Before I get started, I wanted to preface a few things. I'm not a racer boy type cyclist. Just an average one with a few extra pounds. As much as I'd love to document some really hard core rides (I will mention them), most of my adventures were pretty tame. I've been to Maui for our honeymoon, as well as our one year anniversary. Not really there to bike. Just happened to rent a bike and check some things out. I would have loved to ride more, but between everything you can do in paradise, it got kind of hard to squeeze some riding in.
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| Me before a ride at the Sheraton Maui |
My stays in Maui were in October of 2012 and 2013. Both times, my wife and I stayed in West Maui at the Sheraton Maui in Ka'anappali. Gorgeous! If you ever get the chance, GO! And stay there. It is heaven. My wife and I will be back several more times. Perhaps one day live there permanently. Who knows?
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| Last climb of the day at the Sheraton Maui |
There are some pretty cool places to ride. From my research, I deducted the road biking on the island was a better choice than mountain biking. Yes, there is singletrack, but there isn't a ton, and from where I was staying I could road bike to anything I wanted. No need for a car. Maui has what I consider three epic road rides. I attempted two of the three, and did not come close to finishing either. Between all the sun and ocean I enjoyed, the best food on the planet paired with tons of Mai Tais and Pina Coladas, as well as a six hour time change and eight gazillion other things to do there, my out of shape a$$ would have not been able to accomplish these three epic feats. In no particular order, I would say they are:
1) The West Maui Loop
2) Climbing Haleakala and
3) The Road to Hana
If you were to drive all three of these in a car (which I have), that is almost as good.... nothing beats saying you did them yourselves though.
Both visits to the Valley Isle had me renting my carbon Specialized Roubaix from West Maui Cycles in Lahaina. Awesome, awesome bike shop! The boys working the shop were pretty cool. There is a West Maui Loop group ride that starts from the shop every Wednesday morning (in the event you were looking to latch on for a nice 62 mile jaunt with a good 4k worth of climbing!) They are busy, but have a huge fleet of Specialized steeds to rent, both road and mountain.
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| West Maui Cycles in Lahaina |
I was able to reserve mine on-line months before I arrived. No issues once I got to the shop. West Maui Cycles had everything ready to go. I brought my helmet, pedals and shoes, but rented a carbon Roubaix for around $200 for the week. If you wanted to, I think a day rental of a bike of that nature was around $60. They also name their bikes. In 2012, I rode "Captain Awesome", and in 2013 I had the pleasure of riding "Lola". Bikes were in awesome shape, and handled as if they were on rails. I've never ridden better road bikes. I have an old 2003 Trek 2200 at home for comparisons sake, so yeah, these were the bees knees.
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| My Specialized Roubaix rentals. Red Bull and Vodka not included |
Since I stayed at the Maui Sheraton in Ka'anappali, I was literally staying on the west end of the West Maui Loop. All but one of my rides consisted of riding either north or south of the Sheraton on the loop.
Southwest Portion of the West Maui Loop from Ka'anappali
My first ride. Ka'anappali past Lahiana and back. I didn't know much about the island on my first ride. I just knew there was a mountain and a volcano to avoid on my shakedown ride. The wife was still asleep. I got everything set, and walked through the hotel with my road shoes in hand as to not slide all over the hotel's shiny floors because of my cleats. I took off from the Sheraton at 6am, and headed south (which my gut told me would not be as hilly as heading north). I'll never forget my first ride in Hawaii. WOW! What a feeling. I've done a lot of cool things on a bike through the years. I've gone on epic bike trips to North Carolina, Georgia, West Virginia and northern Michigan. I've participated in some pretty tough mountain bike races and rides. I've met a lot of awesome people, and even helped start a bike team. But this was the pinnacle of my cycling life.
Just an easy ten miles out, ten miles back on flat terrain through Maui and a sleepy little old whaling town named Lahaina. The ride itself wasn't anything that would have wowed anyone. But it made me fall in love with Maui in just a few seconds. I flew through the resort area and golf course I was staying at and linked up with the surprisingly wide cycling lane/shoulder on the side of the Honoapillani Highway that extends pretty much all over the island. The sun was still rising as I headed towards Lahaina.
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| Sun rising on an amazing trip! Nice wide bike lanes too! |
It was already hot. I knew upon my return that the pool and ocean would be in use! Tucked into a tailwind and just cruised (after stopping once or twice to make seat height adjustments) down the highway. I passed a cemetery and a few parks along the ocean before a little road emerged that I assumed took me directly through town before linking back up with the highway. I took it into town. The pavement was smooth. Sunkissed and kind of reddish brown from the yearlong barrage of rays it receives. I wheeled through town, the ocean on my right with other islands in view. Sailboats anchored in shore peppering the coast. It was 6:15 in the morning, but the town was already starting to bustle. They get up and at it early in Hawaii. Sun goes down around 5, so you want to soak up as much as you can. Joggers, dog walkers, tourists, workers getting bars and restaurants set for the day. Others tending to their ships in the marina before shoving off were all within view. Everyone just seemed calm and happy. They were in Hawaii. The island has that effect on you. I knew my wife and I would be spending a lot of time in Lahaina during our stay, and boy was I right.
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| Sleepy downtown Lahaina |
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| Lahaina |
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| More Lahaina |
Upon completing my tour of the downtown, the road links back up with the highway heading south. The West Maui Mountains quickly appear on your left and shadow you heading towards the heart of the island. The road opens up along the coast approaching the southern portion of the west side of Maui. Palm trees line the road. I was in bliss. Couldn’t believe how gorgeous everything was. At this point, I knew I was getting close to the area where the highway goes through some tunnels. My Garmin read about ten miles, so… it was time to turn around and head back. I was in awe. I always dreamt of being in Hawaii, but was finally doing so. This ride, as flat as it was, was not disappointing! Highs like this, especially after biking for 15 years and seeing quite a bit, don’t come easy. They did in Maui! Even though I had a bit of a head wind, I blasted through it and made it back to the hotel with ease. For a fatty like myself, think I averaged 17mph on adrenaline. 20 miles in the books. Got to spend the rest of the day at the pool and at Black Rock. Wow.
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| West Maui Mountains |
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| Pretty much where I turned around and headed back |
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| Sheraton Maui pool & Black Rock |
Northwest Portion of the West Maui Loop from Ka'anappali
Ride 1 was down. I was acclimated to the bike. Time to explore other areas, and head north. I didn’t do too much recon. I wanted to experience the ride without knowing everything that would be coming my way. This was both good and bad for this particular route. I didn’t know it, but was heading into cycling nirvana and the best bike route of my life. Rode through the resort area to Honoapillani Highway and made a left at the intersection.
As you head north towards Kapalua, you can tell right away that the grade of the road slants up. It’s not drastic at first, but it’s enough to let you know you are headed somewhere hilly! It was early in the morning. It was hot again! I got about five miles in, and pulled over. Already laboring, and tired. Maybe hungover from the previous nights Luau? I didn’t know where I was going, but knew it was going to be hard. Sipped on some Gatorade, and stared off into the ocean. Was still on a highway lined with strip malls, so how hard could it be right? I got back at it… passed another strip mall with the Maui Brewing Company in it… Damnit! I would indulge there another time.
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| Indulging another time. Coconut Porter deliciousness |
Heading north, the road continues to slant up. Reached Kapalua, and you can tell the terrain is changing. Pass the entrance to the Ritz-Carlton, and the ride changes even more. Paradise! Rode past the legendary Kapalua golf course. One I’ve played on the computer a few times… Ridiculous!
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| Slight climb into Kapalua |
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| Xterra was there same time I was. Too bad I didn't train! |
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| Leaving Kapalua... headed for Honolua |
You go from strip mall city, to a resort area, to a pretty hilly region scraping the north west section of Maui tilting you east. A few good, longer climbs. Traffic thins out. And the road heads east. Bike lanes vanish, and the road hugs the coast line. I kept thinking, man… I’ve never been to Malibu, or the rocky coastline you see on TV that reminds you of California… but this is a much better version of that!! Then you reach Honolua Bay:
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| Honolua Bay |
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| Honolua Bay |
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| The Bay a different day... |
The road tucks you away from the coast for a bit, as you climb and wind around switchbacks. Couple banana bread stands sprout up. The coast opens back up and you can tell you’ve climbed some. Breathtaking vistas appear! Whoa. This is really happening. No, you are not in some Bicycling Magazine spread. You are actually on your dream ride! Just about that time I reach another switchback, thinking I might not want to go too far, cause who knows what I’ll have to climb out of… I hook up with another rider climbing. His name is Christophe. He’s originally from the Netherlands, but resides in California. He rides this section in Maui all the time. Rich bastard!
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| Christophe! |
We’re about equal abilities so we continue on together. The ocean now on our left, I look over during our ascent to see 30-40 spinner dolphins hopping in and out of the water no different than minnows do here in Michigan at your favorite bait shop.
The riding was amazing! Each bend you turn offers more and more crazy views, you would never encounter if not out on a bike! No Way!
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| Switchback fun |
The terrain is challenging, and there is a lot of climbing but you are so taken back by what you see you don’t care how hard it is. One small mistake, and you could be down on the pavement or over a rail. Not sure when it happened, but since I've ridden there, I have read about a female rider going over the guard rail and died! Anyways... We reach a rocky overlook and stop to take a break.
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| Rocky top |
Christophe and I talk a bit, take on some water and just soak in the views. There are a bunch of other dudes hanging out at this overlook too. Turns out they are surfers checking out the waves, deciding on where to “drop in” that morning. One of them was pro, but I’ve sense forgot his name. No, not Kelly Slater or Laird Hamilton either. After a little small talk, Christophe the Dutchmen heads back to Kapalua to meet his family. I realize I’m getting tired, but decided to press on a bit more. There will be a fair amount of climbing to get back out of this gorge I’ve found myself in. Still punch drunk on the views though. Finally, I arrive at something that signals to me its time to turn around… The guys from the shop told me about this. It’s simply called “The Wall”. Lance Armstrong named it “Mr. Steepy”.
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| 18-20% Mr. Steepy |
As you see in the photo, its pretty steep. I gave it a shot, and did get to the top. It wasn't easy. It was about a 18-20% grade. I had to grind pretty good. About ¾ of the way up, I stopped to take a break. It was so steep, that I literally slid backwards on my cleats as they touched the ground. As gorgeous and fun as all this was, that was enough. I realized the hills would continue. I still had to climb out, and have enough energy to go swimming, snorkeling; entertain the wife, etc. the rest of the day. I turned around. Rode everything in reverse.
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| Riding down to check it out |
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| Climbing out |
There is a pretty good “worker” of a climb as the road turns south back up to Kapalua. Ugh. Once you climb out of that, its clear sailing back to Ka’anappali. I rode back to Lahaina to get my tires pumped up from the shop for the next day. Second ride in Maui complete. 33 miles or so, and I think around 1500 feet of climbing. Not too shabby. Most gorgeous ride of my life. Doubt I ever ride anything cooler.
Climbing Haleakala
35 miles. 10,000 feet of climbing. How hard can that be? Haleakala, or the house of the sun, is a massive shield volcano that forms more than 75% of Maui. How hard can that be after you’ve partied you’re a$$ all week? Prior to getting to Maui I did some studying on this ride. EPIC! You’ll find a ton of resources on this ride with a little googling. Leading up to our wedding, I had dreams of losing weight and training for this. That never happened.
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| Plan of attack |
Since this type of a ride would take me a good six to eight hours, I decided I would make my attempt near the end of our stay on Maui. That way if it took all day, I wouldn’t hose up any other plans. I was exhausted from riding all week. I knew I was already in trouble was when my alarm was set to 5am, yet I didn’t get out of bed till after 7. Wife drove me over to Paia on the north side of the island, just east of the airport. I loaded my jersey pockets full of cliff blocks, bananas, additional cytomax to fill waterbottles, an extra water bottle, and even a sandwich. I knew this ride could take me eight hours. The plan was for the wife to drop me off, and then she’d go shopping and cruise around Maui. I was hoping to see her next atop the volcano. I got the bike ready to go and headed off for my journey from Lower Paia Park on the Hana Highway.
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| Partying in Paia |
Did I mention I was exhausted already? I started up Baldwin Ave, and immediately the incline goes UP! Ugh. Guys at the shop told me the average grade of the climb was 6%. It was going to be a long day. I kept climbing. Left the confines of the cute little town known as Paia. I passed a church, and said a little prayer. The incline was killing me. I was not moving fast. Maybe 6mph. I think I started counting mileage before I got to ONE! I knew I was cooked. I made it 4.35 miles, and climbed exactly 961 feet. I pulled over to take a small break, with hopes I could mentally regroup.
Toast. Pretty selfish to have the wife waiting for me while I suffered up a volcano all day, all the while being on Maui. It was our last full day there. Suffer up a volcano all day, or hang at the pool with filet mignon sliders, sipping Mai Tais…? Called the wife. Within five minutes she was at my location, and my Specialized Roubaix was in back of the rented Chrysler 200 we had. Changed my clothes and we made the drive up Haleakala to check it out. I wasn’t even sad that I quit. I was that exhausted. It would get much more difficult as well. And to think there is actually a race up this thing every year?! Its called Cycle to the Sun if you were curious.
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| The agony of defeat |
Driving up Haleakala was phucking nuts! It was awesome. You pass through four different ecosystems. Each one with its own distinct vegetation. Lots of switchbacks, tour busses and cows. As you climb, you see more and more of Maui (and the other Hawaiian islands) from a different perspective. There are sections that are ridiculously steep! I don’t think I would have been able to do this anyways. I justified my failure. Didn’t see too many other cyclists. Just a few as we broke the clouds and actually entered the national park.
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| A biker makes it to the top! |
Place was amazing. You start the trip from sea level, in paradise… and end up above the clouds, atop a volcano. If I ever was on Mars, this was it. The crater and its surroundings are red rock. Lunar. There’s even an observatory there, so yeah, it looked like a space station alright.
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| Out of this world! |
If you plan on doing this ride bring your A game and train your butt off for it. Make sure you are well rested and prepared. I didn't take it seriously. If you do end up bailing on it, make sure you still get up to the top. Being atop the Rocky Mountains or something similar on the mainland is one thing, but atop a Hawaiian volcano 10,000 feet in the air is an entirely different thing! Literally breath taking!! What a capper to our trip.
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| Atop Haleakala |
So that was that. In my two trips to Maui, I’ve made one attempt up Haleakala. All my other rides were parts of the West Maui Loop. I’ve had the pleasure of riding over 200 miles in Maui. The most beautiful bike riding I have ever been part of. These rides will push you regardless of your ability. You’ll learn something about yourself in the process too. I have done the Road to Hana in a car. If you want one ride that encapsulates all of Maui, do the West Maui Loop. If you can only do 30 miles in Maui, just do the northwest cliff section north of Kapalua! Amazing!! The Road to Hana is something, but round trip its close to 90 miles with I think 9,000 feet of climbing. Annoying amounts of tourists and cars lining the roads. If you don’t mind that, the views are insane. If you do that one in a car, you give yourself more time to enjoy it as well as a change of clothes to go waterfall hopping! I have a feeling though, one day… I will be back to actually complete Haleakala.
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| Be sure to swim with honu (turtles) too!! Yes, I took that. |
I love you Maui! Mahalo.
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| Aloha |
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| and Mahalo! |
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