Wrap it Up!

I was in town for breakfast. The weather was getting pretty nice, the ground is drying, and there's a new bike at Xtreme Wheels ready for me to ride. It didn't much time for me to change clothes, grab my gear, and head to the bike shop.
My goal was to make a test ride at Manawa. Then, if that goes well, over to Swanson Park.
I rode W Sidewinder to warm up and to get used to the bike on singletrack. That went well. I noticed that on sharp turns I have a tendency to over steer - nothing I can't overcome. Heading back into Woodchopper, I felt how the bike grabs the trail when climbing.
By the time I was on W Sidewinder again, I was in my groove - good lines. When I rode at the shop Thursday, I was worried about the higher ride/bottom bracket. When I ended my ride on W Sidewinder, my position on the bike felt natural.
So, over the Swanson Park. Lets see how it climbs, specially with all of the roots.
The bike dug in and climbed great - no problem with the roots. The only thing that limited my climbing was my physical conditioning - I need to get in better shape, working on it. Down the trail over the roots, "what roots?". The suspension did it's job, giving me a smooth ride.

When I got back to the shop, Blaine asked my how I liked the ride. My comment was "wrap it up" (I will take it).
We got the bike all decked out - new heart monitor, computer, seat pack, bottle cage, and spare tube. Photos for blogs before leaving the shop, then on the car rack for the trip to home.
I commented to Blaine and Bill, the Fuel EX7 really is a "trail" bike. It belongs in the dirt. I feel that it rides better on singletrack than on pavement.
Photos: Above - on Woodchopper. Right - all decked out at the shop.