Maui- Riding / Hiking Tips Needed

[rockdude]

Getting out of the cold of Colorado and heading to Maui (These last two days without a ride is killing me).

We will be staying in Kaanapali area and have a few questions for people who are in the know.

1. Which bike shop is near by that I can get a rental from?
2. Recommended & must do rides?
3. And most important, recommended hikes to a waterfall 3-6 miles in length. (for my wife)

Thanks.

[alohavolley1]

Poli,Poli Trail on the back side of Haleakala is what I usually recommend to folks. It is shared with hikers, but I've rarely seen them when we rode it.

The local shops are pretty helpful in this arena.

If you haven't made lodging arrangements yet, the Kaanapali Beach Hotel is one of our favorites. Low key and local. For something on the upper end, we've stayed at the Embassy Suites and enjoyed that as well.

[etu]

Beach to Mt Haleakala!
35mi up to 10K ft.
Stock up on fluids and bring layers.
Good ride info on ride section at the bottom of this bike web page www.chainreaction.com

[54ny77]

Ohhhhh, lucky dog.

Here was our last trip to Maui.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z113/jpmz06/Bike/IMG_5249.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z113/jpmz06/Bike/IMG_5316.jpg

We stayed in Kaanapali as well. Spectacular riding, no doubt! We rented our tandem at West Maui Cycles. They had a very nice fleet of Cannondale carbon road bikes w/Ultegra 6700 (no idea what model though), and unless you're hyper picky about bikes, I'm sure they're more than adequate for some great vacation riding over there. The only thing we brought was our own pedals and saddles, which the shop installed for us, and you might want to do the same so that some things can remain familiar.

p.s. you might want to look up a guy by the name of Donnie Arnault--he runs a bike tour company over there, more of the quick-riding variety. He was very helpful when I first inquired about riding over there.

p.s.s. i just remembered something....here's a good link over on vsalon on just this very topic. http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f2/hawaii-riding-maui-need-some-tips-12501-2.html

:beer:

[xjoex]

For some reason I read this title as "Mule-Riding"...

I prefer Maui to Mule...

-Joe

[old fat man]

I rode there during the christmas holiday. i did the ride up haleakala. it's no joke. a total blast but it's a 4+ hour climb (unless you're super fit). the descent is awesome too.

i rented from donnie in paia, where the climb starts. price was fair, bike was adequate. his guided rides are not cheap ($120+ per day with a rental bike) so i rode by myself. i would have loved to rent a bike for a longer period of time. there are enough options to keep you entertained for a week. go up into the hills and explore

for a hike, we did the waihee ridge in west maui. it was crummy weather but there are a number of waterfalls (none that you actually touch/swim though) to see.

as for beaches, we really liked swimming at big beach in waihelea, where the swanky resorts are.

lastly, be sure to try the shaved ice (every day). it's the perfect end to a day at the beach or on the bike.

[54ny77]

since you're in kaanipali, do yourself a favor and go on a 10 minute drive down the road in lahaina to the safeway market. walk to the back along the right side where the fish is, look for the little old lady beind the glass display case, and there you can order a taste of each of the amazing varieties of fresh (or frozen) poke. then, order at least a quarter pound of your favorite varieties, pick up some cold locally made beer, maybe a 2 or 4 pack of king's hawaiian sweet rolls, and that, sir, is the lunch of the gods. :hello:

i ate about a pound of poke a day +/- every day i was there. could do that every day for the rest of my life and never, ever get tired of it.

ahh, these are good thoughts on a bitter, frozen day. thanks!

by the way, poke made with fresh vs. frozen fish (or other seafood, which you'll see) is usually better, but not always. it's almost always 2x+ the price though, and not always worth it. that's why i said to go for the taste test first! the kimchee squid poke was unreal.

[rockdude]

Thanks for all the information, I am really getting excited. Keep it coming.

[rockdude]

How about good places to eat. Any recommendations?

[chuckred]

For a special evening.


Sansei for sushi.

[54ny77]

YES YES YES on Sansei in Kaanipali.

Be sure to go on the nights they are half price. I think it's Thursday and Fridays. Be sure to get there at least 45 minutes before they open and get a good place in line, as it fills up fast with locals and tourists alike. Late nights (after 10) on Fri or Sat they often have a band playing. MUST try the specialty panko crusted ahi roll... We ate there so many times, at both the 1/2 off hours and normal hours, it was our go-to place.





For a special evening.


Sansei for sushi.

[54ny77]

ps here's some more pics to get the ideas (and imagination) flowing...

this pic taken right by sansei restaurant, on the road that heads down the hill into kapalua. we were on a tandem.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z113/jpmz06/Bike/IMG_5216.jpg

this was another pit stop:

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z113/jpmz06/Bike/IMG_5255.jpg

we drove from kaanipali all the way around the island on hwy 340 to wailuku, then cut across the middle and back to kaanipali. beautiful drive. this is at honokohau bay.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z113/jpmz06/Bike/IMG_5378.jpg

at or near the base of the big hill coming out of the bay is a little roadside stand, hosted by a nice lady who sells homemade banana bread and other great snacks. it's a must-stop kind of place. the banana bread is unreal. at the top of the hill is a terrific art gallery & gift shop. at this very moment i'm looking right at my coffee cup, which is sitting on one of the locally made coasters we picked up at the gallery. the view from the back porch of the gallery is forever.....something i could look out at every day for the rest of my life and be perfectly content. :beer:

[ericspin]

MAMA's Fish House For a special evening.




Absolutely. We spent a magical night at Mama's in Paia after a long day trip to Hana. Just happened upon it at dusk and thought we would try it as we had read good reviews. Amazing food and awesome ambience. Might as well be sitting right on the beach. In fact, we damn near were sitting on the beach. 5 stars. Another place I really enjoyed was the Haillemille (sp) General Store in Upcountry. Not a real fancy place but more awesome food.

Not sure what your agenda is or if you have any interest in watersports type stuff but, if so, try a standup paddleboard while you are there. Most fun to be had and Maui is the holy grail of standup.

[victoryfactory]

Hike:

Drive up Haleakala and hike the sliding sands trail down into the
crater.
A long but unforgettable experience. The trail goes up a series of
switchbacks at the end and leaves you on the main road a couple
of miles below the summit (where you started.)

A tough walk back uphill or you can hitch a ride (that's what I've done)

[RPS]

3. And most important, recommended hikes to a waterfall 3-6 miles in length. (for my wife)

Thanks.
Not in the know because I haven’t been to Maui in a very long time, but if I had access to a car and extra time, I’d drive to Hana again – a cool drive. I would not ride it on a bike unless road conditions have changed a lot. From near there the hike to Waimoku Falls was enjoyable and memorable.

This photo shows beautiful Waimoku Falls, which is upstream from the Kipahulu ranger station. This is the one and only really tall waterfall on Maui that you can reach on a well-maintained trail ... it begins from the crowded parking lot at the so-called "Seven Sacred Pools." The hike to Waimoku Falls climbs about 600 vertical feet and takes about an hour one-way. The trail passes through a mystical bamboo forest ... when the wind blows the trees are transformed into giant bamboo chimes. While it is impressive to stand at the bottom and look up, the best perspective is from a helicopter.

http://adventuremaui.com/waterfalls.htm

[Greg Wright]

Best meal we had was at Mama's and it was evening after the trip to Hana. :beer: Fantastic beach view, but by far the food was the best we had the whole trip. Ono became my new favorite local dish.

[spiderman]

...with the travel bikes...
thanks for posting and all the recommendations...
i forwarded the link to my wife
--she's really getting excited about the trip, too--

[rockdude]

This forum is great. My whole trip has been planned base on recommendations received by you guys. Thanks for all of your responses. I will post some pix once I get back. :banana:

Hey Spiderman I emailed you.

[maunahaole]

The Pipiwai trail outside of Hana is a great waterfall hike. If you are making the drive out to Hana, do this hike. It is several miles PAST Hana if you are coming from the Paia side (which you probably will be).

[rockdude]

The trip to Maui was wonderful and the riding was incredibly. Below are some pix and descriptions.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f236/roc-dude/WP_000070.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f236/roc-dude/WP_000067.jpg

The ride around West Maui is about 60 miles of beautiful coastline with a lot of up and down short hills.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f236/roc-dude/WP_000072.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f236/roc-dude/WP_000071.jpg

The night before I rode the loop, the area was flooded with heavy rains and the road of littered with rock, some bigger that truck.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f236/roc-dude/WP_000088.jpg
I rode up Haleakala and it was much tougher than I expected. The route I took was 84 miles and over 10,500 feet of climbing. Took 4 hours to get the top with steady riding. On top, I was above the clouds and didn't have a view. On the way down, 12 miles were in dense fog (clouds). Total trip time was a little less than 7 hours


http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f236/roc-dude/WP_000101.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f236/roc-dude/WP_000096.jpg

Along with cycling we did some hikes, watched 100s of whales, snorkeled, ran on the beach and had some great food at Mama's.

[victoryfactory]

Sitting here in my NYC basement lair/prison looking at your photos of
freakin' Maui gives me a weird kind of hope.

Like, at least someone went over the wall. At least someone made it out.
Good on ya mate.

VF

[rockdude]

The only downer of the whole trip was West Maui Cycles. I was in the shop four times and each time I was appalled by the customer service. I can't believe a business can stay in business treating people the way they do.

[spiderman]

awesome pics!
glad you had such a great week...
...and thanks for the inspiration!
yatm!

[54ny77]

Sorry bud. I shoulda warned you that they work a) seemingly half-stoned, b) on Island time, and c) rude.

Other than that they were great! :crap: :banana:

The only downer of the whole trip was West Maui Cycles. I was in the shop four times and each time I was appalled by the customer service. I can't believe a business can stay in business treating people the way they do.

[victork]

Here is a map (http://westmauicycles.com/Maui-Bike-Map/Maui-County-Map-1802x1506%20copy.pdf)

Best 60 mile loop you will ever ride around the small part of the island. The back side is awesomely beautiful

[rockdude]

Here is a map (http://westmauicycles.com/Maui-Bike-Map/Maui-County-Map-1802x1506%20copy.pdf)

Best 60 mile loop you will ever ride around the small part of the island. The back side is awesomely beautiful


Nice map. I tried to find it when I was there but was told it was not currently in print. I think its being updated.

[little.man]

Here is the link for Donnie Arnoult's shop

http://www.gocyclingmaui.com/

Had excellent service from Donnie. Helped that we were from New Orleans. (Donnie's home town).

If you want to drive all the way around Maui, i.e. keep going on the road to Hana, then rent a jeep. The road is gravel, one lane in places around the mountain, with widened sections in order to pass. Course, the rental place will tell you that you are not allowed to drive the jeep there and you are on your own if you get in an accident. It looked to be free range in places, so keep your eyes open for cattle on the road. I thought it was pretty cool. There is a winery once you get back on paved road. Wine is made from pineapple, so think real sweet.

Did not eat a Mama's, but did eat at some small roadside place down from there tucked just off the road that I thought was great, so dont be afraid to try the small roadside cafes.

Definitely bring a rain jacket along with some winter clothes if riding up Haleakala. It can get cold and wet at the top.

[maunahaole]

Figure Haleakala will be 30-40 degrees colder than sea level. Little or no water or food available at the higher elevations. Bring some cash, as you will be required to pay admission to enter the national park. Higher elevations of the mountain are open range and there are cattle roaming on the road in numerous spots. Weather is very variable at and near the summit and will not necessarily be consistent with your starting point. Bring warm stuff and be prepared to layer on and off. The winery is a nice spot - the wine is nothing special, but it is a nice shady spot with some grass. Nice place to have a picnic and take a rest.