Dan333SP

I'll be staying in a hotel on Waikiki in December for 6 days. I've never been to Hawaii before, and obviously I'm extremely excited, hence this thread 4 months in advance.

It's an in-law family trip, so I won't have a ton of time to explore the island via bike, but I'm hoping to bring my smaller necessities (helmet, pedals, shoes, kit) and rent a road bike for at least a couple days while there.

Do any of you have experience renting/riding on Oahu? We may have a rental car so I could leave Honolulu to pick a bike up/go for rides if the prices and accessibility in the city aren't great. Any tips for great climbs, roads to avoid, group rides, ect. would be appreciated.

seymour1910

Come down 64 and pick me up, we can answer all those questions together

Dan333SP

Sorry, we're flying out of RIC. If we were leaving Norfolk then yea, we do have a 3rd ticket we don't need and will probably just give to a stranger.

The flight is going to be brutal. I'm 6'3", we go RIC-EWR, then 12 hours on a nonstop from there to the island. I'll be lucky if I can feel my legs when we land.

Homebrew01

I had the same idea when I went. Then I saw all the traffic, and not so interesting roads and said screw it, went snorkeling instead.

The opposite side of the island might be bike worthy, but too much trouble in my case.

Dan333SP

OP- Try the search function next time.

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...-vacation.html

SMH.

scott967

EWR-HNL is the best way to go. Beats the pants off of having to change at LAX or SFO. I used to like Continental, but I think they have been beaten into submission by United.

IT&B on Kapahulu and The Bike Shop on S King rent road bikes (Felt and Specialized). I think you can get cruiser or MTB in Waikiki.

For $2.50 you can take a bus anywhere on the island (pretty much) each bus has a carrier on the front for 2 bikes (first come first serve).

From Waikiki most cycling will be towards the east (Diamond Head). To the west (Ewa) you head into downtown and it is just urban riding. But you can before you get downtown head into the mountains for the Tantalus loop (not super long but it is well used for climbing).

First weekend of Dec is the Marathon. You can follow the Marathon route from Waikiki east to Hawaii Kai and beyond. This is also the route of the Hawaii Bike League Century ride (end of Sept) so on their web site you can get that route if interested. It's out and back so you can pick your distance.

If you are up for it, it is possible to make a loop following the shore (going CCW, keep going to Haleiwa on the North Shore then follow Kam Highway across the center of the island to Pearl Harbor). At Pearl Harbor there is a bike path to avoid some unfriendly roads as far as the naval station (near Arizona Memorial). You still have to cross downtown from there but it's doable.

If you look at a map, you might be tempted by the Pali Highway from downtown across the mountains to Kailua. I know there are people who ride that but it isn't something I am up for.

Something else if you don't mind stop lights and just want to meander a bit in residential areas, you could ride to the back of any of the valleys such as Manoa or Palolo.

Final thing don't ride on sidewalks in Waikiki. They do ticket for that.

scott s.
.

StanSeven

I skipped the idea of renting a roadie bike and went with mountain. I did three rentals from two different places and the bikes were in excellent shape. This took no advance planning. The places had helmets as well. I got together with locals on rides and had a great time.

Dan333SP

Thanks for the advice, Scott! What's the weather typically like in mid December? We'll be there for the week leading up to christmas, and I understand it's the rainy season but I'm not sure whether that means daily afternoon downpours like in Miami where I'm from, or a week of nonstop tropical deluge.

f4rrest

@Dan333SP I stayed in Waikiki a few years ago. Rented an allez 62cm, same as my bike at the time, from The Bike Shop. One week was 125 or so. Recommended. Bring helmet, pedals, and GPS. They supply tools and tube, helmet too if needed.

Definitely ride up Tantalus mountain right next to Waikiki. Very little traffic from the base of the mountain up. Watch for water on the way down if it rained.

https://www.strava.com/activities/89430673

Also ride south around Diamond Head and further around the south of the island to the other side. There is some traffic, but it was tolerable.

https://www.strava.com/activities/89430630

I avoided Honolulu and middle of the island with heavier traffic and/or narrow fast roads without shoulders.

Wish I could go back and do it again.

exime

Yea I'd be in the Ocean on my free time too.

f4rrest

Diamond Head quick loop. Plenty of time back for fun with the family.

https://www.strava.com/activities/89430614/

pressed001

Riding through downtown HNL and waikiki on a chill mtb or cruiser would be cool. Forget the road bike for that, the streets are bad and the traffic is heavy. I think they have bike lanes in waikiki only. I could be wrong. I lived there 10 years ago and have been back only a few times since.

What you NEED to do, dude. Hawaii Loa Ridge hike and also the Crouching Lion Loop hike. Both are stunning, at times treacherous, awe inspiring, and breath taking. From up there you can see the natural side of hawaii and how it used to be. Very much unlike the congested roads and cities. For the Hawaii Loa hike you need to pass through security as it is a gated community. They will let you through with a day pass after registering. For crouching lion don't forget your partner and a handfull of balls. You will be better off with both (no pun intended)! When you hike all the way up there into the clouds, you can hear all the wild parrots squawking away. But most of the time you can hear nothing but the wind.

As a kid I used to deliver fashion jewlery to nearly every ABC store in Waikiki. You will become familiar with them as you stay right there.

I understand you're probably very excited to bike there. Do what you like man and I hope you really enjoy yourself. I suggested the hikes because from my years living there, they were the most stand-out memories I've got.

Cheers,
ck

StanSeven

I did something similar but kept going along the shore/highway before turning around. 8 miles isn't much of a ride.

f4rrest

@StanSeven yes I posted the 40 mile ride previously to waimanalo bay and another around Tantalus.

nitewing117

I'll be heading to Oahu (hawaii kai) for my first trip to Hawaii, ever, in October. Seems like the general consensus is that renting a road bike may not be worth the hassle?

mpath

YMMV, but I tried once in Kona, and never again. Never got dialed in, and my arse hurt like crazy. I now take my bike everywhere. Bite the bullet, invest in a good bike box (I have a Thule Transition), and check the airlines for cost. For me, Vancouver - Hawaii typically $150 return.

Dan333SP

I mean, that does seem to be the general impression, but I think I'll just do it for a day anyway and try some of the climbs/routes mentioned in this thread. Apparently we have a fairly structured vacation with activities pre-planned by the in-laws, but I have at least a couple mornings free so I still think it's worth bringing the essentials, plonking down $45 or whatever a daily rate is, and playing bikes in paradise.

Who knows if I'll ever go to Hawaii again? If I don't and I didn't ride on this December trip, I feel like I'd regret it. I guess we'll see.

Nitewing, if you end up renting one please share your experiences too.

Dan333SP

Just in case anyone searches for this with a similar question, an update on my trip-

I ended up not renting a bike. I called a place called The Bike Shop in HNL and they had a road bike in my size for $45/day, and if I'd picked it up on the 24th I could have had it through the 26th because they're closed on xmas and wouldn't charge for the extra day. Seemed like a good deal.

Still, I didn't feel the need because I ended up spending 95% of my waking hours outside either hiking, walking, or swimming. I spent a few pre-dawn hours on the first couple days riding stationary bikes in the hotel gym, but that was more just because I hadn't adjusted to the time change than anything.

We hiked Diamond Head, which was crowded and not very tough, and Koko Head, which is an endless stair-stepper that doesn't seem that bad until it starts raining and people all around you are slipping and sliding down a few steps at a time. I did it quickly and can now barely walk 3 days later thanks to sore legs.

I also hate running but found myself going for long runs just because it's such a beautiful place and you keep turning down different streets without wanting to go back. Snorkeling and ocean swims are also obviously great.

I did see plenty of road riders on the highway that heads north on the eastern shore from Waikiki. Traffic and the width of the margins on the road both seemed totally acceptable for good rides, so I could see myself enjoying a bike if I ever go back. This is what Christmas sunrise looked like from Koko-

PepeM

So you didn't get any KOMs? Disappointing.

99Klein 

We're going there end of May and first of June. I hope to get some ridding in even though there are no "climbs" on that island.

Dan333SP

Such a shame. Turns out the Koko Head hike has a leaderboard (of course)-

https://www.strava.com/segments/839260

30% grade with bits much higher than that towards the top. I'd hit that in my big ring if it were paved.

pressed001

Very, very cool. It sounds like you really enjoyed it there. That picture is great. There is a fine ridge trail leading away to the right. I wanted to do that but not with the wife. Those railroad ties sure aren't fun! I can imagine them when wet.

Dan333SP

On the way back down thank goodness I discovered that you can cut over to the side of the trail and avoid that trestle section that's ~10 feet off the ground with no planking between the ties. I definitely had visions of slipping between them as a skinny cyclist and breaking my legs.

Here's another shot, the rain that hit us moved out towards Waikiki and created a perfect rainbow coming out of Diamond Head. That plus a really happy local playing "Mele Kalikimaka" on a ukelele with a few others singing along around a little fake christmas tree made for one of those moments you have where every detail is seared into your memory because it's just so nice.

Like 99% of the other visitors to the island, I'm scratching my head trying to figure out a way to move there.

StanSeven

Except it has a high cost of living, some of the worse traffic in the US, not that many high paying professional jobs, the educational system is not so great, and lots of homeless people. Once you get away from the typical tourist spots, you will be surprised.

Dan333SP

Ha, a cabbie asked me if Texas is anywhere near Virginia and then apologized because he "went to Honolulu public schools". My company actually has an office in HNL, so there is an outside possibility I could end up with a professional job there and just swallow the massive difference in cost of living. It's never going to happen, but it's a fun fantasy.

If I ever get back to that part of the world, I'd love to stay in a little rental house on one of the less-busy islands. We stayed in the Sheraton on Waikiki and that place must be the busiest hotel I've ever seen in my life, just constant throngs of people at all hours of the day in an absolutely massive building. When you have to wait in a line to get on an elevator in the lobby at 11 PM, in a building with 9 elevators, it's too crowded.