December 2015

Haleakala Crater on the island of Maui in Hawaii is one of the most popular attractions on the island.  At just over 3,000 meters above sea level, many people drive up to the summit to see the spectacular scenery.  Some people even ride up the mountain on their bikes … but not us.

We’re no fools.  High altitude and heat lead to exhaustion.  Going downhill fast leads to exhilaration.

Bike ...

Distance: 38km    Elevation (descent): 2,000m    Time: 1:20

My son, Tom, and I were picked up from our accommodation around 6:30am.  It was quite a drive to the tour operator’s headquarters where we had a light breakfast, a safety briefing, and our bike and helmet fit.  The bikes were hybrid mountain bikes with drum-type brakes.  The helmets were full-face.

We were taken up to the crater by car.  The moonscape landscape was a stark contrast to the lush tropical surroundings we left far below.

For the ride, we had to descend by car to just outside the National Park entrance.  This still allowed for a ride of 2,000m descent and 22 switch-backs.

On the descent, we had one guide on a bike at the front and a guide in a van at the back of the congo-line of riders.  We pretty much had the road to ourselves and the van driver was able to communicate with the lead riding guide if we needed to pull over to let cars pass or stop for a photo opportunity.  I always felt safe on the decent and even inexperienced riders like my son had no trouble with the downhill ride.

We finished the ride in hippie Paia a quaint little town on Maui’s north shore where we had some free time for lunch.  After lunch, we were driven the 35 miles back to our accommodation.

You can check out more ride details on the Strava link below.

https://www.strava.com/activities/460374786

… And Beers

There are breweries on Maui but I didn’t get to visit them.  My favorite Hawaiian beer is, however, Fire Rock Pale Ale from Kona Brewing Co.  I love this beer, especially on tap, and drink it whenever I’m in Hawaii.  I’m sure there are plenty of other great local beers in Hawaii, I just need to go back there to try them.

Check out more cycling blog posts here.