Boyan Stoev is one of the many great locals we met on the SIBMX trip to Sofia (Bulgaria) last summer. These guys are damn nice, helpful and talented that you take them straight to your heart and would like to sponsor them all right away. Bodo Hellwig from SIBMX started with this project a few months ago and first brought Hristo Iliev on board. With his partner in crime, the boonie hat connoisseur Boyan Stoev, the next Bulgarian secret weapon has now joined the team of the North German BMX wholesaler. Congratulations! For this bike check we caught up with the young man in a city where we didn’t expect him. But read for yourself…

Frame: Tempered Goods “Wrath” in 21”
Fork: éclat “Storm”
Bars: Tempered Goods “Nordic” in 9.66”
Grips: BSD “Dan Paley”
Bar Ends: Odyssey “Par Ends”
Brakes: none
Stem: Tempered Goods “Abyss”
Headset: Tempered Goods
Seat: Tempered Goods “Black Label”
Seat Post: Tempered Goods
Cranks: BSD “Substance” (170 mm)
Bottom Bracket: BSD “Substance”
Pedals: BSD “Jonesin’”
Sprocket: Fiend BMX “Palmere” (25T)
Gear Ratio: 25/9
Chain: BSD “1991” Halflink Chain
Tires: BSD “Donnastreet” in 2.4”
Wheels: Able
Pegs: Cult Butter
Modifications: none
Tire Pressure: 53 PSI (3.6 Bar)
Weight: appr. 12 kg
Height: 185 cm

BOYAN STOEV INTERVIEW 

Hey Boyan, what’s up? How’s life been for you lately?
Hey! It’s all good, definitely can’t complain where I am in my life right now. In October I moved to Barcelona with my girlfriend to do a Masters and I am having amazing time here. A few years ago when I visited the city for the first time, I said to myself that that’s a place I would love to live in for a while. And here I am. It’s been a pretty intense experience because I am always trying to spend as much time as possible on the bike but also balance it with university and all the hours that go there. It’s a good way to learn how to set priorities focus on the things that are most important. I am enjoying every bit of it!

So living in BCN, is there anything you miss about home?
The plan for now is to stay here only for about a year, and that’s not a lot of time. So I am trying to get the most of what I have here, rather than thinking about what’s missing. But of course I would always miss my family and riding with the homies. It was pretty nice that both came to visit me in Barcelona though.

“I am trying to get the most of what I have here, rather than thinking about what’s missing.”

Rumor has it, you started a trend in the Bulgarian BMX community by always wearing a boonie hat when you ride. That thing most come on handy in sunny Barcelona, doesn’t it. Why did you start rocking it?
It all started out of convenience. When I ride I have to deal with my hair somehow. I used to wear regular caps but they often fall when I do a trick and that’s pretty annoying. I bought a boonie once to give it a try and it turned out to be a very practical solution because of the chin strap it had. Since then when I see one that I like, I buy it. 

I was also told, when you find a bike part you like, that’s all you will ride and you’ll replace it with the same one when it brakes. So getting an all new bike must have been quite a shock for you, right?
When there’s a part that I really like, I usually keep riding it because I get used to a particular geometry and feel of my bike that’s comfortable. But on the other hand, it inevitably happens sometimes that I have to put a new part. I stay open for that as well because, after all, that’s the only way you can compare parts and understand what suits you best. That being said, getting a new bike was rather exciting. I was curious to try a longer chainstay and a little mellower head tube angle than I usually ride. It turned out great for me! 

You recently got hooked up with Tempered Goods via SIBMX. How did that come about?
I guess it all started when SIBMX crew visited Sofia and rode at a jam organised by our local BMX store. They stayed for about two weeks so we could ride and hang out together. A few months later I got an email out of nowhere from Bodo, the person behind SIBMX. He asked me if I wanted to join SIBMX and represent Tempered Goods. Sure I was down for joining such a sick crew! Didn’t expect it to be honest. 

Please describe your new ride in three words.
Source of joy.

“Source of joy.”