In spite of the war, life must carry on in Ukraine. With the help of Ukrainian BSD distributor BikeStuff, Andriy Podoba set up this new raw ALVX and still rides as much as possible.
Read on to hear what Andriy has to say about riding in a country fighting for it's freedom...
Where are you living the moment?
Pre-war I was based in Odesa but had to leave and I’m now living in a place called Rivne.
Why did you leave Odesa?
After the war broke out on February 24, I was forced to leave the city of Odesa because it was extremely dangerous. There are Russian warships situated off the coast of Odesa and a large number Russian soldiers based in the the neighbouring regions.
How is the situation in Ukraine for you right now?
Our army and people are standing strong. When the Russian soldiers seen the strength of our armed forces they realised that they would not be able to take the capital city of Kyiv. They have now began to retreat and are fighting in eastern and southern Ukraine. We will show them that the people of Ukraine are strong and will not give up.
Are you far away from any fighting at the moment?
At the moment I am far from the war. I’m in the west of the country. Although, at any moment, it is possible that the Russian military can attack from Belarus. If that happens, I will be in a war zone.
We see you are riding and posting videos, for many people this will seem strange given that Ukraine is under attack from Russia. Do you feel safe where you are?
Our President Zelensky addressed the population and said that if we have the opportunity to live like before the war and support the country's economy, then we must do so.
If you have to join the army will you do that?
If the Russians invade my city, I will go to fight and defend my Ukraine.
If you could leave Ukraine now would you?
If the Russians invade my city, I will go to fight and defend my Ukraine.
Is there anything else you want to tell people about?
What you see and hear in the news and on the Internet about this terrible invasion of my country Ukraine is true. If anyone reading this wants to help but doesn't know how they can help, simply donating a just a few dollars could help our soldiers obtain better military equipment and medical supplies. Check out my recent post on instagram which has all the information you need to do this. Glory to Ukraine!
The raw beast set up for tech trickery! ALVX frame with the short back end, Jonesin' forks with the shortest offset and a Revolution hub to top it all off...
Andriy's ALVX-AF Frame Setup
Frame | : | Flat Raw BSD ALVX-AF 20.8″ frame |
Bars | : | Flat Raw BSD Safari 9.6" bars |
Grips | : | Black BSD Leezus Handles |
Bar Ends | : | Black BSD Forever bar ends |
Stem | : | Polished BSD Stacked stem |
Headset | : | BSD Highriser headset |
Forks | : | Flat Raw BSD Jonesin' Fork |
Sprocket | : | Polished BSD 28t Guard Sprocket |
Cranks | : | Black BSD Substance Cranks 165mm |
Pedals | : | Black BSD Jonesin' pedals |
Chain | : | Black BSD 1991 halflink chain |
Rear Hub | : | Black BSD Revolution hub |
Rear Tire | : | Black BSD Donnasqueak tire 2.4″ |
Rear Rim | : | Chrome BSD XLT rim |
Front Hub | : | Black BSD Front Street Pro hub |
Front Tire | : | Black BSD Donnasqueak tire 2.4″ |
Front Rim | : |
Chrome BSD XLT rim |
Seat | : | Black Fat BSD Acid Flashback seat |
Seat Post | : | Polished BSD Blitzed post |
'The 20.8" ALVX-AF frame suits my riding style perfectly. It's short back end and steep head angle makes it super responsive and easy to control. It is the perfect setup for nose manuals. The Flat Raw finish is so nice too!'
I am stoked on this hub. The BSD Revolution hub is easily the best freecoaster hub in BMX. It really does just feel like riding a cassette hub. I love that there is no slack / pedal gap and also that it is so much lighter than regular freecoaster hubs.