Melanie Cline
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Melanie R. Cline |
| Nickname | "Swell Mel", "Mel", "Speed Queen", |
| Date of birth | June 29, 1975 |
| Country |  United States |
| Height | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) |
| Weight | 64 kg (140 lb) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Retired |
| Discipline | Bicycle Motocross (BMX) |
| Role | Racer |
| Rider type | Off Road |
| Amateur team(s) | |
| 1983 1984-1985 1986 1986-1987 1987-1990 1990-1991 1991 1995 1995-1996 |
Reggie's Schwinn BMX Kam Marketing/Champion Reggie's Schwinn BMX Hardee's Cyclecraft DK Revcore Cannondale Ross |
| Professional team(s) | |
| 1996 1997 |
Ross Profile |
| Infobox last updated on: | |
| December 27, 2007 | |
Melanie R. Cline (b. June 29, 1975 from Westland, Michigan U.S.) was an American amateur "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1982-2004.
She was one of the first generation of female BMX racers to become well known after the 1980-1986 era dominated by Debbie Kalsow, Kathy Schachel, Gaby Bayhi and particularly Cheri Elliott. Like Cheri Elliott, Melanie Cline could more than hold her own against the boys, often racing in the "Open" class in which boys and girls raced in the same age bracket-9 & 10 year olds and 11 & 12 year olds for example-compete as opposed to the girls only division. She regularly made those Open mains and even won many of them. She won five such Opens at nationals in 1987 in the 11 & 12 year old class.[1] Her nicknames "Swell Mel" or just "Mel" are obvious plays on her first name Melanie. She was also known as "Speed Queen". Melanie went on to win 4 World Championships as well as 10 National Championships during her racing career, the most of any one person at that time. She retired in 2003 after conceiving her first son shortly after the NBL Grand Nationals.
Contents |
[edit] Racing career
Note: Professional first are on the national level unless otherwise indicated.
Started Racing: July 4, 1982 at the Salt Creek BMX track in Winchester, Indiana.[1] Age 7 years.
First race result: First place at Salt Creek BMX
Sanctioning Body: American Bicycle Association (ABA)
First win (local): See above.
First sponsor: Reggie's Schwinn BMX 1983.
First national win: She won the first seven nationals she entered.[1]
Turned Professional: 1996. This was the first year that the NBL reintroduced professional woman's races into BMX since it originally ended in 1987.
First Professional race result:
First Professional win:
First Junior* women race result:
First Elite* women race result:
Retired: In September 2003 after conceiving her first child.
Height & weight at height of her career: Ht:5'4" Wt:141lbs (Size 4)
*In the UCI Junior women are ages 15 to 16 years of age, regardless if they are professional or not in another organization. Senior Women are from 17 years old and above, again regardless if they are professional or not in another sanctioning body.
[edit] Career factory and major bike shop sponsors
Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous ever changing co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are given.
[edit] Amateur
- Reggie's Schwinn BMX: January 1983-November 1983.
- Kam Marketing/Champion Racing Poducts: November 1983-December 1985.
- Reggie's Schwinn BMX: January 1986-Late 1986
- Hardee's: Late October 1986[2]-December 1987.
- Cyclecraft: December 1987-1990
- DK (Dad and Kids)[3] Bicycle Company: 1990-1991
- Revcore: 1991-through November 1992
- Canondale: 1995
- Ross: 1995-1996. She would turn pro with this sponsor. The NBL reintroduced the girl's pro class in 1995.
[edit] Professional
- Ross: 1995-1996
- Profile: 1997
[edit] Career bicycle motocross titles
Note: Listed are District, State/Provincial/Department, Regional, National, and International titles in italics. "Defunct" refers to the fact of that sanctioning body in question no longer existing at the start of the racer's career or at that stage of his/her career. Depending on point totals of individual racers, winners of Grand Nationals do not necessarily win National titles. Series and one off Championships are also listed in block.
[edit] Amateur
National Bicycle Association (NBA)
- None (Defunct)
National Bicycle League (NBL)
- 1984 8-9 Girls Grandnational Champion
- 1984 8-9 Girls National No.1
- 1985 10 Girls Grandnational Champion
- 1985 10 Girls National No.1
- 1986 11 Girls Grandnational Champion
- 1986 11 Girls National No.1
- 1987 12 Girls Grandnational Champion
- 1987 12 Girls National No.1
- 1988 13 Girls Grandnational Champion
- 1988 13 Girls National No.1
- 1989 14 Girls Grandnational Champion
- 1989 14 Girls National No.1
- 1990 15 Girls National No.1
- 1991 16 & Over Girls and Girls Cruiser Grandnational Champion.
- 1991 16 & Over Girls and overall National No.1
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- 1983 7-8 Girls Grandnational Champion
- 1984 Michigan District #1 (Mich-1) No.1 Girl
- 1985 10 Girls "Race of Champions" Champion
- 1985 10 Girls Grandnational Champion
- 1985 10 Girls National No.1*
- 1986 District Mich-1 No.1 Girl
- 1986 11 Girls "Race of Champions" Champion
- 1986 11 Girls Grandnational Champion
- 1988 13 Girls Grandnational Champion
- 1989 14 Girls Grandnational Champion
*Beginning in the 1985 season the ABA made it possible to earn an amateur national no.1 plate in the age group of the racer, similar to NBL practice. However, the ABA still had an overall National No.1 Girl. Cheri Elliott was the overall National Girls No.1 for 1985.
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- 1983 7 & Under Girls Murray World Cup II Champion
- 1985 9 Girls Murray World Cup IV Champion
- 1987 12 Girls World Champion
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
- 1988 13 Girls World Champion
- 1989 14 Girls World Champion
- 1990 15 Girls World Champion
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
*See note in professional section.
[edit] Professional
National Bicycle Association (NBA)
- None
National Bicycle League (NBL)
- None
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- None
United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)
- None (Defunct)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
- None
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
*Note: Beginning in 1991 the IBMXF and FIAC, the amateur cycling arm of the UCI, had been holding joint World Championship events as a transitional phase in merging which began in earnest in 1993. Beginning with the 1996 season the IBMXF and FIAC completed the merger and both ceased to exist as independent entities being integrated into the UCI. Beginning with the 1996 World Championships held in Brighton, England the UCI would officially hold and sanction BMX World Championships and with it inherited all precedents, records, streaks, etc. from both the IBMXF and FIAC.
Pro Series Championships
[edit] Notable accolades
- She was instrumental in persuading the NBL to provide the girls a Cruiser class separate from the boys).[4] Not that she wanted not to race the boys, but she wanted to retain female involvement in BMX racing. This is in keeping with her penchant to be pro active. She was on the drama club, active in all sports activities in school and carried a 3.8 Grade Point Average (GPA).[4]
[edit] Significant injuries
[edit] Peccadilloes
[edit] Post BMX career
[edit] BMX magazine covers
Note: (defunct) denotes that the magazine was out of business before the career of the racer started.
Bicycle Motocross News:
- None (Defunct)
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
- None
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
- None
BMX Plus!:
- None
Bicycles and Dirt:
- None
Snap BMX Magazine' & Transworld BMX:
- None
Moto Mag:
- None
NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA membership publication):
- None
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL membership publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA membership publication under three names):
USBA Racer (The official USBA membership publication):
[edit] BMX press magazine interviews and articles
- "Mini Kids" Bicycles and Dirt September 1984 Vol.2 No.10 pg.29. Very brief profile of her and 11 other 10 years old and under racers.
- "5 World Champs: Who are these people, anyway?" BMX Plus! December 1988 Vol.11 No.12 pg.50 Small profile article along with four other 1988 FIAC World Champions.
- "Melanie Cline: Sponsored by Cycle Craft" BMX Plus! October 1990 Vol.13 No.10 pg.49 Mini interview.
[edit] Miscellaneous and Trivia
She has two sons, Ty Anthony Bialobrzeski born on June 5, 2004[5] And Gage Kele Bialobrzeski born on July 26th, 2006.
[edit] End Notes
- ^ a b c BMX Plus! December 1988 Vol.11 No.12 pg.50
- ^ Super BMX/Freestyle February 1986 Vol.13 No.2 pg.58
- ^ 23mag.com history section.
- ^ a b BMX Plus! October 1990 Vol.13 No.10 pg.49
- ^ BMXmania.com announcing the birth of Melaine Cline's son Ty Bialobrzeski.
