“There was no finish line. Just a feeling I was chasing, one that arrived when I stopped rushing,” Matthew reflects on his experience on the Samoan roads. Amid palm groves and coastal routes, he discovered a different kind of cycling—one not dictated by speedometers, elevation profiles, or performance metrics. 
Samoa’s landscape, with its lush rainforests, crystal-clear waterfalls, and traditional villages, provided the perfect backdrop for this transformation. “Slowing down didn’t mean doing less, it meant noticing more,” Matthew explains. A concept that sounds simple at first glance, but can be a real challenge for a seasoned athlete. “It’s easy to miss the magic when you’re moving too fast. Slowing down was the real challenge,” he concludes.

“Some rides are measured in kilometers. This one was measured in moments,” says Matthew. The most beautiful of these came through encounters with locals, watching the sunset over the Pacific, or simply riding along a deserted beach road. 
“The biggest shift wasn’t in distance or direction - it was in mindset,” Matthew says. This mindset allowed him to develop a deeper understanding of Samoan culture and to internalize “Island Time,” a concept often unfamiliar to Western travelers. “Island Time didn’t just change how I moved—it changed what I noticed and what I valued.” “Without a race to chase, I found rhythm, people, and stories I would’ve otherwise flown past,” he says.

On a ten-day bikepacking tour, equipment becomes an extension of the body, Matthew believes. He relied entirely on ergonomic products from Ergon. His BA2 Evo backpack, featuring an innovative carrying system, relieved pressure on his back, even when fully loaded with camping gear and supplies. 
The GD1 bike grips – which Matthew got to know and love while riding performance-orientated enduro bikes – and ergonomically designed HM2 gloves prevented numbness and pressure points in his hands—a crucial factor during long days in the saddle and on sometimes very rough roads. 
He especially praised the SM Pro Men bike saddle, developed specifically for male anatomy, which kept him comfortable even during hours of riding in Samoa’s tropical heat.

What Matthew brought back from Samoa wasn’t just a travel story, but a realization: “It wasn’t about breaking records. It was about breaking patterns.” In a time when peak performance is often equated with top speed, his journey reminds us that true adventure lies beyond podiums and Strava segments. 
As he cycled through small villages, waved at by children, and occasionally stopped to enjoy fresh coconuts, Matthew discovered a rhythm dictated not by a clock but by the land itself—a valuable lesson that goes far beyond cycling and perhaps the most precious souvenir of his Samoan journey.