Meet The Riders And Their Rides: Rocky Mountain’s Jesse Melamed
Meet The Riders And Their Rides
Jesse Melamed
In the last couple of years, Jesse Melamed has risen to become one of the top enduro riders in the world. In fact, he was the top men’s enduro rider of the 2020 Enduro World Series, although no title was handed out at the end of the shortened race season.
Hailing from Squamish, British Columbia, Jesse has some of the best riding areas in the world in his own hometown. On top of that, Whistler is only 46 minutes from his home. You could hardly ask for a better place to live if you wanted to be a world-class mountain biker, and that’s just what Jesse is. Read on to learn more about the guy they call “Marmalade.”
RIDER PROFILE:
Name: Jesse Melamed
Nickname: Jmel, Marmalade
Age: 29
Birthdate: February 4, 1992
Birthplace: Squamish, British Columbia
Height: 170cm (5-foot-7)
Weight: 68 kg (150 pounds)
Shoe size: 8.5
Helmet size: Small
Waist: 29
Marital status: Single
Current home: Squamish
Car: 2004 Jetta Wagon
Started racing or competing: 1995
Turned pro: 2013
Racing/riding specialty: Enduro, Jank, Tech.
Favorite course or riding area (North America): Sea2Sky
Favorite course or riding area (Europe): Finale Ligure
Favorite food: Chips
Goals: Be happy and successful in my own eyes
Heroes: Successful athletes in any sport
Favorite recording artist: RHCP
Favorite movie: Interstellar
Favorite hobbies: Sports with friends, reading, eating
Jobs held (other than racer): Landscaper, salesman, coach
Most embarrassing moment: Getting slapped at prom
Always takes on a trip: Music
What you would be if you were not a racer: Coach
INSIDE THE PROS’ BIKES
Jesse Melamed’s Rocky Mountain Altitude
Frame: Rocky Mountain Altitude Rally Edition, 29er, medium, full carbon
“It saves me when I have dumb ideas. It goes fast and corners like no bike I have ever owned.”
Shock and setup: Fox DHX2, 425 pounds; HSC 14; LSC 16; HSR 14; LSR 15
Fork and setup: Fox Float 38, 170mm; 2 spacers, 80 psi, HSR 8, LSR 12, HSC 6, LSC 13
Tires: Maxxis Assegai, 2.5 WT, DoubleDown, 19 psi in the front; Maxxis DHR2, 2.5 WT, DH casing,
19 psi in the rear
Tubeless tire system with CushCore DH in both wheels
Rims: Race Face Turbine R 30, alloy
Spokes: 2.0/1.5, alloy
Hubs: Race Face Vault
Brakes: Shimano XTR M9120 with 203mm rotors
“These brakes have great modulation that makes the high power they provide very controllable. It takes less arm strength to get the amount of braking you need.”
Stem: Race Face Turbine R 40mm
Handlebars: Race Face Next R carbon; 740mm wide, 35mm rise, 8-degree backsweep.
“They are very stiff and precise but absorb a lot of the trail vibrations.”
Grips: Race Face Love handle
Shifters: Shimano XTR
Rear derailleur: Shimano XTR, medium cage
Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet E, standard spindle
Cranks: Shimano XTR 170mm
Chainring: Shimano XTR 32t
Chain: Shimano XTR
Rear cassette: Shimano XTR, 12-speed, 10-45
Saddle: WTB Silverado Ti.
Seatpost: Fox Transfer post, 175mm.
Cables and housings: Shimano
Headset: FSA Orbit
Water bottle cage: Lezyne,
right-side entry
Bottom bracket: Shimano
Extras: Stages Cycling Dash computer and power meter; OneUp components EDC tool and chainguide with bash guard
Head angle: 64 degrees
Bottom bracket drop: 32mm
Weight of complete bike:
16 kilograms (35.25 pounds)
Estimated value of bike: $12,000 CAD ($9330 USD)
MBA Q&A
MBA: Where did you grow up?
Jesse: Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
MBA: What kind of work do (or did) your father and mother do?
Jesse: My dad was a ski patroller, stonemason and on the local council for 13 years before becoming the mayor of Whistler for six years. He is now retired. My mom was a jack of all trades. She worked as a lab tech at the University of British Columbia, and once in Whistler worked for the mountain, as well as translated German/English for a heli-ski company.
MBA:: When did you first start riding a bicycle?
Jesse: Age 3.
MBA: When did you first start competing on mountain bikes?
Jesse: I did a little village race when I was 3 years old, and once I was old enough to compete at the races my parents were competing at, I started to race there as well.
MBA: How did you do in your first mountain bike event?
Jesse: There is a picture of me receiving a medal, so somewhere on the podium.
MBA: What have been your best national and international results?
Jesse: First place in many national events and first place in three Enduro World Series events.
MBA: What titles have you won?
Jesse: I won a BC Enduro Series, close to a North American title, and I am unofficially the 2020 EWS champion.
MBA: Where did you go to school?
Jesse: Whistler, British Columbia.
MBA: Did you attend college?
Jesse: Yes. I went to UBC for a bachelor’s in software engineering.
MBA: Do you have any other career training?
Jesse: Coaching.
MBA: What other sports do you do besides mountain biking?
Jesse: Skiing, hockey, running and XC skiing. I won a few events in freeride skiing, and I won a provincial championship with my hockey team.