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Ali Sedaghat Art Director Photos by Chris Friend Published Nov 2026 · 8-minute read
A pre-dawn coffee, a rooftop tent on a Ford Maverick, gravel bikes through fire roads, scrambling on granite, and a rattlesnake crossing on the way out. One day in Joshua Tree with adidas TERREX, Five Ten, POC, and Vittoria — field-testing the gear that defined the trip.
By the Numbers
A Pre-Dawn Start, a Late-Afternoon Saloon
One day. Four brand partners. A desert that took its share.
3am
Alarm Clock
Coffee as a survival tool
99°F
Desert High
Cotton would have melted
4
Brand Partners
TERREX, Five Ten, POC, Vittoria
1
Rattlesnake
Memorable trail crossing
The Story
A Desert Day Trip, Field-Tested
01
Chapter
Before Sunrise
T here are normal workdays: emails to send, product to launch, pages to build, and the usual machinery of getting gear in front of riders. And then there are days where the alarm goes off at 3 a.m., coffee becomes a survival tool, and the assignment includes gravel bikes, desert rock, rooftop tents, rattlesnakes, national park passes, and trying not to melt into the sand before lunch. This was one of those days.
The Jenson USA team headed out to Joshua Tree for a collaborative shoot with adidas TERREX and adidas Five Ten, with additional support from POC and Vittoria. The goal was simple: show what a proper desert day trip could look like when you mix riding, scrambling, exploring, and a few good local stops along the way.
I met up with Chris Friend, our photographer, before sunrise and we loaded into his Ford Maverick, which also served as the hero vehicle for the shoot. With a Tepui rooftop tent mounted up top, it had the exact right kind of energy for the day: practical, capable, and just close enough to disappearing into the desert for the weekend.
Chris also loaned me his Surly gravel bike for the day — a unique build with a gorgeous blue frame, tan Vittoria rubber, orange hardware, and Shimano components. It had the right amount of personality without feeling precious, which made it a perfect fit for the desert. For anyone looking for a similar starting point, the Surly Preamble Drop Bar Bike is a solid platform for mixed-surface riding, commuting, and everyday gravel exploring.
Once we'd parked at the trailhead, the day's tempo shifted. Joshua Tree's granite is the kind of rock that rewards confident footwork — sloping faces, narrow ribs, the occasional gap to step across. Approach shoes were the obvious call, and the Five Ten Guide Tennie earned its name within five minutes.
The Stealth rubber sticks to dry granite the way it should. No second-guessing, no slow-stepping the easy moves. Just confidence in the contact patch and the freedom to look up and pay attention to where you actually are.
The Stealth rubber sticks to dry granite the way it should. No second-guessing, no slow-stepping the easy moves.
03
Chapter
Fire Road, Mid-Sun
By late morning the temperature was climbing fast, and the gravel section of the day was waiting. The Vittoria Terreno T50 tires on Chris's Surly were the right call for the mix of hardpack and loose sand we kept finding inside the park. They held a line through the soft stuff without arguing.
Riding gravel in Joshua Tree feels like being on a stage. The Joshua trees are spaced just far enough apart that you can see for miles in every direction. The road just keeps unrolling, the sky stays the same shade of blue all day, and the bike does its job underneath you.
Barker Dam was the kind of short, worthwhile stop that you forget can exist inside a national park — rocks, petroglyphs, a quiet pool, and a bighorn sheep that watched us pass without much concern. Skull Rock was the last stop before heading back, the sun starting to bend low, the granite turning peach against the sky.
On our way out from Skull Rock, we had one more reminder that Joshua Tree deserves respect: a rattlesnake crossed our path. It was a fitting desert punctuation mark.
The day's punctuation mark.
Gallery
Scenes from the Day
A handful of frames from the field test. Shot by Chris Friend.
Maverick at the park entrance. The day officially begins.Frontier Café. Coffee as a survival tool.Granite scramble. The Guide Tennie's grip was instant trust.Barker Dam. Bighorn country.Fire road miles. Vittoria Terreno on hardpack and sand.Skull Rock at the end of the day. The fitting desert punctuation mark.
What We Wore + Rode
The Kit That Made the Day
Real gear, used hard for one full day in the desert. Here's what worked.
The first stop before entering the park. Coffee, warm food, and the kind of pre-dawn crowd that makes 4 a.m. feel less lonely. If you start the day here, the rest falls into place.
A converted service station with souvenirs, vintage goods, and the hard-to-miss Big Josh out front. Closed for repairs the day we visited — clearly worth a return.
Joshua Tree is beautiful, but it's still the desert. A little planning goes a long way.
Water+
Bring more than you think you need. For a hot day, plan on at least one gallon per person, especially if you're riding or hiking.
Electrolytes+
Water matters, but so does replacing salt and minerals when you're sweating all day. Pack electrolyte tablets, drink mix, or something similar. Browse our energy food and drinks section.
Sun protection+
Sunscreen, lip balm with SPF, sunglasses, and a hat or helmet are non-negotiable. The desert sun does not negotiate. For this trip, we used POC helmets and eyewear including the Aspire, Elicit, and Omne Air MIPS Helmet.
Performance layers+
Lightweight, breathable apparel makes a huge difference. Cotton gets miserable fast in the heat. A packable shell or lightweight jacket is still smart for evening. The Xperior Tee, Xperior Light Pants, and Xperior 2.5 Layer Climaproof Jacket all made sense for our hot, exposed, mixed-use day.
Good shoes+
Wear footwear that matches the day. Approach shoes like the Guide Tennie make sense for scrambling and mixed terrain. For waterproof protection, the Guide Tennie Pro GORE-TEX handles wider conditions. A comfortable hiker like the Free Hiker 2 GORE-TEX is the post-park comfort reset.
Bike gear+
If you're riding, bring a helmet, eyewear, gloves, flat kit, pump or COâ‚‚, tire plugs, multi-tool, chain quick link, and enough carrying capacity for water and snacks. For this trip, POC helmets and eyewear, along with Vittoria Terreno tires, made the ride feel more confident once the pavement gave way to dirt.
Bike setup+
I borrowed Chris's Surly gravel bike for the day — a unique build with a blue frame, tan Vittoria rubber, orange hardware, and Shimano components. If you're looking for a similar platform to build from, the Surly Preamble Drop Bar Bike is a solid starting point for mixed-surface riding.
Navigation+
Cell service can be spotty. Download offline maps before you go, save your stops, and bring a physical map if you're venturing deeper into the park. A GPS cycling computer is a smart call if you're riding beyond the obvious roads.
Food and snacks+
Pack real food, not just bars. Salty snacks, sandwiches, fruit, jerky, and trail mix all work well when the heat starts taking a toll. The energy food and drinks section is a good place to stock up.
First-aid basics+
Bring a small kit with bandages, blister care, antiseptic wipes, pain reliever, tweezers, and any personal medications.
Wildlife awareness+
Watch where you step and where you place your hands, especially around rocks, brush, and shaded areas. Give snakes and other wildlife plenty of space. (Ours did, eventually.)
Trash bag+
Pack out everything you bring in. A small trash bag or zip bag keeps wrappers, tubes, and other waste from floating around your pack or vehicle.
Vehicle basics+
Top off fuel before entering the park, check tire pressure, and bring extra water in the vehicle. A phone charger, jumper pack, and basic emergency kit are also smart.
Build Your Own Desert Day
From adidas TERREX apparel to Five Ten approach shoes, POC optics, and Vittoria gravel rubber — the kit that made our Joshua Tree day work, ready for yours.
Planning a similar day? Talk to a Jenson Gear Advisor — they'll help you pick footwear, apparel, and bike setup for the terrain you're heading into.
About the Author
Ali Sedaghat
Art Director, Jenson USA
Ali leads art direction at Jenson USA, overseeing creative for the brand's content, campaigns, and editorial program. He spent this particular Tuesday in a Ford Maverick with a rooftop tent in 99°F desert sun, and would probably do it again next week.
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