From BMX through enduro all the way to freeride. Andy Mitaš belongs to a new generation of Czech bikers who don’t just want to race, but also create, push their own riding, and show the bike world in their own way. We talked about his beginnings, his own backyard spot, the Bike Destinations project, the connection between video and biking, and why his biggest goal is to ride for as long as possible — and most importantly, to keep enjoying it.
Hi Andy, could you briefly introduce yourself to start?
My name is Andrej Mitaš, but everyone knows me as Andy. I’m currently studying landscape engineering at university, but probably the most important thing is that I’ve been into gravity bike riding for around ten seasons now. I started on BMX, then trail riding came along, and gradually it shifted into enduro racing. After a bigger injury, I left that behind and moved more towards dirt jumping, freestyle, and freeriding.
When and how did you actually get into biking?
My parents had been guiding me towards classic cycling since I was little. The turning point came sometime around 2015. My parents are lifelong friends with Pavel Horník, who founded and runs Rychlebské stezky. Back then, they took me there and I realized that riding a bike doesn’t have to be just about going on trips — you can ride trails too, and it can be seriously fun.
How would you describe your riding style today? And where is your bike home spot?
I’d probably sum it up as freeriding. It’s a combination of dirt and slopestyle tricks, hitting big jumps on a big bike, and overall a mix of all these things together. So basically, big jumps with tricks.
People can most often find me in Brno, specifically at Bástr dirt park. We have dirt jumps and a pumptrack there, so I spend quite a lot of time there. At the same time, I’ve also been working a lot on my private backyard spot over the past year. I’m trying to stay a bit hidden away from people there and work on things that I’d like to show somewhere later.
How did the idea of building your own backyard spot come about?
At a certain point, I felt that the spots that are commonly available or public were starting to feel too small for training the things I wanted to ride. That was maybe a year and a half or two years ago. I thought that instead of having to drive several times a week to places like Kalnica for an airbag or somewhere near Prague, it would be better to build my own training spot. So I decided to build a place with a big airbag and a dirt jump line, so I could train in peace, not have to worry so much about other people, and at the same time avoid unnecessary long drives. For me, it’s the fulfillment of one of my biggest dreams. Ever since I started riding, I’ve always thought it would be amazing to have something like this of my own. Over the past year, I finally managed to work on it properly. Since I study and live in Brno, my parents are also from Brno, and the spot is within half an hour of the city, it’s the perfect distance for an afternoon session.
You’ve also done some racing. What do you consider your biggest achievement on a bike so far?
Of course, I hope the biggest achievements are still ahead of me. When I used to race enduro, I was moving around the top five in the junior category on the Czech scene. Then, when I shifted more towards freeriding, I would mention 2024 as an interesting milestone. The final stop of Crankworx took place in Innsbruck, and I made it into the Whip-Off final there. I got into the top ten and later followed it up by winning a wildcard in the Whip-Off and getting an invitation to Swatch Nines that same year. Those were definitely important moments.
“I always dreamed of just riding my bike, filming something from time to time, racing here and there — and now it’s actually starting to happen.” — Andy Mitaš
Do you have a big bike dream or a goal you’d like to achieve?
My biggest goal probably isn’t something measurable by an event or a place. The biggest goal is to keep enjoying it. I came to that through various injuries as well, including some bigger ones. I keep telling myself that I want to do this for as long as possible, while still feeling fulfilled by it. If I had to mention something measurable or visible, I’d like to keep moving towards freeride events like Backyard Battle, Fest Series, Darkfest, and similar ones. That direction really attracts me.
You said you want to ride for as long as possible. Do you do anything off the bike to keep your body ready?
I’d say the biggest key is strength training off the bike. Having your body prepared for impacts and crashes. Being at least a little covered with muscle, which in certain moments almost works like protection. I try to spend as much time as possible on the bike. I move between several disciplines — from the dirt jump bike to the freeride bike, and sometimes I take out the enduro or BMX, which is actually where I started. You need to spend a lot of time on them to get used to all the different bikes. But an essential part of it is doing heavier strength training at least once a week, so the body is ready.
Tell us more about Bike Destinations project.
Bike Destinations is a project created by three friends who met at Rychlebské stezky. It’s me, Petr Gerenár, and Eduard Bainar. The guys rode bikes, but at the same time they were also into digital creation — filming and photography. The idea was that it would be cool to create something that would allow us to explore the world beyond races and events a bit more. We wanted to visit different places, show them to other people, and create a kind of map of spots that are worth checking out. That’s how Bike Destinations was born. We mainly try to reach out to European bikeparks and, through collaborations, go there, experience what they offer, and then present it to our audience.
You also have your own bike edits on your personal YouTube. Do you work on those with them as well?
Yeah, I mostly work on those with Eduard Bainar. We’re good friends, and I really like his camera and editing style. I like the way he thinks about it. Together, we’ve created projects like The Frills and now Lucid, where we introduced the new dirt frame from Merida. In this, we really click, we understand each other, and for both of us it’s the ideal combination — doing something interesting, but in a way that doesn’t become stressful and still stays fun.
Do you see the connection between video and biking as something that could become your future and maybe even support you?
Definitely. And I’d actually say that, to some extent, it’s already happening. It’s one of the things I’ve always dreamed about. I used to think it would be amazing to just ride my bike, film something from time to time, race here and there, and somehow make it work. And more or less, that’s starting to happen in my life. I think that today, content creation is a really important part of the whole thing. It’s not just about going to events or races, but also about creating interesting content, building awareness around yourself, and having something to offer to the world.
When did you become part of the Horsefeathers team? And how do you feel about it so far?
I joined this spring and I’m stoked. I feel like a really interesting group of people has come together around Horsefeathers in Czechia — from Vojta Bláha and Vilibald Vítek to Tomáš Zejda and others. Just being connected with these people and this team gives you a certain credit. And so far, I’m really enjoying the whole thing.
Do you already have any favorite Horsefeathers products after a few months of testing?
Definitely the Reverb Loose in black. For freestyle riding, that’s absolutely the best piece for me and a total game changer. In this type of riding, I wear a lot of protection, and I don’t like it when pants are super tight over it. The Reverb Loose pants are water-repellent, super stretchy, and have a looser fit, so you can’t even really tell there’s body armor underneath. I’m really stoked on them. For bikepark riding and the big bike, I’m also really into the black Stoker pants. They’re more durable, they suit harder riding, and overall they make a lot of sense for a bigger bike and faster lines. When it comes to upper layers, in the end I still feel best in cotton. I really like the Altitude LS tee — for me, it’s a super stylish piece, and it’s cotton, so that’s top. And then also the Instinct, where I like the print, the material, and the overall comfortable fit.
“I enjoy biking so much that I’m easily on the bike four or five times a week, so there isn’t much time left for other activities.” — Andy Mitaš
What do you do outside of biking? I noticed some snowboarding on your Instagram too.
Snowboarding actually came before a lot of the bike stuff. I used to race snowboard slopestyle. Maybe that’s where the joy and passion for jumping and spinning in all kinds of directions really developed. When I’m not riding my bike, I sometimes come back to snowboarding, but usually only a few times per season. I enjoy biking so much that I’m easily on the bike four or five times a week, so there isn’t much time left for other activities. So it’s mainly strength training, biking, and sometimes snowboarding in winter. I’ve also started playing in a Brno hobby hockey league. As part of winter preparation, I think it’s a great thing. After winter, you get back on the bike and physically you might even feel better than before.
Where can people meet you during the season?
I’ll definitely be in Leogang for the Whip-Off as part of the bikepark anniversary. There’s an invitational Whip-Off contest, so I’ll definitely be there. It should take place at the end of July. After that, I have Shredfest in Poland at Złoty Groń, sometime around the second weekend of August. There should also be a Whip-Off and some kind of dirt jump / slopestyle format. And in between, maybe Backyard Battle at Clemens Kaudela’s place. We’ll see how that turns out.
