Touring - Has anybody ever bicycled in Hawaii?

Have any of you ever bicycled in Hawaii?

If so, how was it? Any suggestions?

I'm starting to have fantasies.

Hey Mike , me too Bro , I actually posted a question not so long ago In the general forum about this very subject. I am thinking of doing a tour of the big Island , off road on a mtb ! I've seen some photo's on one of the websites who organise tours and it looks very cool trekking around the volcano's and stuff .

Originally posted by mike
Have any of you ever bicycled in Hawaii?


Funny you should ask, but no, I haven't bicycled in Hawaii. But I will go with you. (By the way, will you be funding this trip?)

Boy do I have the book for you~~ am in the process of reading it right now~~ is published in England by a female cyclist who spent 8 weeks cycling Hawaii~~ Her name is Josie~~
Unfortunantly~ I just discovered that I left the book at work~

:eek:

will deliver name and author asap~~
b

Originally posted by mike
I'm starting to have fantasies.

Hey me too, I'm so glad to hear it.

Do yours involve big hairy men in leotards and baskets full of kittens also?

I've vacationed on Maui and the only bikes I remember seeing were the gravity rides they have at the Molaki Volcano. The single speed bikes have monster brakes and the tours scream down the smooth roads of the volcano.

You have to be careful hiking or mountain biking off the beaten path on any of the islands. People have been known to disappear when they stumble upon a hidden canabis crop. The locals don't take kindly to mainlanders as it is.

The road to Hana on a mountain bike would be awsome.

ok~~ whew~ couldn't rest til I got the info~
the book is titled "travels in a strange state"
author is josie dew~
her website is~
http://www.josiedew.co.uk/index.htm
this is, i believe, her second book~ and she does do hawaii~
elegantly i might add, a real hoot~
she also makes all eforts to be frugal~
enjoy:D
b

Mike I tried biking Kaui last summer, the traffic was much to much on a narrow road with no shoulder to speak of. Very few bikes.

Mike I tried biking Kaui last summer, the traffic was much to much on a narrow road with no shoulder to speak of. Very few bikes.


There are some pretty large areas on the big island where the shoulders are very narrow, if there are any at all. (also, lots of blind turns in some places) Just something to keep in mind. The locals also hate it when people ride bikes and don't stick as close to the shoulder (or as far from traffic) as possible.

Otherwise, I do see people riding around here...

Haven't toured, but I ride a bike almost everyday in Hawaii.

A while ago, I did a lap around the Big Island: http://www.mvermeulen.com/hawaii.html

I also took a multi-part trip a few Thanksgivings ago where I traveled from sea level to top of Mauna Kea under my own power. Above 9200ft it was hiking, but segments below that were on bicycle.

yes......


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrVdmqO_RTM

I toured on Kauai, Maui, Big Island, and rode in the Honolulu area. Maui & Kauai were my favorites. My friends and I disliked the Kona coast landscape. Riding up to Hawaii Volcanoes NP from Hilo is easy due to the very gentle grade. Riding up Waimea Canyon on Kauai is hard but worth it. The road to Hana on Maui is nice, but you don't need a mountain bike.

My wife and I are planning a trip in 2011 to the Big Island for touring. We plan to rent bikes and just ride around for a week :)

The local University of Hawaii group Cycle Manoa has done tours on O'ahu and the Big Island. PM me if you'd like details.

I thought the Kona coast was an amazing moonscape, but I can see where it would get a bit monotonous.

I lived on the Kailua side of Oahu for three years. I rode my bike to work and around Oahu on the weekends. We rode Maui for a week or so. Did the road to Hana before it was decently paved. In those days it was very rough. These days it is smooth, but just as narrow. I spend time on all the islands, but haven’t ridden on Kaui or the Big Island.

The big island is the location for the Ironman, and there are lots of cyclists in and around Kona. I rode most of the route before my race and I recall the roads being pretty good and no problems from the motorists.

I haven't ridden on any other islands, but I do recall the speed limits being relatively slow and thinking that in SOME places it would be fun to ride. Others, however, seemed to be quite congested. I would definitely look for a resource dedicated to cycling in Hawaii. Maybe Lonely Planet has one.

I rode around the big island in April 1997, Kona to Kona counterclockwise. I had a great time. Took a day off in Hilo to catch a tour van going to the top of Mauna Kea. Fantastic scenery and really great biking.

You can read some bicycle tour journals from Hawaii here:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/locales/?locale_id=51164&doctype=journal

Neil