3 West Maui Bike Rides

Vacationing on Maui and looking for something fun to do? What could be better than renting bikes and going for a bike ride on Maui? Don't know where to ride on Maui? We've compiled a few suggestions for easy and fun West Maui bike routes. These rides are for casual riders and are suitable for the whole family. If you are looking for more serious riding or challenging mountain bike rides, head into the bike shop or give us a call at (808)661-9005 to get advice. When you rent a bike at West Maui Cycles, ask for directions to get to the best riding or for more detailed advice about the bike route you’ll be riding.

A Lahaina to Kapalua Bike Loop – One of the best ways to explore West Maui is from the seat of a bicycle! Roads aren’t crowded with busy city traffic, scenery is amazing and most riding in West Maui is on flat or at most includes only gradual climbing. Unless you head around the West Maui Loop for a few challenging hills to climb, riders of any ability will enjoy cycling in West Maui. A popular fun bike ride begins in Lahaina and goes north up to the resorts of Kapalua and the famed Plantation Golf course. Start at West Maui Cycles in Lahaina and ride North along the Honoapiilani Highway until you reach Kapalua. If you want to minimize riding the same road twice on this route, you’ll want to head off the highway at Kapalua and take the left onto Office road in Kapalua. If you don’t mind a little backtracking, extend the ride another mile or three by heading past the Kapalua Resort and continue riding till you get to the north side of Honulua Bay. After you explore Honolua Bay and Slaughterhouse Beach or the Planatation Golf course, get back on the highway for a short ride south until you see the Office Road in Kapalua. Take Office road toward the ocean. You’ll pass the Kapalua Golf Academy, Sansei Sushi restaurant and the Ritz Carlton Kapalua (all on the right side of the road) hotel. Take a left at the end of Office road where it joins into the Lower Honoapiilani Road. Ride south on the Lower road through Kapalua and into Napili. Pause at Honokeana Bay to watch the turtles for a few minutes. The ride continues south along the Lower Honoapiilani Highway, passing through towns of Kahana, Mahina and Honokowai before rejoining the Upper Honoapiilani Road for the return ride back into Lahaina Town. This ride is approximately 25 miles round trip and would be suitable for any of our road bike rentals. Or, rent a mens or ladies Electra Beach Cruiser for a fun way to enjoy a leisurely bike ride with beach breaks along the bike route. Our Electra beach cruisers include a handlebar basket for your swimsuit and towel. All of our bike rentals include a cable with lock and a bike helmet. Take a look at the Lahaina to Honolua bike route details below and then load the bike map into your mobile device:

View Lahaina-Kapalua-Honolua Bay-Lower Road-Lahaina Bike Route in a larger map

Lahaina to Petroglyph at Olowalu Bicycle Ride - We've highlighted the details of this fun coastal West Maui bike ride in other article here on our bike blog, but thought it worth mentioning again as a family bike ride opportunity. With the exception of the Petroglph, the rest of the Lahaina to Olowalu bike ride is coastal flat stretch of pavement. After you pick up your bike rentals at West Maui Cycles in Lahaina, head back onto the Honoapiilani Highway and ride south through Lahaina. Once you get to the southern end of Lahaiana, the first beach park on the right will be Puamana. Keep riding South along the coast until you reach the trees overhanging the road and the little community of Olowalu. You’ll see the Olowalu General Store and Leoada’s Pie and Sandwich shop on the left. Look for the trail cutoff. Get all the bike route details and download the Google map for the Lahaina to Olowalu bicycle ride into your mobile device.

West Maui Mountain Biking – Join our West Maui Cycles Shop Ride on Sunday afternoons to discover where to go mountain bike riding in West Maui! This is a group mountain bike ride and we usually explore one of the many West Maui mtb trails. We often finish at a vantage point perfect for catching the spectacular sunsets at the end of the ride. Rent a full suspension mountain bike and get Dad out for our Sunday afternoon group mountain bike ride! One of our shop riders will guide the group of mountain riders on trails in the West Maui Mountains. Be sure to call the shop before the ride to find out where to meet at 4 pm in time for ride start at 4:30. NOTE: This week’s group bike ride is slated to start from McDonalds in Kahana instead of the usual shop starting point of the bike shop in Lahaina. Because weather and other dynamics may change the starting point or where we’ll ride, be sure to give the shop a call for the latest details.

Ready to go for a bike ride on Maui? A few more suggestions for Maui bike rides. Please use the comments section below to share other ride details or ask questions about Maui biking. Ready to rent a bike to ride on Maui? Then hit the button to make a Maui bike rental reservation:

Not Maui Mountain Biking! The Red Bull Monserrate Devotees Bike Race

Ever experienced a vacation cycling Maui or mountain biking the trails of Haleakala? We like all road and mountain biking, regardless it being mountain biking on West Maui in the abandoned cane fields, a crazed Haleakala bike ride down the Skyline trail or other mountain bike rides from distant parts of the world! As most of you know, Red Bull sponsors a mountain bike team and is highly active promoting mountain biking around the world. Read the recap and watch the The Red Bull team bike video capturing the excitement and thrills from their recent stairway bicycle race in South America.

Completed in just under four and a half minutes, the 2.2 kilometer bike race took place in Bogotá Columbia on the 11th of May, 2012, claiming the Guinness World Record for longest stairway downhill bicycle race. Watch the Red Bull riders in compete in the Red Bull RED BULL Devotos de Monserrate 2012 official video:

Not up for the Red Bull Monserrate Mountain Bike races? Or, vacationing on Maui and don't think you would enjoy an organized Haleakala bike ride? Instead, want to rent a mountain bike to ride down the backside of the volcano at your own pace? We have you covered for all your mountain bike riding on Maui! We offer mountain bike rentals, including the Stumpjumper FXR mountain bike or the Specialized HT 29'er. Don't risk your flesh to the red dirt and lava rock cinders on a Haleakala bike ride! The trails in Poli Poli and on Haleakala can be slippery and you won't want risk wasting days of your Maui vacation healing after a crash. Our family owned and operated Maui bike shop, West Maui Cycles in Lahaina, stocks mountain bike gear for all the mountain bike rides on Maui! And, we're alway happy to share our local information about the best local Maui mountain bike trails!

9 Facts to Know About the Cycle to the Sun Maui Bike Ride

The 2013 Cycle to the Sun Maui Road Bike Race Trophy

While most of the cycling world’s attention will certainly be fixated on the most famous road bike race in the world next weekend with the 100th running of the Tour de France, not to be forgotten we have our own prestigious cycling competition on Maui. The 36 miles of challenging climbing up the 10,000 foot Haleakala bike ride in the 2013 Cycle to the Sun challenge takes place on Saturday, June 29. Reserve one of our performance road bike rentals by Specialized or bring your own bike to ride. Either way, competition will be fierce with many of the best climbers riding their bikes up the steepest longest paved road on the planet! To help visitors to Maui attending the Cycle to the Sun or watching from afar, we’ve compiled 9 facts worth knowing about the 2013 Cycle to the Sun bike race:

1. When is the 2013 Cycle to the Sun? Saturday, June 29, 2013. Entries must be submitted no later than Friday, June 28, 2013 at 3 pm HST.
2. How long is the Cycle to the Sun? 36 miles on paved road. This is the longest, steepest paved road on earth.
3. How Many Feet of Climbing? Cyclists will climb 10,023 vertical feet before reaching the Haleakala Summit. Be prepared to climb the steepest and longest paved road on our planet!
4. Do the Cycle to the Sun Race Organizers Provide Support or Aid? Yes, the race includes several aid stations situated at strategic points along the course. Entry fees include complete support with medical and bicycle service staff for this organized cycling event on Maui! The post race event features a bbq with award presentation for riders to meet and mingle with the Maui biking community.
5. What Time is the Cutoff to Finish the Cycle to the Sun? Riders have six and a half hours to complete the ride and need to complete the bike ride prior to 1 pm.
6. Is there a Relay Ride for the 2013 Cycle to the Sun? Yes. For 2013, there will be three stages with relay segments ending at the 2700 foot and 6500 foot elevations before the final summit climb finishes at 10,000 feet.
7. What Was the Winning Time Last Year? The best completion time in the 2012 Cycle to the Sun for the legendary climb up Haleakala was 2 hours, 54 minutes and 32 seconds with a close second just 26 seconds later. The fastest women up the hill completed the bike ride in just under 3 hours, 26 minutes, 51 seconds with the next fastest female almost 6 minutes behind.
8. Where Do I Register for the 2013 Cycle to the Sun Race? Register for this year’s Cycle to the Sun ride on BikeReg.com before Friday at 3 pm. You may also purchase the 2013 Cycle to the Sun cycling jersey, too.
9. Where Can I Find More Cycle to the Sun Cycling Information? Head over to the Cycle to the Sun website for more details, history and other information.

Thanks to our colleagues at Go Cycling Maui and Maui Cyclery for organizing and managing this cycling event! Now organizing the event for the 5th year, professional bike racer Donnie Arnoult, has been successfully utilizing his extensive bicycle event organizational skills to turn the event into a world class cycling event.

If you aren't able to make it 100th running of the Tour de France this year, Maui will be the road cycling center of the universe with the 2013 Cycle to the Sun next weekend! What could be better than bike riding on Maui? Next up for cycling on Maui after the Cycle to the Sun, mountain bike riders and extreme sports fans will want to make their way to Maui for the 2013 XTerra World Championship at Kapalua in West Maui at the end of October. Whether a mountain biking fan or road cycling enthusiast, West Maui Cycles is ready to rent the best bikes on Maui! Stop by the Lahaina bike shop during your visit to Maui.

Maui Performance Road Bike Rentals

Need a bike to ride in the 2013 Cycle to the Sun? Reserve a performance road bike rental from West Maui Cycles. We feature Specialized Roubaix Compact SRAM Elite Rival Carbon Fiber Road Bike Rentals and the the Specialized Tarmac Comp Mid-Compact.

The Endless Summer Biking on Maui and Around the World

Kicking off an endless summer of cycling, BMX bike fans enjoyed the XGames in Los Angeles and the 99th running of the Tour de France is underway! The cycling world will toast a glass of fine French champagne when the winner is crowned on the 22cnd. Keep an eye on your favorite road bike riders and teams while you check out the latest performance road bikes from the major bike manufacturers, including our Maui bike dealer brand, Specialized. The latest in bicycle technology is always on display at the tour de france. The first few days of racing already saw some nasty crashes even before the riders get into the mountains!

While some were busy keeping up with the XGames, mountain bikers got to witness another installment of the Cross Country Mountain Bike World Cup races in Windham New York. Specialized S-Works team rider won the race on a StumpJumper 29’er HardTail, just like the mountain bikes we rent on Maui. Watch a couple mountain bike video clips from the factory Specialized bike team and the Monster Energy Specialized Team at Windham:

World Cup Bike Video:

Monster Energy Specialized Team at Windem for the Mountain Bike World Cup Video:

Credits: Specialized Bikes - West Maui Cycles is a Specialized Bike Dealer on Maui!

As noted above, the annual Tour de France bike race is roaming about the beautiful French country and mountains, completing the 6th stage earlier today. Do you think it’s still too early to pick a race winner? Do you have a favorite? Use the Maui bike blog comments section below to let us know who you think will win the 2012 Tour de France! New to the road bike racing or have Tour de France questions? Get answers to your Tour de France questions on the bikerader.com forum and visit The Guardian’s Tour de France 2012 Interactive Guide.

Later in July, the Olympic bike races get underway with the Men’s road bike race on the 28th of July and the women’s race the next day. After the road bike racing events, the Olympic cycling events continue in August with mountain biking, BMX and Track bicycle racing all from England. The Track cycling events start on Aug 2 while the BMX events run from the 8th to through the 10th. The mountain bike riders won’t race at the Olympics till August 11 for the women and August 12 for the men. The Olympic mountain bike races are being held on Salvation Army land at Hadleigh Farm and Hadleigh Country Park in the grand old English countryside.

Not to be forgotten, we have our own Maui cycling competition with 36 miles of climbing the 10,000 foot Haleakala bike ride in the 2012 Cycle to the Sun on August 25. Bring your bike or reserve one of our performance road bike rentals. You’ll be competing against some of the best climbers bike riding up the steepest and longest paved road on the planet! And, you’ll be in Maui bike riding! What could be better? Ok, maybe you need a bike rental for the 2012 XTerra world championships at Kapalua in West Maui in October? Either way, mountain bike or road bike, West Maui Cycles caters to performance biker riders. We only rent the best bikes on Maui!

Can you tell I’ve been nursing my broken finger back to health unable to enjoy mountain biking in the West Maui Mountains? I usually get out at least a once a week and its already been over a month since my last mountain bike ride! To help me with my lack of riding time, please share your Maui bike ride pics and videos on our Facebook page.

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Book a Maui Bike Rental Reservation Faster and Easier!

Maui bicycle rental reservations at West Maui Cycles in Lahaina.

Renting a bike in Maui is easy!West Maui Cycles in Lahaina Hawaii has made it easier than ever to reserve a bicycle rental on Maui before your arrival. Our web site bike reservation system provides you with the ability to reserve a rental bicycle in a variety of sizes. Even when the mood strikes you to rent a bike spontaneously while already enjoying your Maui vacation, you can use the Maui bicycle rental reservation system too! Next day and same day reservations and walk-ins are always welcome at West Maui Cycles.

Our extensive Maui bicycle rental inventory with options to select the bicycle rental and specific size options based on your dates of rental is at your fingertips whenever you are ready to reserve a bike rental on Maui. Our Maui bike rental selection includes performance road bikes by Specialized, high performance mountain bike rentals (full suspension and hardtails), Electra cruiser bike rentals for riding around Lahaina or Kaanapali, high performance tandem bicycle rentals and the newest addition to our tandem rental fleet, the Electra Hellbetty cruiser tandem bicycle rental!

Electra Hellbetty Tandem Maui rental bicycle by Electra is perfect for cruising Lahaina Town

In addition to making it easy for our customers to reserve a bike rental on Maui, our new reservation will speed you through the checkout and checkin process, leaving you even more time to enjoy your Maui bike rides. Visit our web site rental section, select the bike to rent on Maui, select the dates you want to rent your bicycle and pick the size. Add your personal information and book the reservation - It's really that easy!! Our system will send you a message confirming your Maui bike rental reservation is being processed. Shortly before your bike reservation, another message is sent with final details regarding your bike rental on Maui.

Are you ready to book a Maui bicycle rental reservation NOW? Please use the comments section below to let us know if you like the reservation system or to ask any questions about renting a bike on Maui. We also perform bike repairs and service at our Maui bike store in Lahaina!

Subscribe to our Maui bike blog to keep up with the latest Maui biking news and Maui bike ride information.

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Answers to 4 Questions about Riding the West Maui Loop Group Ride

Cycling in West Maui on the weekly group ride.

Each week riders are getting together for a fun morning group ride around the western section of Maui! A shorter less demanding alternative than biking to Hana and back or around South Maui, is the West Maui Loop bike route. Whether you join our morning ride or make your own way, you can always count on the approximately 65 miles (104 km) around West Maui to be one of the less traveled rides on Maui!

With the weekly group ride departing from our shop at 7:30 am, you'll be back in time for lunch and ready for an afternoon of mountain biking or lounging at the beach. If you ride with us regularly, we keep the weekly rides interesting by riding the bike route clockwise and other weeks we ride it counterclockwise. Either way, you'll have fun enjoying the camaraderie and scenery. Almost all of the ride is coastal and even the section across the middle of Maui that isn't passes through active sugar cane fields with plenty of views of Haleakala, South Maui and Molokini. We can talk about riding the West Maui Loop all day! Instead of talking about biking on Maui, nothing like a quick video of the bike route from a recent visitor's experience. After watching the video, scroll down to get answers to those four questions about the West Maui Loop bike ride:

4 Common Questions about Riding the West Maui Loop:

1. What bike should I rent for the West Maui Loop ride? Any of our high performance road bike rentals would be ideal! From our top of the line performance road bike rentals, the Specialized Roubaix or Tarmac with carbon fiber frames to the Specialized Allez with an alumunium frame, our bikes are top of the line and maintained by the best professional bike mechanics on Maui! Take a look at details and specs in our road bike comparison chart. Whichever road bike rental you choose, you'll be on a bike more than suitable for the West Maui Loop bike route.
2. What Should I bring for the Weekly Bike Ride? Fill your bike water bottles with water or other hydration beverages. Even though we start at 7:30 am, it can warm up quickly on Maui. If you are a new Maui visitor, your body will probably require more liquids than usual due to the humidity. Bring a supply of your favorite energy bars. You should also carry id and a small amount of money for emergencies or to purchase food or drinks along the way. Otherwise, just bring your bike, helmet, shoes, gloves and whatever you normally would carry on a weekend ride. And don't forget your sense of humor and spirit of adventure! You are going to be cycling around West Maui in a remote part of the island most visitors never see or experience. Let alone experience from a bike saddle!
3. Can I get a rental bike just before the Weds group ride? Since our bike shop opens at 9 am on weekdays, you'll need to pickup your bike rental the day before the group ride. Our Lahaina bike shop is open till 5 pm daily on weekdays. Please arrive early enough to get fitted for a bike and process the rental. Then, carbo up and be at the bike store in time to begin the ride at 7:30 am on Weds morning.
4. Is the Ride for Locals or Visitors to Maui? We welcome anyone who enjoys bike riding on Maui to ride with us on the weekly shop rides. The rides are casual and non-competitive. Wednesday mornings is the shop road ride and our mountain bike ride happens on Sunday afternoons before sunset (meet in front of the shop at 4 pm). Both rides leave from the West Maui Cycles bike shop. Use this map for directions to the bicycle shop in Lahaina. Read more details about shop road ride or the group mountain bike rides.

Use the comments below to share your own experiences from the group rides or riding the West Maui Loop. Let us know of any questions you have about the bike route or bicycling on Maui in general.

Ready to reserve a bike rental to ride for a cycling vacation on Maui?Hit the the button below, choose a bike, complete the reservation and a bicycle rental will be ready and waiting for you to pick up at the Lahaina bike shop. Make a Maui bike rental reservation for your Hawaii cycling vacation NOW:

4 Reasons Why Maui Mountain Biking is Hot

Specialized mountain bike rentals at West Maui Cycles in Lahaina

As the only West Maui bike shop renting bikes for more than 10 years, we’ve observed the Maui mountain bike scene grow from humble beginnings into one of the most popular activities on Maui! Mountain bike riders are attracted to Maui for a number of reasons, among the best being our perpetual summer weather with tropical conditions combined with unmatched diversity of mountain biking opportunities close to nearby world class resorts. Some choose Maui as their cycling vacation destination because of the many activities available to participate in with their families in addition to mountain biking. Others choose Maui for a cycling event such as the XTerra World Championship or the Cycle to the Sun road bike race.  Many are simply looking for alternate fun ways to explore Maui while doing something they love, mountain biking! For mountain bike rides, Maui serves up some of the best bike trails with the most options available for all levels of riders. Read on for the primary reasons more cyclists are opting for Maui mountain biking for their next cycling vacation:

Single track Maui mountain biking in West Maui.

• Variety of Mountain Bike Riding Terrain – All types of mountain bike trails are available across the island of Maui. With multiple micro climates and elevations ranging from sea level to the 10,000 foot dormant volcano of Haleakala in South Maui or the slightly shorter West Maui mountain capped by one of the wettest locations on earth, mountain bike riders of every level find bike trails suitable to their skill level along with plenty of variety and challenge. We live here and ride these Maui mountain bike trails daily! We are never bored or tired of riding on Maui! Accordingly, you can be certain you won’t run out of mountain bike ride options and opportunities to go mountain bike riding on Maui. From professional bike riders competing in the XTerra World Championship at Kapalua or mountain bike rides down the famous Skyline trail on Haleakala to single track trails in the defunct pineapple fields above Kaanapali to Kahana, mountain bike riders on Maui have all levels of riding in any kind of terrain available on Maui!
• The Best Mountain Biking Weather on the Planet – Where else can you find mountain bike trails with the diversity offered to bike riders on Maui? From tree covered shady trails winding through mountain forests in the Makawao Forest Reserve or on the PoliPoli mtb trails and an extreme downhill mountain bike ride down a volcano on the Haleakala Skyline trail to the single track bike trails through the pineapple fields above West Maui or in Kihei areas of South Maui, mountain bike riders have every kind of ride available in the climate they prefer!

Specialized Stumpjumper mountain bike rental from West Maui Cycles

• Easy to Get To Mountain Bike Trails – From beginner mountain bike trails to the some of the most advanced mountain biking available anywhere, Maui offers it all with everything in between without spending a day getting to the mountain bike trails! Even the Skyline trail for a ride down Haleakala, the most difficult to get to of Maui trails, takes no more than a few hours to reach. Begin early to combine a Haleakala bike ride with an amazing sunrise from the top of the world before descending on the Skyline trail. Maui roads are easy to navigate and make getting to the best mountain bike rides on Maui quick and easy! Bike racks are available for rent. Check out our Haleakala Downhill Special with the bike carrier and mountain bike rental combo deal!
• Easy Access to High Performance Mountain Bike Rentals – When you want to go mountain biking on Maui, you won’t need to worry about renting a high performance mountain bike. Our West Maui Cycles bike shop in Lahaina and a few other Maui bike shops offer a fleet of mountain bikes matching your favorite brand and type of mountain bike. Our performance mountain bike rental fleet features the full suspension Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29’er  and Specialized Stumpjumper FSR with 26 in wheels. For HardTail fans, our mountain bike rentals includes the Specialized Stumpjumper HT 29’er Comp mountain bike! Rounding out the fleet for less competitive bike riders but still plenty of technical mountain bike prowess, the Cannondale Quick CX4 Hybrid and the Specialized crosstrail bike rental are more than capable for riding the Olowalu Petroglyph trail and other mountain bike trails. West Maui Cycles bike rentals are available in a variety of sizes. Ask us and we’ll help you match a rental bike to your size and type of mountain bike riding. Use our online reservation system to ensure the mountain bike rental you want is available for your bike vacation on Maui!

Maui mountain bike riders have no shortage of bike rental options.

With all these great mountain bike trails available on Maui, you'll probably be hearing even more about Maui mountain biking! Use the comments below to share your favorite mountain bike ride on Maui! Ready to book a vacation to go mountain biking in Maui?

The West Maui Loop with Images from Maui Metric Century Ride

This week's Maui bike blog article is nice and short so I can get out of the office and into the saddle for a late afternoon bike ride in West Maui! Since many of you told us you want to see more images of bike rides on Maui and bike videos from riding routes on Maui, we'll get right to it! A couple weeks ago, the Maui Metric Century was hosted by our colleagues down at the Kihei bike shop, South Maui Bicycles. With the cycling event passing nearby our bike shop in Lahaina and traversing the bike route of our weekly group ride, we thought you would enjoy the video Maui photographer Todd Craig put together from his ride around the West Maui Loop:

There are a few more organized bike rides on Maui coming up! The next big bike riding event is the Maui mountain bike relay on Saturday, May 25, 2013 at the Makawao Cemetery in Makawao Town. Click the image to see a larger version of the Maui Mountain Bike Relay flier or go to MauiRaceReg.com to register to ride in the 2013 Maui Mountain Bike Relay and help benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui!

Benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters Maui in the Maui Mountain Bike Relay

There are a few more organized bike rides on Maui coming up! The next big bike riding event is the Maui mountain bike relay on Saturday, May 25, 2013 at the Makawao Cemetery in Makawao Town. Click the image to see a larger version of the Maui Mountain Bike Relay flier or go to MauiRaceReg.com to register to ride in the 2013 Maui Mountain Bike Relay and help benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui!

The next big road cycling event is the legendary Cycle to the Sun race on Sunday the 29th of June. Join the Maui cycling community for the 10K feet vertical climb up the steepest paved road ride on earth! It's only a 36 mile climb up Haleakala. Sign up today for the solo run or team with fellow cyclists for a relay climb. Where will you put your strongest climber?

Don't forget to join us for our weekly shop rides on Sunday afternoon or Wednesday morning:

On Wednesday mornings at 7:30 am, the road cycling group takes off for a fun bike ride around the West Maui Loop.

On Sunday afternoons, mountain bike riders meet in front of West Maui Cycles at 4 pm to be ready to depart the bike shop in Lahaina for the sunset mountain bike ride in the West Mauii mountains at 4:30.

These fun group bike rides are open to visitors and local Maui bike riders alike. You can rent a bike from us for the rides, too!

3 Answers to Common Questions about Maui Biking on Haleakala

Biking on Maui.

Maui is quickly becoming one of the most popular bike vacation destinations in the world! With the diverse selection of riding options available and riding opportunities suitable for every ability and style of bike rider it isn’t surprising. The area of Haleakala alone serves up options from the most extreme mountain biking imaginable to cruiser bikes coasting down the volcano after watching the sun rise over the world. Road bike riders have a choice of challenging themselves on the ride used in the legendary Cycle to the Sun road race featuring one of longest paved road bike hill climbs on the planet or conquering the road to Hana on a performance road bike. Most refer to the summit area as Haleakala while the coastal areas are usually called East Maui and South Maui. For bike trips to or from Haleakala summit, we provide advice and answers to the most common questions about biking on Haleakala:

What is the the weather at the top of Haleakala?  The temperature at the summit of Haleakala often dips into the 40s and sometimes cooler. Though most of Maui is nearly always warm tropical weather, the top of the summit is nearly always cooler. The National Park Service suggests temps at the summit will be 30 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius) cooler than coastal regions of Maui. I think it’s often even more of difference when compared to Lahaina and other areas of West Maui.

Maui performance road bike rentals by Specialized at West Maui Cycles in Lahaina.

As the day warms and island heats, the 10,000 feet peak summit of Haleakala tends to accumulate clouds from the passing trade winds on most days of the year. Because some of those clouds often contain moisture, on all but the clearest of days you'll want to be heading down the mountain before noon. A West Maui Cycles bike mechanic noted the summit of Haleakala is only clear in the afternoon about 20 days of the year.

The mountain can be deceptive. Though the summit may look clear from South Maui locations such as Kihei and Wailea or sometimes even from Kahului in central Maui, don't be fooled into getting your bike ride off to a late start. While Haleakala may look like it is clear on an afternoon, it is very rare for the mountain to be completely clear and weather pleasant for bike riding top to bottom late in the day. Haleakala is often 100 percent different weather conditions than Kaanapali and other West Maui areas.

XTerra world championship bike riding on Maui.

Use the 7 day NOAA weather forecast for the Haleakala Summit. Or, check the University of Hawaii Institute of Astronomy for weather and webcams from the crater.

What is the best time of day for a Haleakala bike ride? Due to the likelihood of encountering less than ideal weather, we recommend being at the summit as early as possible. If mountain biking down or riding a cruiser down Haleakala, get started with the sunrise for the best chance of getting back down the mountain while the weather is clear. If you are riding up the mountain, you’ll want to as early as you can so you reach the summit early and have a little time to recover and explore the top before heading back down the mountain.

For an early ride up Haleakala, when should I rent my bike from West Maui Cycles? To ensure you’ll reach the summit early before less than ideal weather arrives later in the day, you’ll want to rent your bike the afternoon or day before you plan on riding. Our bike shop opens at 9 am and we close at 5 pm, Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, we open at 10 and close at 4 pm. Please allow at least 15 to 30 minutes to process your bike rental and make any last minute bike adjustments for you. With a couple hour (or longer if cycling) driving distance between the West Maui Cycles bike shop and starting points, it is a must to rent a bicycle the day before cycycling on Haleakala.

To help gauge the time to begin your bike ride, use the following Maui sun rise times to plan bike rides on Haleakala:

During winter months on Maui, the sun rises just before 7 am in early January. As spring arrives, the sun rises a little earlier with daylight just before 6 am toward the middle of April. By the middle of June the sun will be rising just after 5:30 am, earliest for Maui. Days begin getting shorter and sunrises on Haleakala later, usually just after 6 am in September. The XTerra World Championships on Maui begin early with the sun rising about 6:20 am in late October. By Thanksgiving, the sun is rising around 6:40 am. During the holidays in late December, riders should expect Maui sunrise times between 6:45 and 7 am.

Some information about Maui Sunset and Sunrise Times was derived from The Bishop Museum in Honolulu.

We recommend renting your bike the afternoon (or day) before you plan on riding Haleakala to ensure you'll get an early start. Depending on the time of year and what time the sun is rising, you may want to leave South Maui or West Maui as early as 2 or 3 am if you wish to get to the top in time to watch the sunrise from the summit of Haleakala.

A Few More Tips for Planning a Bike Ride on Haleakala:

Mountain biking on Haleakala.

• With vast assortments of differing geography available for bike riding on Maui and at least 17 unique microclimates are found around the island the weather on one part of the island may be completely different than another part. From rain forest conditions of east Maui or the cooler slopes of Haleakala to the hot tropical weather of the south and west Maui coastal areas, you can be certain of finding weather favorable to bike riding. Maui offers unparalleled bike riding opportunities for riding in almost any kind of weather. It is not uncommon to hear locals say "If you don’t like the weather where you are, move 15 minutes in either direction and the weather will be different".
• Haleakala means house of the sun.
• Explore the Haleakala National Park Service website.
• Park entrance fee is $5. for cyclists and cars are $10. for 3 day pass to the park.
• Take a look at the mountain bike trails map for Haleakala. and other mountain bike riding on Maui.

Use the comments section below to ask questions about biking on Maui or cycling on Haleakala.

Ready to reserve a bike rental on Maui? Its easy. Hit the button below; pick a rental bicycle and supply a little information including the dates you want to rent the bike; complete the reservation and your bike will be here waiting for pick up at the bike shop in Lahaina, West Maui Cycles.

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