Maui Time Readers Voted West Maui Cycles Best Bike Shop on Maui!

West Maui Cycles Voted Best Bike Shop on Maui by Maui Time Readers

We’re pleased to announce for the third consecutive year and 4th out of 5 years, West Maui Cycles was voted the Best Bike Shop on Maui. The honor was bestowed upon us from the Maui Time annual Best of Maui 2013 Readers Poll. As most Maui cycling fans know, our little Hawaiian island in the Pacific is quickly becoming one of the leading cycling destinations and our competition for best bike shop increases each year. Though we like to consider other Maui bicycle stores as rival cycling colleagues more than competitors, we are a family owned bike shop in business to serve cyclists visiting Maui and the local Maui bike community. You’ll often see all the Maui bike stores collaborating on or promoting and supporting Maui cycling events collectively regardless of which bicycle shop is the primary sponsor or host. In general, what is good for the cycling community on Maui is good for the bike stores collectively. Accordingly, being named as the Best Bike Store on Maui is a huge honor we appreciate and think worth noting. More importantly, we know the readers had many choices from among our colleagues at other Maui bike shops and we our hugely humble for the appreciation you have bestowed upon our West Maui bike store. Thank YOU to all who voted for us and for your ongoing support with confidence in our Lahaina bike store!

You don’t get voted best bike shop on Maui 3 years in a row without doing things right! How do we do it year after year? As the owner of a small family owned bike store, I assure you it hasn’t been easy and it won’t get easier. With over 20 years as a family owned bicycle store in West Maui, we always strive to provide the best cycling experience on Maui regardless of a customer in need of a bike rental, bicycle repairs, looking to buy a bicycle or a visiting cyclist just stopping in to talk story or find out the best bike rides on Maui. We demonstrate our commitment to customer service by employing the best bike mechanics on Maui and providing a friendly fun environment to work in.

2014 Specialized Roubaix Comp Performance Road Bike Rentals on Maui

Along with the top notch mechanics performing bike repairs and keeping our bike rentals in top condition, our bike shop employees love cycling on Maui and bicycling in general! From our professional bike mechanics with years of experience supporting professional cycle racing teams around the world to the person ringing up your new replacement tube we simply eat breathe and sleep biking on Maui! Contributing to our success with cyclists visiting Maui is the fact our bike rental fleet is second to none on Maui and with more than a 100 rental bikes is one of the largest bicycle rental fleets in Hawaii! We keep our bike rental inventory current with the latest high performance road cycles and mountain bike rentals updated annually. As the closest bike shop to the annual XTerra World Championships at Kapalua, professional cyclists know they can always count on us for the support and the bike repairs they need during competition or while preparing to compete on Maui.

Speaking of keeping the latest road bike rentals up to date, I’ve been at the Specialized Dealer Demonstration days at Copper Mountain Colorado this week! And, we’d like our reader’s opinion of our new performance road bike rentals available later this year. Head over to our Facebook page for larger view of the 2014 Specialized Roubaix and let us know if you like the red or the black and why. Or, leave an opinion below in the comments. We anticipate these new bike performance road bike rentals will arrive in time for holiday vacation cycling rentals.

Have a Maui cycling vacation planned and need a bike rental? Hit the button below to pick out a bike, select your size and then provide the dates for the bicycle rental reservations. Or, give us a call for any help or questions about our bike rentals. Reserve a Maui Bicycle Rental:

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:

Top 4 Benefits of a Maui Bike Rental for a Cycling Vacation in Hawaii

Planning a Maui cycling vacation? Trying to decide if you should ship a bike to Maui or if getting a bike rental on Maui save money and time? Indeed, a difficult choice for many bike riders who love riding their own bicycle. We understand and want to help you enjoy your cycling vacation.

To help you make an informed choice, we present 4 benefits of riding a Maui bike rental instead of shipping a bike to Maui:

• Renting a bike on Maui is less expensive than shipping your bike on an airline. The major airline carriers impose hefty fees for shipping a bike to Maui. To understand the full costs to ship a bike to Maui and make comparisons, review our Maui bike blog article on bike shipping costs with links to airline bike shipping rules.
• Better bicycle equipment than you ride at home. Rent the bike of your dreams. Our Maui bike rental fleet is state of the art and each bike is personally maintained by our top notch bicycle mechanics! We personally adjust each bicycle rental to the rider and install your pedals. Each bike is thoroughly inspected and adjusted before and after each bike rental. Our fleet of Maui rental bicycles is replaced annually to ensure you'll be riding the newest bike technology available. From our Specialized Roubaix Compact SRAM Rival Carbon Fiber performance road bike rental and Specialized Stumpjumper Hardtail 29'er or Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp performance mountain bike rentals to our Electra Cruiser bike rental, you'll be riding the best rental bikes on Maui when you rent a bike at West Maui Cycles!

• Renting a bike on Maui gives you more riding time. You won't need to spend time packing and preparing your bike before you depart for your Maui cycling vacation. And, when you rent a bike instead of shipping a bicycle to Maui, you'll be on your bike road riding (or mountain biking) sooner and avoid wasting precious vacation time unpacking and assembling your bike at your hotel or vacation rental. Yes, you'll spend a few minutes to pick up your rental bike while we adjust it for you and install your pedals. Wouldn't you rather spend time hanging out in a bike store than at the airport waiting on your 'oversize cargo' to be available in baggage claim. Most of our customers install the bike car rack while we are processing their bike rental.
• Avoids risk of damage to your own bicycle. The airlines are notorious for abusing bicycles shipped to Hawaii. Avoid arriving on Maui all set to enjoy your long overdue cycling vacation only to be disappointed to find your bike damaged by the airline and needing to waste more time dealing with the airline and processing damage claims. Don't risk it, rent a bike on Maui!

Have you shipped a bike to Maui or used a Maui bike rental? Please share your experiences of renting a bike on Maui or shipping your bike for a cycling vacation in the comments section below.

Regardless of your decision to ship your bicycle or to rent a bike on Maui, we want you to enjoy bike riding on Maui! Whatever you decide, stop into our West Maui bike store in Lahaina to talk story about bike riding on Maui. In addition to performance road bike rentals, performance mountain bike rentals, Electra cruisers and hybrid bicycles for rent, we are a full service bike shop providing bicycle repairs and offer a complete line of bicycle parts and bike gear. Stop in to get a West Maui Cycles logo bike jersey or shop online for bike gear after you return home from a cycling vacation on Maui!

Ready to enjoy a Maui cycling vacation riding a performance bicycle? Reserve a Maui 

Early Birds Going After the Same Worm Mountain Bike Video

My head is still brimming with all the info about the new bikes and bike gear after returning from the Specialized bicycle dealers preview event in Utah last week. Specialized is certainly not resting on laurels when it comes to mountain biking innovation on their StumpJumper mountain bikes! While the Specialized StumpJumper has already enjoyed 30 years as a leading mountain bike, Specialized continues buildling upon the rich history with the latest mountain bike technology. Our performance mountain bike rentals include the full suspension Specialized Stumpjumper FSR and the Specialized StumpJumper Comp 29'er Hardtail. For 2013, Specialized kept to their StumpJumper mountain bike traditions by introducing new bikes and including innovative enhancements to the existing models!

Specialized made almost every model of their StumpJumper mountain bike available for the dealers to get acquainted with and experience demo rides during heir annual bike dealer event at Snowbird. There were plenty of Specialized StumpJumper Expert Carbon mountain bikes on hand, some equipped with 26 in wheels. Thats right, one of the options some riders will need to decide is whether to buy their bike equipped with 29 inch wheels or use the 26 inch wheels. That could be a tough choice to make! Either way, if you are thinking about buying a mountain bike, you couldn’t make a better decision than buying a Specialized mountain bike!

To help you decide on your wheel size and get aquainted with the StumpJumper FSR, check out the Specialized bike video where team riders Brad ‘The Hair’ Benedict climbs aboard a 2013 Specialized StumpJumper FSR Expert Carbon EVO 29 and Curtis ‘The American Dream’ Keene takes a mountain bike ride aboard the 2013 Specialized StumpJumper FSR Expert Carbon EVO 26. As you’ll see in this fun short 3 min 30 sec video, both riders are early birds out to catch the same worm:

Thanks to VitalMTBVideos for creating the awesome mountain bike video!

Whats the verdict? Do you think you would prefer a bike ride down Haleakala skyline trail on a StumpJumper equipped with 26 in wheels or 29 in wheels? Use the comments below to share your preference. Either way, head over to West Maui Cycles Lahaina bike shop for insightful bicycle buying advice and tips to help make an informed bicycle purchase decision. Being a Specialized bike dealer and equipped with the latest info from the Specialized bike event puts our Lahaina bike shop in the unique position of being able to offer you the best bicycle sales on Maui. And our course, our bike shop offers bike repairs and maintenance services along with Maui cycling gear. Our Maui bicycle rentals fleet includes mountain bikes, performance road bikes, hybrids and cruiser bike rentals! What could be better than figuring out your bike buying decisions while riding bikes on a Maui cycling vacation! Hit the link below to make a Maui bike rental reservation: