Taj Mihelich Archives – Page 2 of 5

“Mad Matt” – Full Video (1995)

February 29, 2020

Mat Hoffman has dropped a classic online in full for your viewing pleasure! Check out the full Hoffman Bikes Mad Matt video from 1995! It’s pretty wild to think this video came out 25 years ago! Hit play to check out just shy of 40 minutes of pure goodness filmd and edited by Mark Eaton. This has footage from the weed whacker bike, Hoffman Bikes shows at fairs, the Ninja Ramp, different contests, the old Hoffman Park and more. Riding from Mat, Jay Miron, Day Smith, James Smith, Taj Mihelich, Rick Thorne, Rob Sigaty, Dave Brumlow and more! Get on that play button and take this classic in

“So I never digitized MaddMatt. I only released it on VHS. So it has kind of been a lost tape, and it documented such a great era. Mad Matt 1995. This will flash you back to the mid 90s. I made this video with the Great Mark Eaton, and some of the raddest of the rad that helped build my dream. We worked and played hard. DIY to the core.
I called it Madd Matt because I felt we were fighting to survive and we were making a new world, and for some reason that made me think of Mad Max?
Anyway, thanks for digitizing this for me Kenny Horton and check out his new film.” – Mat Hoffman

Taj’s Amazing Moments in Bicycle History Episode 1 – Jay Miron: A Story of Willpower

December 21, 2019

Whenver you see Taj Miheliich and Jay Miron‘s name pop up in the same title, especially these days, you know you’re in for a treat! Here’s a new video series Taj is starting where he tells some stories with his illustrations called Amazing Moments In Bicycle History. This first one is a story about a time when Jay Miron made an attempt to do a trick for Taj on vert and was fully committed. Ultimately the trick ended in disaster, but that was beside the point! Hit play to watch and listen to Taj’s story about the Canadian Beast!

“I have been blessed to ride with a number of the world’s most amazing bike riders. They tend to have very different takes on riding and what they are trying to accomplish. One thing they seem to have in common is a drive to test their resolve. Their skills have reached such a high level that I think the real challenge for them is being able to follow through with what their mind knows they are capable of. Their ability to clear their minds of fear and self-doubt allow them to consistently perform at a level the rest of us might only touch once in a blue moon. It isn’t just some gift they are born with, they work for it, and they work hard. When there’s something they want to do and the voice inside tells them that they can (probably) do it, they focus everything on making it happen. The legendary Jay Miron stand’s above the rest at this skill and so this silly cartoon is intended to be a tribute to his determination and something we can all hopefully find inspiration in.” – Taj Mihelich

Bernie The Bike Builder By Taj Mihelich Now Available

May 29, 2019

As many of you may have heard by now, Taj Mihelich has released a new book called “Bernie The Bike Builder” that he wrote and illustrated! The book focuses on Bernie the rabbit and Monty the dog who build bikes for their friends to ride and have fun on. If you have followed Taj’s Instagram, you will know his drawings always have a story and humor behind them, making this a great book for the kids and for the adult bike lover. This isn’t focused directly on BMX, but it definitely appears to have plenty of BMX influence. The book originally sold out on Taj’s Big Cartel page, but it looks like it’s now available in Hardcover and Paperback styles on Amazon now for $22.35 (Hardcover) and $17.50 (Paperback). If you were hoping to get a copy of the book, definitely get on this! We haven’t had a chance to check it out yet ourselves, but we’ve been hearing nothing but good things about it! You know if Taj had his hand at it, that it’s going to be awesome and well worth the money!

“Bernie is a master bike builder. The bikes he designs and builds are sought after by bike racers all over the world. However, none of his close friends seem interested in riding bikes. After a discussion with Monty the Corgi he realizes that his friends think they can’t ride bicycles because no bikes fit them. Bernie takes on the challenge to build his motely crew of pals custom bikes that they can ride. It takes all of his creativity and skills to design and build special bikes for T-rex, Bat, Shark and more!”

Written and Illustrated by former BMX world champion Taj Mihelich.

“In tight circles around a broad range of cycling subcultures old and new, BMX innovator, artist, animal lover and entrepreneur Taj Mihelich is a legend. A shy, clever, self-deprecating legend.

As a rider, Taj’s influence on ramp, street and trail riding still resonates three decades after he burst onto the BMX scene.

As an entrepreneur, Taj’s thoughtful, slightly irreverent perspective on the fun and freedom of riding a bicycle has inspired an army of smiling cyclers to follow his tire tracks worldwide.

“Bernie the Bike Builder” is the brightest peek yet into the colorful world of Taj Mihelich’s busy mind. Whimsically written and vividly illustrated by the life-long lover of all things two-wheeled, Taj’s first book follows an industrious rabbit and his Corgi pal Monty as the unlikely pair craft custom bicycles for a curious band of animal friends.

A sublime allegory about creatures and dreams big and small, “Bernie the Bike Builder” packs Seussian levels of heart and light into a story for all ages. Where the animals in Taj’s head dream of going might surprise you. How they get there will blow your mind.” – Harold McGruther

Check out more details over on Amazon.

Please Be Kind & Rewind – Corey Martinez & Seth Kimbrough

February 8, 2019

Curious what video part really blew Corey Martinez and Seth Kimbrough’s mind as younger riders?

The latest Please Be Kind & Rewind from DIG takes a look at what video part Corey Martinez and Seth Kimbrough were influenced by. They went to a classic from Taj Mihelich that is very easy to see just why they picked it! Hit play and take it all in!

“Episode two of our ‘Please Be Kind And Rewind’ series continues with the two Bama Boys, Corey Martinez and Seth Kimbrough discussing the video part that had the most influence on them back in the day. Did you guess right?” – DIG

Rest In Peace, Paul Buchanan

May 17, 2018

BMX has lost another legend… Rest In Peace, Paul Buchanan…

Cover Photo: Ed Doherty / DIG

I wrote a tribute for Paul over @digbmx. What I didn’t say in that is that I’m no stranger to the grips of depression and battle with it often. If anyone out there is in the same boat, I’m always here to talk, offer bad jokes and probably send an offensive text photo. Rip #paulbuchanan

A post shared by Brian Tunney (@briantunney) on May 17, 2018 at 2:10pm PDT

It’s always a bummer to hear about a rider passing away, especially one as influential and legendary as Paul Buchanan. Today we caught wind that Paul had passed away earlier this week. It’s not quite clear exactly what happened, but Brian Tunney‘s Instagram post offers some insight. You can check out his full write up on the DIG website — In Memory: Paul Buchanan.

Although we haven’t seen anything from Paul for quite some time, he was one of those riders who people still talked about frequently and his riding influenced a lot of riders and pushed BMX into new directions during his time riding for different brands, including Terrible One. Below you can find an old Prop’s bio with Joe Rich that has a Terrible One commercial featuring Paul that still to this day is downright amazing. We’ve embedded it to start at about the 9:20 mark where the commercial starts. You can also find the Terrible One “You Get What You Get” video that features riding from Paul at the bottom. After the Props commercial, we’ve embedded Taj Mihelich‘s Instagram post with some words about Paul…

Rest In Peace, Paul. You left your mark on BMX and will never be forgotten.

We lost a great one. Paul Buchanan was one of the first riders T1 sponsored. To me his riding was genius. His creativity, technical ability and all around burliness made him something really special. We (Joe and I at T1) wanted to support him. We knew he was never going to be a big contest rider (though he did ride X-games), he seemed to be happiest riding late at night, often alone, making up his own stuff without the influence of anyone else. And he did make up a lot of stuff. He was a huge influence on riders. He was quiet about it, probably no one filmed or shot photos but he brought new things to BMX all the time. – I’m strangely stuck on this memory I have of him standing out on the T1 ramp all alone with my dog Roscoe. He used to spend time back there with the dog and teach him weird tricks. He would never speak out loud while doing it. He’d just point and Roscoe would figure out what he wanted. He taught Roscoe to run up the big vert wall extension on the T1 ramp to retrieve things. That vert wall was amazingly high! That’s the image I have… Roscoe grabbing some ball off the top of that wall while Paul stands calmly at the bottom of the ramp pointing. – I found this bio I wrote about him back in 2001: “Paul seems really disjointed from a lot of the riding scene to me, but I think that’s a great thing. He is always testing and trying new things and I think that type of creativity is so often lost on a lot of today’s pro riders. Keeping his distance is a good way for him to maintain his own originality and his own direction. He’s able to take riding to new places that no one has ever thought of and that’s invaluable to the BMX world. In any event, I don’t think Paul is aware of any of that. I don’t think he has any idea how influential he is. The boundaries he has pushed and new directions he opens up have trickled down via the few people who spend time riding with him, to the rest of BMX. There are lot of trends and tricks in riding right now that start back with Paul, but I’d be willing to bet that not even he realizes it." Vid from @t1stagram and @stew1201. Not sure about the riding photo… @t1ers or @sandy_carson i think. From my old t1 files.

A post shared by Taj Mihelich (@tajlucas) on May 17, 2018 at 12:30pm PDT

Saddened to hear of one of the greats of bmx paul buchanan has gone, so elusive, with barely a photo or a video clip seen, and yet every time something did appear it was a total treat and memorable something perhaps today’s insta clip generation doesn’t get… a massive influence on many, actions speak louder than words perhaps. Section from @seventiesdistro from love to hate 2001, #terribleone t/shirt bought by me while in austin 2001 #rippaulbuchanan #bmx

A post shared by Gav Cope (@modebmx) on May 17, 2018 at 2:06pm PDT

10 BMX Tricks You Probably Shouldn’t Do by Taj Mihelich

February 28, 2018

Taj Mihelich coming through with some advice for everyone out there. Here’s 10 BMX Tricks You Probably Shouldn’t Do…

10 BMX tricks you probably shouldn't do… but rules are made to be broken! #bmx

A post shared by Taj Mihelich (@tajlucas) on Feb 28, 2018 at 9:20am PST

If for some reason it isn’t letting you slide through all 10 posts, view it on Instagram right here!

Above is some artwork Taj Mihelich put together and dropped on Instagram earlier today. Scrolling through and catching this was definitely a highlight of the day considering this had us cracking up pretty good. The slides cover 10 BMX Tricks You Probably Shouldn’t do like the Thru The Handlebar Bar Hop, Lake Jumping with Cement Blocks, Naked Bow Legged Table Tops, Barspins with Switchblade Bar Ends and more. Take a look since this advice might just save your life someday!

Also, if you’re liking this, you should give Taj a follow on Instagram. He’s always posting up some great artwork!

Update: It looks like Taj built off the 10 BMX Tricks You Probably Shouldn’t Do, and did a 10 Skateboarding Tricks You Probably Shouldn’t Do!

10 skateboarding tricks you probably shouldn't do… but, rules are made to be broken! By request for @don_brown #skateboarding

A post shared by Taj Mihelich (@tajlucas) on Mar 2, 2018 at 7:55am PST

Odyssey BMX – “Electronical” Full Video

February 13, 2018

To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the “Electronical” DVD, Odyssey have given it a re-up for your viewing pleasure! Like they say, time flies when you’re having fun! Odyssey released their “Electronical” DVD 10 years ago today and even after all these years it’s a complete banger! Hit play to check out this video featuring Jim Cielencki, Jimmy Levan, Matt Beringer, Aaron Ross, Taj Mihelich, Chase Hawk, KC Badger, Adam Banton, Danny Hickerson, Mike Aitken, Gary Young and many more (Talk about a completely legendary line up of riders) going to work on street spots, skateparks, trails and more! One fun fact about this video that always blows our minds is that this was the first full 1080P DVD that came out. Watching it for the first time made everyone’s minds melt since it was some of the highest quality BMX footage many had seen. Even though this version isn’t as high definition as the original DVD, it’s amazing.. Will Stroud did an amazing job on the filming and editing for this one!

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the Electronical video premiere. Time flies! We have re-upped the video in case you have never seen it.

Taj Mihelich – Life After Pro

May 1, 2017

Here’s one we’ve been waiting for since we heard the project was in the works! Here is the story of Taj Mihelich and what life is like after being a professional rider. There’s not much that hasn’t already been said about Taj over the years, but his undeniable impact on the BMX industry from being a professional rider to being co-owner of one of BMX’s most respected brands,Terrible One, to becoming an artist and starting Fairdale. This covers everything from how he got into BMX, his Pro career, starting his brands, his back injury that ended his career and more. Taj might be living in northern Michigan and living a more low key life, but his impact is still very much a part of BMX today. Take a look! Amazing story and excellent riding!

“One of the most influential riders in the history of BMX, Taj Mihelich took a less is more, passionate approach to everything he did. After a chronic back injury forced Taj to put down the BMX bike, he’s found a new direction…here’s the story of the legendary Taj Mihelich and his Life After Pro.

Filmed/edited by Chris Rye.” – Ride BMX