA BMX Olympian Brooke Crain, who is a personal friend, we spoke of her story and struggles and she let the girls ask a few questions which they absolutely loved as they all admire Brooke! I have plans to expand this in the future but for right now this is where I see I can give back in the sport and I love doing it.

 

Melinda McLeod: Instagram

Photos: Melinda McLeod | BMXNews.com | Paul A. Broben | Racer Pics & Sports Media | BMXMania.com