Joanna Reade was tempted to name her daughter Sinead but she wanted something more unusual for her baby girl, so she added her own twist and Shanaze was inked in on the birth certificate. Fitting, then, that the now 18-year-old is making a name for herself as a unique talent, winning gold medals in BMX and track cycling.

“The only thing those sports have in common is two wheels,” Reade, who is the junior world and senior European champion, said. “I still feel a bit numb about winning the team sprint title with Victoria Pendleton at the track World Championships in Majorca five weeks ago because it was so unplanned. Really, I’m a novice on the track, so that kind of thing shouldn’t happen.”

It was a remarkable cycling first, prompted by Reade’s all-consuming yearning to be the inaugural BMX Olympic champion. “Track cycling is an established Olympic discipline but BMX will be making its debut in Beijing,” Reade said. “I want that gold medal more than anything and that’s why I decided to go on the track last winter. It was just for cross-training, something new for my fitness and strength, and it was indoors, which was a bonus. When I started at the Manchester Velodrome on November 3, I was definitely nothing special.”

By the end of March, with the sprint gold medal won, Reade was being universally hailed as an exceptional talent, but thoughts of a future on the track have been put on the back burner. “I don’t rule anything out up ahead because winning that medal has opened doors,” she said, “but the BMX season this year stretches into the winter and beyond. We’ve got a World Cup starting in December, World Championships and then the Olympic Games. I’ve got my hands full just concentrating on all that.”

First up, though, is the National Series, with the first round concluding today in Cheddar, Somerset. Contested over seven rounds at five venues, it is the showpiece domestic event. Reade was unbeaten last season — despite racing in the 19-and-over male category — and so is, typically, seeking a tougher challenge. “I’ve decided to go in the elite class,” she said, “which means I’ll be racing against the fastest men in England. I might not win, but I intend to make the finals and be competitive.”

Up to eight riders come through the motos (qualifying rounds) into a final, navigating the man-made jumps and tight turns of the dirt racetracks at high speed. There are no points for style; first past the finish line wins. “But it’s not solely about strength and speed,” Reade said. “The jumps and turns are there to test your technical ability and reading the race is critical. I think I’ve got as much speed as the guys I’m going to be up against in Cheddar, but knowing what’s around me is going to be key for my development this season.”

If Reade’s race strategy is ever-changing so, too, is her bike. “They always look very funky, but really they’re just standard aluminium frames with carbon-fibre components,” she said. “In the past, more technology and money has gone into track bikes and that’s happening now in BMX. There’s a lot of research going on to find the perfect bike. It has to be light, but strong enough to withstand the impact of the jumps.”

Unfortunately, Reade’s body has not always fitted that requirement so well. “I’ve broken my knee, elbow, wrist and foot and dislocated my shoulder a couple of times,” she said. “But you can’t let those little things put you off. I’ll be the bionic woman by the time I’m 25. Actually, I do get frustrated by injuries, just because I can’t stand not being on my bike.”

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