Biking Maui

I just got back from Maui. The best of all the Hawaiin islands, IMHO. And incredibly bike friendly. I could not believe how wide the biking lanes are there.

Ah yes, and Haleakala. A group www.gocyclingmau.com climbs this mountain road, also dubbed as the longest paved climb on the planet. Thirty six miles, and 10,023 in elevation (the famous Mont Ventoux on the Tour de France is a mere 13.6 miles and a 5,336 in elevation).

High season is December to March due to all the Whales that breed during this time and that can be seen. September is a great time, the traffic was not bad and the weather was amazing. The wind does get crazy in the afternoon.

I just noticed this post. DH & I rode with Donnie of Go Cycling Maui back in the spring. We didn't do Haleakala, but did ride from Kula south and then east on Hwy 31. The headwinds heading back were pretty brutal, but it was all worth it when we got our reward of banana bread at Grandma's Coffee House. The bikes were great. There were 3 of us on the ride, and had Donnie & Evan Lawrence (of 53X11 Coffee), on the road with us, and the truck driving by and checking on us periodically. We hope to go back and tackle the ride up Haleakala soon.

Not to burst anyone's ambitions to cycle down Halekala, but I grew up on Maui, and I can't tell you how many times I went early to see the sunrise and came down to see there was a dangerous cycling accident. The tours tend to be made up of all cycling abilities, and the angle of decline with the constant switchbacking makes it treacherous. Just a note of caution to be careful when doing this ride.

If you want some fun on Halekala non-cycling related, I'd suggest doing the zipline tour! Not as much exercise, but there aren't any tourist drivers to deal with.