Career
He first began riding at the age of 12 and was brought to the world of Freestyle BMX by Ron Kilmer, who appeared with Taj in the celebrated "Road Fools" videos.
After years riding for the company Hoffman Bikes, he started Terrible One with Joe Rich, by releasing the "Barcode" bike frame, largely based on Taj's signature bike design at Hoffman Bikes.
It was rumored that Taj was displeased with the way that his signature frame was holding up after Hoffman Bikes moved their manufacturing overseas, and that he didn't want his name attached to something that he felt was of substandard quality.
Taj was also sponsored by Etnies, where he designed several signature shoes as well as appearing in the widely recognized "Forward" video featuring the Etnies BMX team.
Etnies is a footwear brand based in Lake Forest, California, United States, and is owned by Sole Technology, Inc. As of 2013, the company sponsors professional skateboarders and BMX riders, and releases signature shoe models.
In late March 2006, via the company's website, Taj announced that he would be leaving his half of Terrible One to Joe Rich. He cited the stresses of running a company as a key factor in this decision.
In early 2008 Taj announced that he would be riding for Giant bicycles. Not long after a back injury and resulting surgery forced him to retire from an 18-year professional BMX career.
In 2010, with the help of Odyssey BMX Taj launched an all-purpose road, commuter and town bicycle company called Fairdale Bicycles. [1]
Taj has appeared in numerous BMX videos such as Etnies FORWARD, Etnies GROUNDED, Odyssey Electronical, UGP Face Value, Primo Made In Taiwan, ANTHEM, Road Fools 1 and 5, and Hoffman Bikes - Madd Mat.
BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general on- or off-road recreation. BMX began when young cyclists appropriated motocross tracks for fun, racing and stunts, eventually evolving specialized BMX bikes and competitions.
Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing cycling sports include artistic cycling, cycle polo, freestyle BMX and mountain bike trials. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the world governing body for cycling and international competitive cycling events. The International Human Powered Vehicle Association is the governing body for human-powered vehicles that imposes far fewer restrictions on their design than does the UCI. The UltraMarathon Cycling Association is the governing body for many ultra-distance cycling races.
Terrible One is a bicycle company founded in 1998 in Austin, Texas, United States, by BMX professionals Joe Rich and Taj Mihelich. It produces BMX frames, parts and softgoods. Over the years it gained high reputation especially amongst seasoned riders. It sponsors freestyle BMX riders worldwide.
Mat Hoffman is an American BMX rider who is considered one of the best vert ramp riders in the history of the sport. He is nicknamed "The Condor" and runs the BMX Freestyle brand Hoffman BMX Bikes based out of Oklahoma City, OK.
David Michael Mirra was an American BMX rider who later competed in rallycross racing. Mirra held the record for most X Games medals in BMX Freestyle, and medalled in every X Games from when they started in 1995 up to 2009. As a BMX rider, he was known primarily as a vert ramp and park rider. He had also competed for several years with the Subaru Rally Team USA as a rallycross driver. He rode and was sponsored by Haro Bikes from the mid 1990s until starting his own bike company. Mirra was a member of the team which won the 2014 Race Across America four-person male category. Mirra died by suicide on February 4, 2016. He was inducted into the BMX Hall of Fame on June 11, 2016.
Bob Haro is a former freestyle BMX rider turned artist and business executive. He is the founder of Haro Bikes and was one of the most important early innovators of BMX freestyle.
Dirt jumping is the practice of riding bikes over jumps made of dirt or soil and becoming airborne. Dirt Jumping evolved alongside BMX racing and is similar to BMX or Mountain bike racing in that the rider jumps off of mounds of dirt, usually performing a midair trick in between. It differs in that the jumps are usually much larger and designed to lift the rider higher into the air. Additionally, the goal is not to complete the course with the fastest time, but rather to perform the best tricks with the best style. But dirt Jumpers are not Off-road BMX’s.
Haro Bikes Corporation is an American BMX and Mountain bicycle manufacturer.
Kevin Jones is a freestyle BMX rider. Raised in York, Pennsylvania, at age 11 he started riding BMX and began BMX racing in 1982. Though successful, he abruptly quit, as he enjoyed dirt jumping more than racing.
GT Bicycles designs and manufactures road, mountain, and BMX bicycles. GT is a division of a Canadian conglomerate, Dorel Industries, which also markets Cannondale, Schwinn, Mongoose, IronHorse, Dyno, and RoadMaster bicycle brands; all manufactured in Asia.
William Luther Griggs is an American "Old School/Mid School" former professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1985 to 1996.
China Krys Darrington is the first sponsored female Freestyle BMX rider. In 1986, she rode for GT Bicycles in Huntington Beach, California. She started riding in 1983 after finding a BMX Plus! magazine in the locker of another junior high school student at Old Trail School.
A BMX bike is an off-road sport bicycle used for racing and stunt riding. BMX means bicycle motocross.
Dennis McCoy, is a freestyle BMX rider. He was a member of the American Freestyle Association along with Mat Hoffman and Dave Mirra and also featured in the 2001 video game Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX. Dennis is considered to be a pioneer in freestyle bmx, his credentials include being featured in several Road fools episodes, managing major action sport competitions and events while still maintaining legendary skill on a bmx bike.
Robert L. Morales was a former freestyle BMX rider turned promoter, designer, inventor and business executive. He is the founder of DYNO Bicycles, the American Freestyle Association (AFA), Auburn Cycles, KORE Bicycle Components, Morales Bicycle Co., Carlsbad Motocross Racing (CMXR) and ASV Inventions. He is currently president and CEO of ASV Inventions, Inc.
Edward Lynn "Eddie" Fiola is an American former professional freestyle BMX rider, and a film stuntman.
Odyssey BMX is a bicycle parts company based in Cerritos California specialising in BMX. Founded in 1985, one of its first products was the Gyro detangler, which is still in production today. The term “Gyro” is a registered trademark owned by Odyssey. The product line currently includes almost all parts necessary to build a BMX except frames.
Adam Banton is an American freestyle BMX rider and professional musician. He's known to have resided in Phoenix, Arizona. His riding style is regarded as creative. He began riding in 1987 after being influenced by a Dennis McCoy demo clip on his local news station.
