Bike down mountain in Maui
Feb 13th, 2006, 12:07 PM
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Bike down mountain in Maui
If weather is going to be rainy all the time would there be a danger in biking down the volcano? Mudslides? Also, really, is it dangerous as I've read on this forum to doing the biking?
Feb 13th, 2006, 01:31 PM
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Princess,
It is very safe as long as you pay attention. Each time a group goes out there is a guide leading the group and a guide at the end of the group with the van. If there are cars coming up or down they pull off to the side and let the cars go by. I have done the mountain bike ride and my wife won't go on a roller coaster with me but she did the ride and had a blast. You only pedal for 400 yards out of 30 miles.
It is very safe as long as you pay attention. Each time a group goes out there is a guide leading the group and a guide at the end of the group with the van. If there are cars coming up or down they pull off to the side and let the cars go by. I have done the mountain bike ride and my wife won't go on a roller coaster with me but she did the ride and had a blast. You only pedal for 400 yards out of 30 miles.
Feb 13th, 2006, 03:33 PM
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Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see how this would be enjoyable.
The moutain can be very cold even on non-rainy days. The last time I was there in May the temperature at the top was 39 degrees. And, there are other things to see/experience at Haleakala than just a sunrise, so if the bike company takes you out there for the sunrise and you head down right after, you're missing a lot.
This type of biking in cold and rainy weather just doesn't appeal to me - even if it is safe (according to the National Parks Service, there's an average of 24 deaths/serious injuries at Haleakala every year, most of which are from the commercial bike tours. But that's out of 70,000 cyclists, so the percentage of deaths/injuries is obviously very small).
The moutain can be very cold even on non-rainy days. The last time I was there in May the temperature at the top was 39 degrees. And, there are other things to see/experience at Haleakala than just a sunrise, so if the bike company takes you out there for the sunrise and you head down right after, you're missing a lot.
This type of biking in cold and rainy weather just doesn't appeal to me - even if it is safe (according to the National Parks Service, there's an average of 24 deaths/serious injuries at Haleakala every year, most of which are from the commercial bike tours. But that's out of 70,000 cyclists, so the percentage of deaths/injuries is obviously very small).
Feb 13th, 2006, 07:35 PM
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People find it enjoyable because if you live on the mainland the odds that you can ride down a volcano are pretty slim. The views at sunrise and as the day goes on are really good. By the amount of bike companies there are it is quite clear that many people enjoy it. You can list the amount of deaths on the streets of a big city a year and I am sure that would make Haleakala pale by comparison. If you ride safely you will be fine but it sure seems like you all don't want to do it so I am not going to change your mind. Some people like ice cream some don't that is what makes people different.
Feb 14th, 2006, 01:00 AM
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I have done this many times. I live on Maui and am married to an avid mountain biker. I am not interested in mountain biking, but every few months the two of us do a downhill on Haleakala. It is sort of way we meet each other halfway in regards to biking.
I have never done an escorted ride and you could never pay me enough to do one. I have always ridden with Haleakala Bike Company. They do an unescorted ride where they gear you up (real full suspension mountain bikes, wind/rain suit, backpack, and full face helmets) and take you to a staging area just outside the park and you ride down at your own pace. You leave immediately, while escorted groups wait up to an hour or more as they are released several minutes apart. They other guys give you single speed cruisers.
The ride itself is spectacular. We take our time, take in the views, stop for a picnic or just to sit and revel in the sights. The sights, sounds and smells of the ride are fantastic. You ride through eucalyptus, pineapple fields, and past flower farms. The scenery changes dramatically as you make your way down through several climate zones. Since we are unescorted and not on a time schedule (and have full speed mountain bike), we can explore side rides off from the main route.
As for deaths, there have been 11 in 20 years of downhill tours. We lose many more visitors to the ocean. In the past few months we've had several snorkel trip "events" out at Molokini. I believe the last time someone was killed doing the downhill was in 2002. An elderly man went over the side, on an escorted ride. Actually, most of the injuries occur to those on escorted rides. They ride too close together and when one goes down those behind often go down in a domino effect. A few months ago there was an accident that involved the van that was following behind driving into the riders. The large escorted groups tell you they make it safer because they can control the traffic with their escort vehicles, but anyone who has driven Haleakala Hwy recently will tell you the dozens of bike groups make the drive harrowing and frustrating. A single bike rider had plenty of shoulder and is easy to drive past. A dozen or more with a vehicle following, not so much. The other difference is with Halekala Bike Company you ride into Ha`iku. The escorted rides take you right down busy Baldwin Ave into Pa`ia. Residents and commuters are less than thrilled with the sheer number of groups coming through here each morning.
Everytime I have ridden this ride the weather has been great. Sure it is cold in the morning, but if you do an escorted ride you'll not be leaving until around 7 - 7:30. You don't leave directly from the summit. The sun is up by then, and you warm up pretty fast coming down. Unescorted you leave from outside the park and we prefer the later ride that leaves around 8. Yes, bad weather happens, but it is not the norm. Everytime I have ridden the weather was gorgeous and I have done this in Dec, Oct, March, May and most recently in Nov. There may be some moments of showers, but that is Maui. I've never heard of a mudslide.
That said, this is not the place to learn to ride a bike. It is important that you have control of the bike, konw how to ride with traffic and other cyclists, and know how to brake and take corners. But that would apply to bicycling on any highway.
I have never done an escorted ride and you could never pay me enough to do one. I have always ridden with Haleakala Bike Company. They do an unescorted ride where they gear you up (real full suspension mountain bikes, wind/rain suit, backpack, and full face helmets) and take you to a staging area just outside the park and you ride down at your own pace. You leave immediately, while escorted groups wait up to an hour or more as they are released several minutes apart. They other guys give you single speed cruisers.
The ride itself is spectacular. We take our time, take in the views, stop for a picnic or just to sit and revel in the sights. The sights, sounds and smells of the ride are fantastic. You ride through eucalyptus, pineapple fields, and past flower farms. The scenery changes dramatically as you make your way down through several climate zones. Since we are unescorted and not on a time schedule (and have full speed mountain bike), we can explore side rides off from the main route.
As for deaths, there have been 11 in 20 years of downhill tours. We lose many more visitors to the ocean. In the past few months we've had several snorkel trip "events" out at Molokini. I believe the last time someone was killed doing the downhill was in 2002. An elderly man went over the side, on an escorted ride. Actually, most of the injuries occur to those on escorted rides. They ride too close together and when one goes down those behind often go down in a domino effect. A few months ago there was an accident that involved the van that was following behind driving into the riders. The large escorted groups tell you they make it safer because they can control the traffic with their escort vehicles, but anyone who has driven Haleakala Hwy recently will tell you the dozens of bike groups make the drive harrowing and frustrating. A single bike rider had plenty of shoulder and is easy to drive past. A dozen or more with a vehicle following, not so much. The other difference is with Halekala Bike Company you ride into Ha`iku. The escorted rides take you right down busy Baldwin Ave into Pa`ia. Residents and commuters are less than thrilled with the sheer number of groups coming through here each morning.
Everytime I have ridden this ride the weather has been great. Sure it is cold in the morning, but if you do an escorted ride you'll not be leaving until around 7 - 7:30. You don't leave directly from the summit. The sun is up by then, and you warm up pretty fast coming down. Unescorted you leave from outside the park and we prefer the later ride that leaves around 8. Yes, bad weather happens, but it is not the norm. Everytime I have ridden the weather was gorgeous and I have done this in Dec, Oct, March, May and most recently in Nov. There may be some moments of showers, but that is Maui. I've never heard of a mudslide.
That said, this is not the place to learn to ride a bike. It is important that you have control of the bike, konw how to ride with traffic and other cyclists, and know how to brake and take corners. But that would apply to bicycling on any highway.
Feb 14th, 2006, 04:47 AM
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We also loved doing this bike ride but went with Aloha Bicycle Tours and went down at our own pace. We also didn't start riding down the mountain until about 9:00 when most of the other riders had passed the staging area where we started.
We had a beautiful sunny day. When I made the reservation, I was told I could cancel if it was raining--don't know if they still do that.
Aloha meets you at the Flower Farm and shuttles your bike up the one mile hill so you can ride through the Ranch and end up at the winery for a picnic lunch--this is a really beautiful part of the ride.
The trip was a highlight for our family.
The website for Aloha www.mauibike.com.
We had a beautiful sunny day. When I made the reservation, I was told I could cancel if it was raining--don't know if they still do that.
Aloha meets you at the Flower Farm and shuttles your bike up the one mile hill so you can ride through the Ranch and end up at the winery for a picnic lunch--this is a really beautiful part of the ride.
The trip was a highlight for our family.
The website for Aloha www.mauibike.com.
Feb 14th, 2006, 09:28 AM
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Ida - I guess I don't quite understand your question. The comments made by the OP's are "general". They discuss the pros and cons of the trip along with anecdotal comments about the safety aspects of the tour. How much more "general" can you get. It's up to you to determine if, based on everything you've read, the bike trip meets your particular standards.
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