Maui bike rental recommendations.

[d_douglas]

Well, the holiday is booked for March 10-19 to Maui and we are staying in Kihei. I have booked off an afternoon to ride the West Maui Loop and now I need a bike.

Is there a favoured shop in Kihei to rent from? I want something nice - call me vain. When I Google it, many shops come up on Maui, but I want to keep it local to Kihei for simplicity's sake. Unless someone says you can rent a Parlee the next town over :)!!

Any recommendations are welcomed.

[d_douglas]

One shop has SuperSix EVOs with Ultegra 11 for $50/day. Seems perfect.

Its called Boss Frog's or something like that. Their Email response was very professional.

[Schmed]

You can rent a Parlee on Niihau.... But seriously....

We rented bikes at West Maui in Lahaina (not really what you wanted), and they were Cannonade (?) carbon with Ultegra groupset. Good enough for us to ride Haleakala, which I highly recommend. Up.

Enjoy your trip!

[Look585]

No shop recommendation, but I will say its a relatively hard ride. Probably 65 miles from Kihei, and they are pretty heavy miles. Worth it for sure, but don't expect to leave at 1:30, average 20mph, and be home in time for your 5pm luau... :)

Also, don't forget to look for whales on the stretch between Kihei and Lahaina.

[d_douglas]

No shop recommendation, but I will say its a relatively hard ride. Probably 65 miles from Kihei, and they are pretty heavy miles. Worth it for sure, but don't expect to leave at 1:30, average 20mph, and be home in time for your 5pm luau... :)

Also, don't forget to look for whales on the stretch between Kihei and Lahaina.

Yay! Sounds awesome to me!

[PaulE]

I rented from them 3-1/2 years ago based on recommendations I found by searching here. I rented a carbon Litespeed with Shimano 105 for almost a week. They gave me a floor pump to use and a saddle bag with a spare tube, 2 CO2 cartridges and an inflator. They are a real bike shop with real support. Boss Frog and the others are rental companies - bikes, surfboards, snorkel and scuba gear. You want a bike that is tuned up and ready to go, not something that may not be ready to go that isn't really supported.

http://www.gocyclingmaui.com/bike-sales.html

[d_douglas]

I rented from them 3-1/2 years ago based on recommendations I found by searching here. I rented a carbon Litespeed with Shimano 105 for almost a week. They gave me a floor pump to use and a saddle bag with a spare tube, 2 CO2 cartridges and an inflator. They are a real bike shop with real support. Boss Frog and the others are rental companies - bikes, surfboards, snorkel and scuba gear. You want a bike that is tuned up and ready to go, not something that may not be ready to go that isn't really supported.

http://www.gocyclingmaui.com/bike-sales.html



Thanks - that's good info. I am trying to make this super simple. My wife is happy to have me doing something that I love, but she probably isn't as keen on me taking a good chunk of the day to do it. She'll get over it ;)

[kramnnim]

I also rented from Maui Cyclery. The owner (Donnie?) went out of his way to let me return the bike after shop hours, saved me an extra day of rental and a lot of driving.

[cornice6]

+1 Rented twice from them when I climbed up Haleakala in '12 & '14 and they set me up just fine. -aloha!



http://www.gocyclingmaui.com/bike-sales.html

[rockdude]

I had the worst retail experience ever at West Maui. Every time I walked though the door it got worst.

[old fat man]

I also rented from Maui Cyclery. The owner (Donnie?) went out of his way to let me return the bike after shop hours, saved me an extra day of rental and a lot of driving.

Pretty sure this is where I rented too. Back in 2010 to climb Haliakala. Top 3 ride of all time. I'd pick that over the West Maui loop unless the top is in the clouds.

[Bostic]

I called around the various bike shops with a three month lead time and selected South Maui Bicycles. They were the only shop that could guarantee a 52cm triple for my ride up Haleakala. That was a top 1 ride for me. I still remember every turn, every vista from that day in Nov. 2012.

[metalheart]

I had the worst retail experience ever at West Maui. Every time I walked though the door it got worst.

Same experience. I later checked out the shop in Paia (Maui Cyclery) and next time I rent in Maui I will use them.

[trener1]

When i was in Maui a couple of years ago I rented a bike in West Maui, but I did a shop ride with these guys in Kihei, http://www.southmauibicycles.com/RENTALS.php I would totally recommend that you rent from there, it's a small local shop with some great guys, at the time (2013) they were renting some nice Madones.

That is a fantastic ride, in case your interested here is my GPS file from that exact ride http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1176366
BTW make sure to stop at the famous Banana Bread stall at roughly the mid way point (right after the super steep downhill)

[PaulE]

I liked the altitude markers on the road along with everything else about that ride!

[etu]

Haleakala is an awesome ride. My only advice is that the first part of the climb along the busier and wider highway is a climb! The perspective makes you think it's flatter than it actually is. I pushed myself harder thinking I was going too slow and ended not pacing myself correctly and had to fight cramps at 7000ft. Definitely a bucket list ride.

[notoriousdjw]

Same experience. I later checked out the shop in Paia (Maui Cyclery) and next time I rent in Maui I will use them.

I have to say that my rental from West Maui was excellent. Bike and service exceeded my (admittedly low) expectations. One thing I noticed is that the bike reservations fill up fairly quickly so wherever you rent, don't wait too long to reserve something.

[jpang922]

I liked the altitude markers on the road along with everything else about that ride!

I think the credit goes to Frank@Velominati.

Part one: https://youtu.be/NxcqrCSbJ6A
Part two: https://youtu.be/NzgkNVxXeOI
Part three: https://youtu.be/GO9u2LEY-As

[notsew]

Bumping this back up for some updated recommendations.

Going to Maui in a few months, looking to book something now for the whole time I'm there.

Maui Cyclery is like a block from where I'm staying, but Boss Frog is like $100 cheaper for a 20 drive and similar bikes (scott at the former and carbon c'dale at the latter).

Has anyone rented from Boss Frog lately? I just want to make sure I'm not going to get something that hasn't been maintained reasonably well. Is the extra hundy at Maui Cyclery worth it??

I'm not planning to do the mountain or anything, just some morning rides so I can fulfill my desire to ride and still main domestic accord. I'll be in Paia, seems like I'll be able to ride right out of there pretty easy...

:beer:

[pdmtong]

Bumping this back up for some updated recommendations.

Going to Maui in a few months, looking to book something now for the whole time I'm there.

Maui Cyclery is like a block from where I'm staying, but Boss Frog is like $100 cheaper for a 20 drive and similar bikes (scott at the former and carbon c'dale at the latter).

Has anyone rented from Boss Frog lately? I just want to make sure I'm not going to get something that hasn't been maintained reasonably well. Is the extra hundy at Maui Cyclery worth it??

I'm not planning to do the mountain or anything, just some morning rides so I can fulfill my desire to ride and still main domestic accord. I'll be in Paia, seems like I'll be able to ride right out of there pretty easy...

:beer:
If you are in Paia you should be thinking about windsurfing or kiting more than riding...

[notsew]

If you are in Paia you should be thinking about windsurfing or kiting more than riding...

Unfortunately, my surgically repaired shoulder disagrees.

[d_douglas]

I can say that I rented from Boss Frog and they carbon Cannondale was in great shape.

What I didn't like was the hard sales tactics to Take other tourist type packages.it was pretty annoying actually, but if you know that going in,
The Frog doesn't disappoint :)

Bumping this back up for some updated recommendations.

Going to Maui in a few months, looking to book something now for the whole time I'm there.

Maui Cyclery is like a block from where I'm staying, but Boss Frog is like $100 cheaper for a 20 drive and similar bikes (scott at the former and carbon c'dale at the latter).

Has anyone rented from Boss Frog lately? I just want to make sure I'm not going to get something that hasn't been maintained reasonably well. Is the extra hundy at Maui Cyclery worth it??

I'm not planning to do the mountain or anything, just some morning rides so I can fulfill my desire to ride and still main domestic accord. I'll be in Paia, seems like I'll be able to ride right out of there pretty easy...

:beer:

[Drmojo]

I rented from them 3-1/2 years ago based on recommendations I found by searching here. I rented a carbon Litespeed with Shimano 105 for almost a week. They gave me a floor pump to use and a saddle bag with a spare tube, 2 CO2 cartridges and an inflator. They are a real bike shop with real support. Boss Frog and the others are rental companies - bikes, surfboards, snorkel and scuba gear. You want a bike that is tuned up and ready to go, not something that may not be ready to go that isn't really supported.

http://www.gocyclingmaui.com/bike-sales.html

and ride Haleakala from Paia!
10k ft climb if weather permits
Iconic climb

[trener1]

I also rented from Boss Frog almost 4 years ago, I chose them over one of the shops because I was starting my trip in one part of the island and finishing n another and they had locations on both places so I was able to rent at one location and drop off in the other, got a SuperSix as well, it was brand new, I was the first person that rode it, so I can't really speak to the long term maintenance.
I did have a chance to stop in at Maui Cyclery and chat with Donnie when I was in Paia one day, he runs a top notch shop and you wouldn't go wring at all renting from him.