A Little Advice About Biking on Maui
James Boote
A Vintage Cruiser bike on display at West Maui Cycles Lahaina bike shop.
The joys of biking on Maui over the holidays! Almost as much fun as the memory of seeing your first shiny red bicycle on Christmas morning and riding it around the neighborhood. Just as when you were a youngster trying to decide where to take that first ride Christmas morning, the choices available for riding a bike on Maui offer similar delight and merriment. Keep reading for Maui bike ride suggestions and a little advice to help make renting bikes on Maui easy.
One of the first questions to answer is where to go riding on Maui. We always answer: It depends. Where to ride will depend on the type of riding that will make you happy; your ability with experience level; your fitness and a few other variables. We want you to have a fun time riding on Maui and make the most of your cycling experience. With that said, here are a couple of our favorite ride suggestions, one for road cycling and one for mountain biking:
Bike riding on the West Maui Loop
If you love road bike riding with amazing coastal scenery, most Maui cyclists will agree the West Maui Loop is a must ride! The 65 mile loop can be done in a half day of riding and offers almost as much scenery as cycling the road to Hana. Many returning bike rental customers tell us Mr. Steepy is only slightly less challenging than the ultimate endurance climb up Haleakala. Get more details about the West Maui Loop ride and then rent a bike at West Maui Cycles in Lahaina. When you pick up your bike rental, ask for the latest advice on which way to ride the route or find out how to avoid riding into the trade winds during a ride around West Maui. Looking for a shorter ride, try the Olowalu Petroglyph bike ride.
For holiday mountain bike riding on Maui with the best bet for the fresh smell of pine lingering in the air, you'll want to get up to the Makawao Forest Reserve mountain biking trails located midway up the slopes of Haleakala. Often shrouded in a rain forest mist and shaded by a lush forest canopy, mountain biking in the Makawao Forest Reserve offers cooler weather riding with enough 'over the hills and through the woods' terrain to make grandma want to ride a mountain bike on Maui! But don't forget, after the cool trail rides in the Makawao Forest reserve, its easy to warm up when you get back to the beaches just a few miles away.
Ever thought about mountain biking on Maui? Watch this short Maui mountain bike ride video to see why you should:
Cruiser bike rentals in Lahaina at West Maui Cycles
Where is the best place to ride a cruiser bike on Maui? When we aren't out riding our mountain bike in the West Maui mountains or circumventing West Maui on a Specialized Roubaix, one of our favorite things to do on a Sunday morning is to ride through Lahaina on a retro cruiser from the Electra bike company. After picking up an Electra Cruiser or maybe the Hellbetty Cruiser tandem at West Maui Cycles, ride a few blocks over to Front Street and start with breakfast at Longhi's. After breakfast you'll be all set to explore the rest of Lahaina on a cruiser bike. Another fun option could be the short few miles loop from Lahaina to Kapalua with Kaanapali in between.
Not to be too self promotional, but it is our blog after all so naturally we're a little biased about the best bike shop to rent a bike on Maui or where to get the latest cycling gear on Maui: West Maui Cycles has one of the largest bike rental fleets in the Hawaiian islands and our bike shop is always stocked with the latest bike gear for sale and knowledgeable helpful staff to help. We stock everything from the latest performance road bikes and mountain bikes for sale to bike parts and equipment from the major manufacturers. Stop into our bike shop in Lahaina to pick up a new bike tube, a logo water bottle for a stocking stuffer or to get a bike shipped to Maui tuned up. In addition to logo gear to remember your cycling vacation by, we also carry cycling shoes, bike gloves, protective clothing, complete hydration systems and nutritional supplies. From bike parts to professional bike repairs, you can count on West Maui Cycles bike shop in Lahaina.
Ready to make a Maui bicycle rental reservation?