Maui Downhill
 

Message: Can someone advise me on the Bike ride down the crater? Is this a ggod thing and worth a day? Sounds really cool. The price seems great. Wife and I are both in pretty good shape in our early 50s. Is Maui Downhill a good company to go with. Would appreciate hearing others experiences. Mahalo.

My family and I are considering this for our September trip to Maui. The tour company that we will definitely use
(if we decide to do it) is the Aloha Bicycle Tours at mauibike.com. I e-mailed them for info and got a great response right away in terms of a return e-mail and a very nice personal letter and brochures. They provide a trip that allows you to stop as often as you like on the ride down, as well as lunch at the Tedeschi Vineyards. The only setback is that they don't pick you up, you have to meet them at a park at the base around 7am, then they take you up to the top in a van for the ride down. In other words, if you were wanting to see the sunrise before your ride, you have to take care of that yourself. Anyway, check out their website, because their tour looks way more interesting (and a lot less touristy) than the other tour companies.

I did the Aloha Bicycle tour and loved it - total highlight of my first trip to Maui. Gotta admit that although I'm still young, I am completely out of shape. There was only one hill that gave me trouble. I had to stop because my shoelace got caught in the bike chain. Once I stopped, I just couldn't get up the one bad hill.

It was very funny because once I got off and walked my bike up the hill - the two older guys in front of me did the same - guess it was less of an ego bruise for them knowing that a young guy couldn't make it.

That said - the owner of the company was our guide. After visiting a flower farm we split into two groups - those of us who were into the less challenging road, and those who wanted to push themselves. Worked out perfect for everyone.

While going down the volcano was great - some of the other country we rode on was even more spectacular. What amazing views!

SF-I've been reading that there is traffic to contend with, so that it is difficult to keep your eye on the scenery. I want to be able to look around...that said, how did you find this aspect of the ride?

I also must highly recommend Aloha Bike Tours. My husband and I rode with them 3 years ago and were very impressed. It is a family-run business and Marc heads the tours himself. He is very knowledgeable and takes small groups.

We were also very relieved to have chosen them because on our way down, we came upon an accident scene. The (unnamed bike tour company) van driver following its last rider had fallen asleep and hit the biker! Some of the bigger outfits seem to employ 20-somethings to run their tours ? my guess is this one had partied too hard the night before. Watch out for these clown operations.

If I remember correctly, Aloha was a little more expensive, but well worth it. Try www.mauibike.com

Was on Maui for a sales trip and know a number of people who biked down the crater; they did this at the crack of dawn (recommended) and there is no traffic or at least, very little -- at 5:00 am. Have fun

Aloha does not do the sunrise thing - who really wants to get up that early? There was very little traffic when we made the run - probably because all of those other companies do their thing first off.

That said, you do have to keep your eyes open and your hands on the breaks. I found the ride after the volcanoe - that only Aloha offers - to be the best part of the excursion.

They really take you off the beaten path, really high up (after the volcanoe). It's like getting two rides for one. It's pretty amazing.

As I said, the highlight of my first Hawaiian vacation that I'll always remember.

Where do they take you that is really high up after the volcano? You can't go any higher than the summit of the volcano.

It was three years ago but we used Mountain Riders Bike Tours and did the sunrise ride down Haleakala. It was great! It is a pretty easy ride, very few hills. Great breakfast, too. Their website is mountainriders.com

Rusty - with Aloha we went down the volcano and stopped at a Protea (flower farm). From there it was the one kind of steep hill that I walked up - then it was just enough downhill to get you up the next without really peddaling much.

Even though you're not high high up the volcano - you're still about equidistant between the top of the volcano and the beach far below. The same views I imagine a hang-glider has with your feet still planted on the earth.

After that spectacular ride you'll all meet up again at an island winery where you can sample pineapple wine and enjoy a sandwhich and snacks provided by Aloha.