Today I went for my first ride on the new bike here in Sweden. Matt and I did a lap around “NICKspåret” in the forest near Ursvik.

My bike was terrific. The tires could be better at handling mud, but otherwise I have no complaints.

It was very wet and muddy on the trail. I had to stop periodically to shake the mud off the bike.

The brown colored linkage below the rear shock has a tendency to collect mud and debris. I'm not really sure how to avoid this. At the end of the ride, I was covered in mud too. I think I'll get a set of fenders for the bike soon.

The ride was great. I'm really getting accustomed to the bike now, and I'm getting more confident as I lean what the bike can do. Just one example: there's a steep root-covered rock near the end of the trail that I'd never been able to climb completely. Today I got it on the fourth attempt. Yay!