Is the Haleakala Downhill worth it?
 

I have heard differing viewpoints regarding the Haleakala downhill bike trip. What does everyone think? <BR> <BR>Thanks, <BR>Cary

Do NOT miss that trip. It was the highlight of our trip to Hawaii. We took the 2:00 a.m. trip. You get to the top of the mountain while it's still dark (and cold!!!); the stars look like diamonds in the sky, and so close you feel like you can pluck them out of the sky. Sunrise on top of that mountain is like nothing I've ever seen before. The trip down the mountain is spectacular! Anyone can do it--it's all coasting. I can't wait to go back and do it again.

i would do it, but not the sunrise one. it's freezing at the top of that mountain. we had brought winter clothes b/c we were told how cold it was, and it was still really cold. <BR>then you are exhausted from waking up at 2 am, and when you get back to your hotel at noon, your day is shot. we were so tired, we couldn't even nap on lounge chairs, we needed the bed! <BR>i would do the daytime trip, however. <BR>the ride down was great, you see a ton of stuff. and it is all coasting.

THis sounds great, who runs it and how do I found out about it?

when you get to maui, ask your hotel for a rec on a tour co. there are tons. you definitely want one that provides Columbia windsuits, fleeces and gloves, if you are doing the sunrise one. <BR>if i were doing it again i would get those little handwarmer packets that you crack and they keep your hands and feet warm when you ski. <BR>yes it was that cold! and no i am not from florida!

We had one problem with the ride. Our guides were in a hurry, they rushed us at the top, the sun was barely up and they had us on the bikes going down and they went fast. One lady (about 35 yrs old)fell off the bike and ended up riding down in the van. She was really shaken. Just don't let them rush you, enjoy the sunrise and stay to look into the volcano.

We decided not to do it. My mom really wanted to but she sprained her ankle a few days beforehand so we decided not to risk it. We did drive up to the top of Haleakala to see the sunrise and that was great and definitely worth it (once -- probably wouldn't do it again though). To see the sun come up from ABOVE the clouds is an amazing thing. However, I cannot emphasize enough how cold and WINDY it is up there. We brough a thermos of hot coffee and wore appropriate clothing -- long pants, thick socks, hiking boots, long sleeves, and windbreakers with hoods -- but we were still freezing and once the sun came up we high-tailed it back into our car as quick as we could even though we would have loved to have done some hiking. It was simply too cold to enjoy. When we saw all the bikers up there I was really glad we weren't biking down and were riding inside our nice heated car. It is very funny though -- by the time you get to the bottom you have the air conditioning on! <BR> <BR>I would advise choosing one of the following: either go to the top of Haleakala for the sunrise, or bike down it later in the day. I would not bike down it at sunrise. Too cold.

Believe me, this is the BEST bicyle ride you will ever take! <BR> <BR>Yes, it is cold up there - 45 degrees on a warm night. <BR> <BR>Yes, you have to get up at 2:00 to get up there early. <BR> <BR>Our guide was very careful about our safety and allowed us to set the pace. The van blocked cars from trying to pass us so you could ride down the middle of the right lane. I think the company name was Maui Mountain riders. <BR> <BR>

Cary: Do it! IT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR 2 WK TRIP TO HAWAII. It was worth getting up in the middle of the night, it was worth being cold for a short period of time, it was worth it all around. You will never see anything like it. You will be truly sorry if you don't. If I can do it (my husband and I are over 50) you can. It will be something you will talk about the rest of your life. The bike tours give you adequate outer clothing. Just bring your sweats and wear shorts under them because half way down you will be shedding your clothing because it gets warm. It only takes 5 minutes for the sun to make a complete appearance but you will be so psyched up you will not notice the cold. Honest! Do it!!!!!

Cary, Definately worth it! It was the highlight of my trip. As another poster mentioned, the bike tour company provides adequate outer clothing. It is cold at first but not intolerable. It's a great experience. Don't miss it. Enjoy.

Hi, Cary. I was on Maui in July last year. We drove to Haleakala mid-morning, stayed for a few wonderful "viewing" hours - the views are just fantastic - and then drove down the mountain. I'm not an athlete but I'm in shape and after seeing how fast all those bicyclists (is that a word?) go down that mountain, there is no way in h**l I'd take that trip. We passed at least six different groups going down the mountain and they were often traveling faster than we were in the car! I'm not an old lady - I'm in my forties. Plus, how could you see the great views going down Haleakala if you have to concentrate on the curving road and your speed the entire time? Well, maybe I'm a slug but if you're not athletic, I would not recommend it. <BR>Kim.

Cary, the sunrise was amazing...I wouldn't miss it! However, for the money ,( over $100) I would drive up myself and see it. You would be able to leave later. Our tour guide was good and supplied us with wind pants and jackets and gloves...it was still cold! <BR>the ride down the hill was interesting, but not really worth the amount of time it took in total for the whole trip. Remember, you spend a lot of time picking people up at their hotels and dropping them back off.

We went up with later in the morning with Aloha Bicycle Tours, and instead of just coasting down the mountain, did some cycling, ending up at the islands' only vinyard for a good picnic lunch. The people who did the dawn ride not only had to get up at 2am, but were cut off from a whole part of the experience by being encased in heavy suits and helmets. We were given a 7.30 picnic breakfast in Kula, before being brought up to (just short of) the top, then came down at our own pace, allowing us to stop and admire the view. <BR> <BR>If you go up at dawn, there is a 50 - 60% chance you won't even see the sunrise (cloud cover), you'll be cold, and the park is fairly crowded. Going up there at sunset, however, it is warmer, there are fewer people and you are more likely to get a good view. <BR> <BR>HTH, <BR> <BR>dfx

Just did this bike trip last week. Got up at 1:30AM and was on top of the mountain at 4:30AM. Sunrise supposed to be about 6:30AM. It was COLD up there but at the time it was clear. Around 5:30 heavy fog moved in then at 6:00 it started raining. Did not come close to seeing a sunrise and visibility was about 30 feet. This was a guided tour that rode down from the top, 10000 feet plus. They go down no matter what the weather, our guide said they rode down in 40MPH winds the week before. We had heavy rain about 3/4 of the way down the mountain. Even though we had windbreakers/raincoats, it was a miserable ride and we were soaked,especially our shoes.Our guide was only interested in getting us down as fast as possible and told us so. <BR>Certainly you take your chances with the weather and if it is clear I'm sure it is a great sunrise. But, there are as many as 30 to 40 tours that leave from the top and they will not let you stay long at the top. Also the point is to get you down FAST so the hill doesn't get clogged with bikers. So you will not see much scenery on the way down because you have to watch the rider in front of you so you don't run over them. If you must do the bike trip, take one of the UN-guided tours. They take you to the top early also, but then they drop you at the 6500FT level and you come down on your own, at your own pace and you can stop any where you want. Of course you must still watch the traffic but if you experienced on a bike you should be able to handle it.You cannot ride down from the TOP unless it is a guided tour. We had badluck with the weather, but I would not do the guided tour again.

We've done the Haleakala bike trip twice, guided and unguided. I definitely enjoyed the unguided more - went at our own pace and stopped along the way when we wanted to. There were 8 of us, ranging from 26 to 68, and we all had a good time despite getting rained on the lower 1/3 of the trip. Be sure to wear clothes you don't care about because if it rains, its almost impossible to get the red dirt stripe that you will get up your back completely out of your clothes! I was 57 at the time, slightly overweight and definitely not an athelete but had no trouble on the ride. Hey, take a chance - you'll probably enjoy yourself!

Aloha bike company went out of business. The best, and safest companies are the unguided ones. Think Haleakala Bike Company and Maui Sunriders. The guided companies have a very poor reputation here in upcountry Maui. Road rage is common. They tend to rush you down the hill like herding cattle. Accident and death rates are higher. The view inside the volcano is great and worth the trip, even if you just drive up yourself. Stay safe. Visit our site for more information, at bikemauisafety. Aloha..