My Latest Adventures
Riding on Island Time
This wasn’t about pushing limits, it was about shifting my perspective
A 10-day bike-packing journey across Samoa, and it was nothing like any ride I’ve done before. No KOMs, no elevation goals - just the rhythm of the islands, long dusty roads, and moments that forced me to slow down and actually feel the ride. From coastal villages to dense jungle, this trip was less about pushing limits and more about reconnecting - with the land, the people, and myself.
A film and full story are on the way. This one’s about more than the bike.
The Triple Triple North Shore Triple Crown
Riding the iconic North Shore Triple Crown… but tripling it
I took on one of the most brutal and iconic mountain bike challenges on Vancouver’s North Shore: the North Shore Triple Crown, but went on to do it another two times. That’s all three legendary North Shore mountains, Fromme, Seymour, and Cypress, threee times each ridden back-to-back-to-back in a single day. Steep climbs, relentless tech, and over 9,000 metres of elevation gain across some of the gnarliest trails in BC. It was a full-body test of endurance, focus, and grit equal parts adventure and sufferfest.
Attempting Europes Hardest Trail - GR20
A mission to become the first person to complete Europes hardest trail, the GR20
The GR20 is known as Europes Hardest Through Hiking trail. Traversing 180km of the rugged Mediterranean island of Corsica. This trail has never been successfully completed by bike, so I decided it was my turn to step up and see if it was possible.
Bike-packing the EDR
Doing things my way, Bike-packing to the Aletsch EDR World Cup with Ergon
For the third season in a row, I’m tackling the Enduro World Cup series self-support, bike-packing between as many rounds as possible. Whilst it doesn’t provide the best race lead up, I’m content with doing things my own way. The positive being experiencing, seeing and getting to ride so much, for that I believe it’s worth it.
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/bikepacking-the-edr-feat-matthew-fairbrother.html
NZ MTB Rally Self-supported
Taking on the 6 day NZ MTB Rally, Entirely self-supported
For the last couple of seasons, I’d bike-packed and then competed in endurance races, but now it was time to combine both of those disciplines in to one.
The idea was to take on the NZ MTB Rally, a 6 day supported enduro race, where typically you’d shuttle in 4x4’s, fly to the top of the mountain in helicopters, get a boat charter across the harbour and travel in bus charters between each days venue, not to mention the food catering and accomodation. My idea was to take this on with none of the support, I’d be biking when they were shuttling, hiking when they were in helicopters and kayaking across the harbour.
After a huge week I managed to complete my challenge and take the win.
Full film coming before 2025
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/photo-story-matt-fairbrother-wins-nz-mtb-rally-entirely-self-supported.html
Tour Du Mont Blanc
Is it faster to run or bike the iconic Tour Du Mont route?
Deviate Cycles Co-owner, Ben Jones had a lingering question, is it faster to complete the Tour Du Mont Blanc on foot or by bike? Without hesitation I went out to see if I could beat Kilian Jornet’s time of 19 hours and 49 minutes
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/mtb-vs-ultra-runner-the-tour-du-mont-blanc.html
The Highland Trail 550
One of the most notorious bike-packing routes, the Highland Trail 550
After a season of riding thousands of km between world cups, it was time to take on one of the most notorious bike-packing routes, the Highland Trail 550. 550 miles of Scottish Highlands, bog after bog, rock after rock, this is the real deal; there is no hiding.
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/undefined-limits-matthew-fairbrother-takes-on-the-highland-trail-550-challenge.html