Authorized Electra Bikes Dealer on Maui with Electra Cruiser Bikes

Hawaii Electra Cruiser bike rental Maui

As an authorized Specialized bike shop, West Maui Cycles is already well known for offering the best mountain bike and performance road bike rentals on Maui! We're also among a select group of bicycle shops authorized by Electra Bicycle to sell, service and rent Electra bikes. We are the only authorized Electra bike shop on Maui. In addition to new Electra cruiser bikes for sale, our bike rental fleet includes the powder blue Aloha Electra cruiser bike for women and a men's Electra cruser bike. The red Hellbetty tandem Electra cruiser is a popular bike rental for couples. And why not? What better way to sightsee in Lahaina than cruising on a bicycle built for two!

The Electra Hellbetty tandem bike rental on Maui

Electra cruiser bikes are certainly sought after for their cool retro styling with fun bike parts and accessories to create custom bike experience. Electra cruiser bikes are also a favorite cruiser bike because of their bike riding comfort. Electra cruisers include the trademarked Flat Foot Technology design for a more comfortable riding position:

The Electra Bicycle Company logo

It's easy to reserve an Electra cruiser bike for your Maui vacation! Wether you are here on Maui already or want to reserve your bike rental ahead of your Maui vacation, just select your rental bicycle, pick days you'll be riding and then complete the reservation. Your bike rental will be ready for you to pick up at our Lahaina bike shop!

West Maui Cycles in Lahaina is the only Authorized Electra cruiser bike dealer on Maui.

The Electra difference is the Electra Flat Foot Technology for a more comfortable riding position.

Bike to Work during National Bike Month and more Maui Bike Fun!

Did you know cycling is celebrated in the US in the month of May?May is National Bike Month and this year Bike to Work Day is today, May 17! To commemorate National Bike Month, we share the following fun biking facts about Bike to Work Day, Bike to Work Month and Biking in General. Being a local Maui bike store, we managed to weave in a few facts about riding a bicycle on Maui, too. After you scan through the short factoids, find out how you can get a FREE bicycle water bottle with the latest West Maui Cycles logo:

• National Bike Month has been recognized since 1956. The 3rd Friday of May is declared as the national Bike to Work Day celebrating cyclists who commute to work. The Third Week of May is designated as Bike to Work Week.
• With over 50% of US population living within five miles of their workplace, riding a bike to work is practical and saves money. The perpetual summer weather we enjoy makes getting to work by riding a bike on Maui even more practical and avoids the high cost of gas and maintenance. Do you bike to work on Maui? Share the details about your Maui bike commute in the comments section.
• In 2012, more than $4.6 billion was saved by Americans bicycling instead of driving.
• Trips of Less than 3 miles are faster by bicycle.
• Ride a bike on Maui to avoid generating the 3.6 pounds per mile of pollution short auto trips generate.
• $308. is the average cost of annual bicycle maintenance.
• $8000. is the average annual expense for an automobile.
• Save time and avoid parking fees in Lahaina by riding a bike. Ten bicycles will fit in the average auto parking space. Fortunately, you’ll find plenty of bike racks in Lahaina, Kaanapali and most other Maui locations.
• An average bike commuter travels at 10 mph.
• Use Your Work Commute to Exercise. On average, a 130 pound woman burns 300 calories on a 10 mile round trip bike ride while a 180 pound man burns 400 calories over the same 10 mile cycling route.
• All Maui County buses permit bicycles with storage for up to two bikes in front of the bus. Check your route and use the bus for if any parts of your bike commute you don’t want to ride.
• Most roads on Maui have a wide shoulder or berm suitable for riding a bike for sightseeing or commuting on Maui.
• Our Maui Bike Rentals begin as low as $15. a day for a beach cruiser bike. Performance road bike rentals are $60 a day. Most economy car rentals on Maui begin at over $50 per day plus fees and gasoline expenses.

If you used your bike to get to work on Maui on Friday, May 17, 2013, we’ve got a new West Maui Cycles bike water bottle for you! All you have to do to claim the water bottle is post a picture to our Facebook page. Make sure the picture includes yourself with your bike outside of a local workplace after you ride to work on Maui. Then, stop into the bike shop in Lahaina, identify yourself in the pic to claim your new bike water bottle. Or, if you are a Maui visitor and use a bike to commute to the beach, you may use a photo of yourself alongside one of  our West Maui Cycles rental bikes at the beach you commuted to on May 17. Either way, all images must be posted to our Facebook page before the end of May, Bike Month on Maui.

If we organized an event for next year for bike to work day or bike to work week, would you participate? Let us know in the comments section below. If we have enough interest, we’ll try to organize an event for the 2014 National Bike to Work Day. Would you ride with the mayor or attend a breakfast bike ride and rally for National Bike Month?

Thanks to the BikeLeague.org website for some of the details and info about the National Bike Month.

Keep up with the latest Maui biking info and news by subscribing to the West Maui Cycles weekly update: 

Maui Bicycle Blog and Maui Adventure Activities blog, West Maui Cycles RSS

Maui Bike Shop Facts for 100th Tour de France Cycling Race 3D Route

Le Tour de France Official Race Headquarters ship.

If you can’t make it to Maui for the Cycle to the Sun Ride up Haleakala, join millions of other cyclists around the world celebrating the 100th running of the famed Tour de France cycling race! To get ready for my trip to Europe for the cycling event of the year, before departing Maui I compiled a list of information about the Tour de France. Though I’m here representing cycling on Maui and West Maui Cycles bike shop, the list below should help you enjoy the tour almost as much as being here! The world’s best riders and cycling teams from around the world have already arrived on the island of Corsica and a ship has been commandeered as the headquarters for the Tour de France officials and press. The cyclists are housed elsewhere around the starting point. Read more and watch our Facebook page for updates from the race over the weekend or afterwards.

Bikes in Tour de France image.

100th Running of the Tour de France

When – The first stage of the race begins on Saturday, June 29 in Corsica. The last stage of the 2013 Tour de France bicycle race finishes in Paris, France on Sunday evening, July 21.

Route Map of the 2013 Tour de France Cycling Race.

Highlight of the 2013 Tour de France:

• 6 mountain stages with summit finishes
• 5 hilly stages
• 7 flat stages
• 1 team time trial stage (11)
• 2 individual time trial stages (4 and 17)
• 2 rest days

Distance – 2,088 miles or 3,360 kilometers is the total distance.

Where – Throughout France, of course! Take a look at the 2013 Tour de France Map pictured below for more details of the route. Or, take a look at the interactive map on the Official Tour de France website.

Course Route Overview – See the Tour de France Map for complete details of the Tour de France route and details for each stage of the race. The 100th running of the Tour de France begins on the island of Corsica on the 29th of June. After the 22 teams of 198 cyclists Grand Depart of 2013 from Porto Vecchio, the first stage will be a sprinters delight! With the Tour making it's inaugural appearance in this region of France, the first 3 stages of the 2013 the Tour de France will take place on the island of Corsica before the cyclists transition to Nice on the French mainland for Stage 4 where they’ll compete in the first team time trials.

The start of the 100th Tour de France on Corsica.

Next, cyclists make their way on Stage 5 riding through breathtaking scenery in the south of France with a finish at Marseille in the second longest stage of the race. Stage 6 on July 4 and Stage 7 conclude another 238 miles of riding when the riders finish up in Albi before climbing Stages 8 and 9 in the Pyrenees Mountains on Saturday and Sunday, July 6 and 7. The riders take a break on Monday the 8th before undertaking the 122 mile flat Stage 10 ride beginning in Saint-Gildas-des-Bois and ends at Saint Malo.

Stage 11 consists of two individual time trials on the 10th of July before another mostly flat Stage 12 ride covers the 135 miles in western France on Thursday, July 11. Stages 13 and 14 burn through another 226 miles with a couple days of hard climbing to Lyon before the long 151 mile stage 15 ride on Bastille Day, July 14 finishes with the grueling climb up Mont Ventoux. Cyclists rest on Monday, July 15 before the Tour de France resumes on Tuesday, July 16, for the 104 mile 16th stage ride followed by time trial Stage 17 on July 17. Difficult altitude climbing in the Alps will be featured in stages 18, 19 and 20. On Sunday, the 100th Tour de France cycling race comes to a finish with the 83 mile Stage 21, riding from Varsailles to the finish line at Paris Champs-Elysees after a ride around the famed Arch de Triomphe with an evening finish at dusk in the City of Lights!

Watch this 4 min, 3 sec video of the 2013 Tour de France Route with 3D Imaging:

Tour De France Website – The official 2013 Le Tour de France website, http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/

How Many Mountain Stages in the Tour De France – This year’s Tour features 6 Mountain Stages with varying degrees of difficulty. 28 of the climbs are rated Category 2 or above. The six mountain stages are listed in order below:

• Stage 8 – Castres to stage finish at AX-3 Domaine in the Pyrenees.
• Stage 9 – Saint Girons to stage finish at Bagneres-de-Bigorre
• Stage 15 – Fitting for the Bastille Day stage, the stage includes the most difficult climb of the 2013 Tour de France! The day of cycling begins in Givor and the stage finishes at Mont Ventoux. This stage features a a finish with an 11% grade at the summit and riders are likely to find the section similar to what cyclists endure on a bike climbing Haleakala on Maui!
• Stage 18 – Gap to stage finish at Alpe-D’Huez.
• Stage 19 – Bourg-D’Oisans to stage finish at Le Grand Bornand.
• Stage 20 – Annecy to stage finish at Semnoz

Television Coverage – Much of the 100th running of the Tour de France will be televised on NBC Sports TV, beginning with the start in Corsica on June 29 and ending with the finish on July 21 in Paris at the Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe. All stages of the race are being live streamed on NBCSports.com. Did you know the Tour de France is the third most watch sported event worldwide, just behind the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup Soccer matches?

Time Difference Between Maui and France - 12 hours. When it is noon here on Maui, it is midnight in Paris. Set the DVR so you don't miss any of the cycling action!

More Resources for the 2013 Tour de France - Review this comprehensive daily highlight summary of what to look for at the 100 th running of the Tour de France by Gayle Falkenthal for Communities Digital News at Washington Times.

See pictures of the riding routes and read more about the Mountain Stages of the 2013 Tour de France on the Podium Café at SBNation, where some of the above information was referenced from.

Tired of reading about biking and ready to make a reservation for a bike rental on Maui? Head over to our bike rentals page, choose the bike you want to rent for your Maui cycling vacation and then select the dates you need the bicycle rental. After you arrive on Maui, just stop by the bike shop in Lahaina to pick up your rental bike. It really is that easy! Make a bicycle rental reservation now:

Sacred Hearts Bazaar Gets Electra Bike Donation from Maui Bike Shop

Even after being in the Maui bicycle business for more than 20 years, our West Maui bike shop never tires of giving back to the community by participating in various local fundraising events or extending discounts to those serving our local community. Raising a family of our own on Maui, we understand the challenges local families face and know how important it is for local businesses to participate in the Maui community. As locally owned family bicycle shop, West Maui Cycles continues to be involved and give back whenever possible. One such opportunity presented itself last weekend when we were able to help Sacred Hearts School in Lahaina with their annual fund raising bazaar.

This year was the 41st Annual Sacred Hearts Bazaar! The community event has become a fun local tradition for the entire community as the 150 year old Lahaina school count on the two day event to supply funding for many for their student activities and very worthwhile educational programs. This year, the annual Sacred Hearts Bazaar was held on Friday and Saturday, March 1st and 2cnd. In addition to supplying two Electra Bike beach cruisers for the charity auction, we also converted our mobile bike shop into a popup shaved iced station. The shaved ice stand was staffed by West Maui Cycles owners and employees with proceeds contributed to the event. The shave ice station was set up in the school courtyard for revelers to enjoy while playing the traditional carnival games. Everyone had a great time and our bike shop is honored to contribute to the school and this very worthwhile family fun event in Lahaina! Mahalo for the opportunity.

Donating bicycles for the 2013 Sacred Hearts charity auction and supplying the shaved ice station are just a couple ways we participate in the Maui community. Throughout the year, we help our local fireman, police, lifeguards and other Maui County First Responders stay in shape for the rigors of their difficult physical jobs by extending a 15% discount at our bike store in Lahaina. And, we are always happy to see one of the TS restaurants employees in our bike shop being rewarded for their hard work with a 10% discount at West Maui Cycles. TS Restaurants employees at Hula Grill and Leilanis on Kaanapali beach as well as those working at Duke’s Beach House in the Honua Kai Resort on Kaanapali North Beach or Kimo's restaurant in Lahaina are eligible for the discount at West Maui Cycles. Have a business on Maui and looking for ways to give your employees an incentive to stay in shape? Get in touch with us and we’ll work with you to figure out a way to give your employees a break on their Maui bike gear! We love giving back to our local Maui community. Thanks for the more than 20 years of continued support for our family owned Maui bike shop! Your continued support will keep us around for another 20 years.

Reserve a mountain bike or road bicycle rental for a fun cycling vacation on Maui?