Mid July in the South is hot and gross. Luckily where we were—Brevard, NC—there are also lots of swimming holes. And lots and lots of gravel, dirt, rocks, roots, and road to ride bikes on. To experience all aforementioned aspects of Southern Summer we recently spent a few days ripping around Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Forest on the all-new Specialized Sequoia. The go anywhere, do all things machine is the California-based brands most exciting release in years, at least as far as the Adventure category is concerned. The adventure-ready bike is at home on all terrain and is essentially the answer to owning multiple single-use bikes.

See a snapshot of our time in NC in the above photo essay. Then get a Sequoia, and hock the rest of your bike collection to your sad Sequoia-less friends.