Pacific Northwest - hawaii, cycling and living

a friend of mine is moving to hawaii later this year and invited me to come with. i was gonna move out of chicago after this summer and move to san francisco but hawaii sounds mighty tempting. But i have to know how the cycling scene,bikeshops,races, roads and cars are. and cost of living? hows that? all i know is that its more expensive than chicago, but im sure not as much as SF.

It depends on which Island you are going to. I took two bikes (one road and a MTB), but quit riding after three months and 5 VERY close calls with cars and trucks. Another thing, the islands are small, so you'll only have a few rides, and they get boring, plus on all rides you'll have ferocious headwinds. For me, cycling in Hawaii was a bust, plus if you want to ever go cycling anywhere else, it's a major hassle with a 5 hour plane trip to the west coast, then connections from there.
If you want great cycling, move to Wisconsin, or just go on weekends, Hawaii is really not what you are thinking.

Hawaii isn't a great place for cycling.
I lived on Maui - where cyclists get killed or injured every year by tourists looking at the scenery or whale watching. On top of that, there are very few roads - so training is pretty boring. No variety in routes. If you're a mountain biker, there's great stuff up on Haleakala; but if you're going there to work, you won't be living anywhere near there.

Cost of living is super high; so, depending on what your vocation is, you might be working two jobs and won't have time to train anyway.

A friend of mine almost left Sacramento area to move to Kona - but we were able to convince him NOT to.

There are lots of awesome places to ride in the US. Hawaii isn't one of them.

Good luck.

Well, as someone who has lived in Hawaii all my life, I'm going to have to disagree somewhat about the cycling scene. There are a lot of cyclists on Oahu and there hasn't been a bicycle fatality here in a very long time. Cars are used to seeing bikes on the road so there's not a lot of hostility.

But I will agree about the cost of living. It's among the most expensive places to live in the U.S.

I'd recommend taking an extended vacation (4+ weeks) before you make a decision about moving here. I've seen quite a few people move here with the wrong perception. They think that it will be a tropical paradise and living will be easy. It's not - Honolulu is a large city. We have great weather and beautiful beaches but we have our fair share of bad stuff that goes along with living in a big city.

Sproket Man wrote:

I'd recommend taking an extended vacation (4+ weeks) before you make a decision about moving here.

This is excellent advice, do this and you'll make the right decision. IMHO, 2-3 weeks in Hawaii is just about right, after that I grew to hate it more every day I was there. The people of Hawaii are tribal, and really don't like mainlanders. If you think you'll go there and get a job from your skill, knowledge and experience you are dead wrong, it is a closed society, you need to be in a predetermined ethnic group to work in many basic career fields.

Hawaii is vacation paradise, it is VERY hard to live there, and it takes some time to realize this, long after you've spent big bucks to get there and get set up for living.

Oahu is not safe for cycling, you don't have to die to be a victim of the anti-cyclist mood of Oahu.

Sorry, this was my experience there.

If you like cycling in traffic on narrow winding residential streets or down wild rocky washouts, there are some possibilities. If you like cycling for hours on nice roads with varied scenery, forget it. There are very few roads here, and most go directly up/down mountainsides (huff huff huff), so ya better know exactly what you're getting into. Forget the little minor islands like oahu and maui - way too small.

Despite the negatives mentioned above, most of which are real at least to some extent, there are plenty of people riding on Oahu. Spend some time on Kalanianaole Hwy going along the coast eastward out of Honolulu or on the Tantalus loop and you'll see them. Not that many options on a small island it's true, but some of those that do exist keep people coming back. Seems like there's a pretty active racing/club scene but I'm not part of it so that's just an impression. Can't speak for the other islands. Just spent a few days in and around Hilo, looked like a great place to ride when not raining but saw very few riders, perhaps because it wasn't a weekend...

Just spent a few days in and around Hilo, looked like a great place to ride when not raining but saw very few riders, perhaps because it wasn't a weekend...

There are a small number. I see a few people on road bikes climbing Puainako Extension (Hawaii 2000) every day, some even dressed in very un-hawaii-style full poser outfits. I even see some more local-style masochists doing it on mountain bikes! People (tourists or locals) are occasionally seen on Highway 11 doing the loooong climb up either side of Kilauea. There are frequent group cruises around Volcanoes National Park, which I guess are primarily people who live in the Volcano area. (an area dominated by the alternative-culture crowd) There is a mountain bike area on the side of Mauna Loa about 15 miles outside of town. I'm sure people regularly ride the loop around Puna, but I don't go to Puna much.

"dressed in very un-hawaii-style full poser outfits"

'Just curious, what would qualify as kama'aina-style non-poser kit?

"dressed in very un-hawaii-style full poser outfits"

'Just curious, what would qualify as kama'aina-style non-poser kit?"Kau Inoa" t-shirt, surf shorts, slippahs;)

Auwe! I bettah get crackin' and toughen up my feet fo riding Tantalus next month on da slippahs...:p

"dressed in very un-hawaii-style full poser outfits"

'Just curious, what would qualify as kama'aina-style non-poser kit?

Team jerseys (Discovery, T-mobile, Postal, etc) are poser-wear on all corners of the Earth. That's all.

sf is definetly cheaper than hawaii


plus, you arent on an island.

I'm moving to Maui this year from the northern suburbs of Chicago (near Wisconsin).

You guys are depressing me :(

I'm moving to Maui this year from the northern suburbs of Chicago (near Wisconsin).

You guys are depressing me :(
Once your here, just watch the mainland weather reports and you will feel much better. Unless you live in Hilo, of course.

Sproket Man wrote:

I'd recommend taking an extended vacation (4+ weeks) before you make a decision about moving here.

This is excellent advice, do this and you'll make the right decision. IMHO, 2-3 weeks in Hawaii is just about right, after that I grew to hate it more every day I was there. The people of Hawaii are tribal, and really don't like mainlanders. If you think you'll go there and get a job from your skill, knowledge and experience you are dead wrong, it is a closed society, you need to be in a predetermined ethnic group to work in many basic career fields.

Hawaii is vacation paradise, it is VERY hard to live there, and it takes some time to realize this, long after you've spent big bucks to get there and get set up for living.

Oahu is not safe for cycling, you don't have to die to be a victim of the anti-cyclist mood of Oahu.

Sorry, this was my experience there.

Don't be sorry; it's true.




Once your here, just watch the mainland weather reports and you will feel much better. Unless you live in Hilo, of course.

With no disrespect to the locals, I really didn't like that place. I used to fly to Hawaii with my previous job, and Hilo was unfortunately the destination. The other pilot and I would drive to Kona (Waikaloa) to get away...and it was well worth it.

With no disrespect to the locals, I really didn't like that place. I used to fly to Hawaii with my previous job, and Hilo was unfortunately the destination. The other pilot and I would drive to Kona (Waikaloa) to get away...and it was well worth it.

That's OK, we don't want the tourists here, and we hate that fake tourist-trap Konafornia with a passion. "Kona" is depressing - chain restaurants (Bubba Gump's???), strip malls, golf courses, mega-resorts, traffic jams and arid cow pastures...yech. Hilo is the only place in Hawai'i I'd ever consider living. (just barely, at that) I spend all my time exploring the cool air of the nice wilderness high above Hilo.

I could really dig living in Waimea. Hilo's a bit too PNW-ish, and Kona is too Southwest-ish. Just sayin'

That's OK, we don't want the tourists here, and we hate that fake tourist-trap Konafornia with a passion. "Kona" is depressing - chain restaurants (Bubba Gump's???), strip malls, golf courses, mega-resorts, traffic jams and arid cow pastures...yech. Hilo is the only place in Hawai'i I'd ever consider living. (just barely, at that) I spend all my time exploring the cool air of the nice wilderness high above Hilo.

I too like the area above and around Hilo, but Hilo proper is just too depressing for me. Living in Western Oregon, we get plenty of rain, and I'm sick of it. I don't mind the laid-back atmosphere, but I do want a dose of civilization. To each his own.

I agree with t4mv that Waimea is a great place. I'd definitely live there, but I don't recall much good riding roads.

Take your trainer for the extra miles :D
V

Waimea is ground zero for the devastation that ranching has caused here. The area around Waimea is the most thoroughly deforested part of the island. It always makes me sad to see that area.

Hilo is a small rural town, and not much different than such places on the mainland. You won't find a lot of things you'd expect to have in a "nice" town in the US. However, there are plenty of other things to enjoy once you've adjusted your expectations and figured out what's available. I had to reinvent my entire life when I moved here because of the differences, which wasn't a bad thing because now I get out and explore the wilderness up on the mountainsides a LOT more than I did anywhere else. I spend as little time in town as possible - I go straight up the mountainside in the morning ASAP and explore in the native forests until either rain or dark ends my daily hike.

The rain is vastly overstated, but that keeps the riff-raff away. ;)

I agree with t4mv that Waimea is a great place. I'd definitely live there, but I don't recall much good riding roads.

Actually, the Hamakua area just East of Waimea, around Honoka'a, is probably the best area of the island for variety of biking roads and trails.

Honoka'a eh?

I've wondered how the Old Mamalahoa Highway (Waimea east towards Honoka'a and then points southeast) might be to ride a road or mountain bike...any local opinions?

Well, there'd be good views along the west half of it, which crosses the barren ranch lands, and the east half is in trees and can be quite dark. However, beware this road is narrow and winding with lots of poor visibility curves. Safer in numbers, and sunny weather. The area between Honoka'a and Waipio has two quieter roads. It seems like there should be a lot of mountain bike opportunities in the eucalyptus plantations in that area, provided they aren't off-limits. I didn't see gates on the plantation road inlets last time I was around there. Most of the mountain biking would probably be up Mana Road towards Mauna Kea, but I've never been on that side of the road. There are various roads that go up the slope above the highway South of Honoka'a. They can be fairly steep. Most might be dead-ends, and you'd have to discover which are open and which are gated as you go. You'd really need more local info than I can give you, though. Perhaps you can call one of the bike tour places who operate in the Honoka'a/Waimea area, or a bike shop or bike rental place in the Kailua-Waimea area.

The best mountain biking here is mainly in the forests along Stainback Highway above Hilo

Thank you very much for your detailed answer. I envy anyone who has found their home in the Hilo area, it's not an easy place to adapt to, but I think it's very worthy of the effort. Mahalo

Just got back from Maui and I have a few observations:

There are bike lanes pretty much along the major roads/highways. They typically provide a wide lane to bike in. However, the cars don't really cut you any margin. Around here (northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin) since we have no lanes the cars typically pass wide around. It is a little unnerving to have cars pass within a foot at 55+ mph. Overall I was happy with the bike lanes.

I really had no trouble with motorists, one local yelled at me to "get in the bike lane" (I knew he was local because he was towing a canoe to the local canoe club beach just north of Kihei) at a place where there was no bike lane for about a 1 block stretch. Many more people yell at us around home.

I did notice on the "Road to Hana" many riders heading west, seemed kinda dangerous with the narrow roads and limited visibility. Does anyone know if people actually ride out to Hana in the morning and then ride back (more dangerous with more limited visibility in the eastbound lanes) or is it the custom to drive out and pedal back?

I would like to pedal up Haleakala, something for me to look forward to, but didn't have the time this trip.

It seems to me that there are enough places to ride, but getting 100 miles in on a single ride would be difficult. I can also see that there would be a limited number of routes to take for rides of more than about 20 miles. However, since there do not seem to be any big club rides (40+ riders) or much of a racing scene (other than the Race to the Sun) that the riding could be satisfying but not as intense as the hammerfests around here are. My final impression is that is okay, do I really need to ride for 3, 4 or even more hours at a time when there is so much else to enjoy, year-round no less?

I know this may be heresy at this site, but I could see a balanced life of cycling regularly, 40-120 minutes at a time, and leaving time to enjoy the beach, surf, snorkeling and swimming in pools under gorgeous waterfalls!

Ive been out of it fora while and i can't really speak for road biking but there are plenty of places to mountain bike, not all of them well known, some of em are on private land and you gotta get to know the land owner before you can ride, others are on public land and just nobody kows about em.

I'm in North Shore Kauai right now, and I can tell you that it's not a very good place to bike. :(

Most of Kauai is not set up for cyclists/pedestrians. My wife and I have been staying in Princeville and going down to Hanalei for about a week. We originally rented bikes to get around (trying to avoid getting a car) but it proved to be too difficult. Its fine if all you want to do is putter around the golf courses in Princeville, ride the short bike trail in Kilauea, or ride in town in Hanalei. You still have to be very careful, as drivers tend to be pretty absent-minded and not paying attention.

You would think that setting up a healthy, non-polluting, and free transportation infrastructure would be high on the list for Kauai, since the locals would benefit greatly from it as well - but its not the case.

Still - I am leaving here with the impression that Hawaii is a great place to visit - but unless you are from here, you really don't want to stay. Can't wait to get back on my bike in Portland! :)

what do you guys think about the accuracy of the descriptions on this map:

http://www.hbl.org/maps/

plus on all rides you'll have ferocious headwinds.

I'm going to be in Honolulu at the end of the month so I signed up for the Honolulu Century - I was wondering about the headwinds. Anyone have any past experience with that ride?

not I, I am at most a 3-hr rider :) right now anyway.

I am still curious if any of you islanders have a comment on that map.. If I'm going to be at Eva beach, it seems that there is a bike friendly road that would take me almost to pearl harbor, and then after a short distance of what they consider a road for experienced riders (but not unfriendly to bikes), there's another friendly path all the way round Pearl Harbor almost to Nimitz. Round trip this would be 20+ miles, which for me is a great daily workout. Maybe by then I'll be up to doing it twice for a ride.

My reasoning for bringing the bike is simply to get exercise and work off the mai tais or whatever. From Google Maps it looks like what they consider a green route has dedicated bike lanes, and what is yellow is a shared road. Here in Austin I regularly ride the shoulder of a highway (with lights) where people go 70+ mph. Only thing I'm worried about is the number of cars parked on the sides of the road there...

Anyway it just surprised me how down you guys are on biking there. hbl.org encouraged me quite a bit.. And aren't the speed limits at most 55, and at that only on the "interstates" ? From Ewa to Pearl Harbor they can't be more than 40 right?

Anyway it just surprised me how down you guys are on biking there. hbl.org encouraged me quite a bit.. And aren't the speed limits at most 55, and at that only on the "interstates" ? From Ewa to Pearl Harbor they can't be more than 40 right?

What's a "speed limit"? :o

still no comment on the map? :/ I'm looking for useful information here ya know :)

Kenny0,

That route you describe is a sunday ride favorite of mine one of a few i like to choose from. The trip from Ewa Beach to Waipahu is very safe as shown by the map. The Ride along farrington highway thru waipahu is kinda touchy at times but not hard at all. You can pick the bike path back up at the entrance to the dump. From there its pretty nic all the way to pearl harbor where you jump back on Kam highway and the road is wide and very safe From there If you have a military ID you come into pearl harbor and follow the path from nimitz gate all the way past the shipyard out to the entrance to the hickam airforce bike path then ride out of hickam air force base and you come out by the honolulu airport that will put you right onto the bike path to the end of nimitz drive to the beginning of Ala Moana drive there and back to ewa is about 45 miles. From airport to Ewa and back for me last time I did it was 39 miles but i didnt go onto the base at all. hope this helps you out and hope you enjoy the ride.

I'm going to be in Honolulu at the end of the month so I signed up for the Honolulu Century - I was wondering about the headwinds. Anyone have any past experience with that ride?

I've done the quarter century several times and did the 50 last year. Never had a wind problem, and I've never heard of one from people who have done the full ride either.

did most of the route from kapiolani park to kailua and back about a month ago after being off the bike for 3 weeks and besides being tired had no problems it was an awesome ride

I can't wait!!! thanks for the tips !

The ride was nice from a scenery standpoint but the strong trade winds and the horrible roads (both the surface condition and lack of bike lanes) really took away from the event.

I didn't do the ride but looking at the route map yeah it did go through some rather unpleasant stretches of road, mainly the portion in and around kailua and kaneohe. Otherwise though how was the honolulu century?

4000 people, 3000 flew in from Japan (with more high end bikes than I've ever seen in one place). We were able to start near the front and avoid a lot of the congestion. We also caught a break on the weather (in my opinion) as it was overcast and rained off an on for the first half of the ride, taking the intense sun out of the equation. Other than dealing with wheel spray when trying ride close, the weather was perfect for riding outside of the strong winds.

They kept telling me we'd get a tailwind on the way back but that was BS. The crosswinds, were 'interesting'. You'd get moving downhill pretty fast, but on the rough pavement the bike would bounce enough that the winds would just pick it up and move it over into traffic.

Having said all that, there were some 'photo-op' moments riding along the coast that made it a really memorable ride.

Nice, I wanna do it next year. I plan to do some of the HBL rides once I feel i'm in good enough shape so as not to impede the other riders.