Today was my fourth time riding down Haleakala with Maui Easy Riders. Of all the activities I've pursued on Maui (zip lining, Molokini snorkeling, HaleakalÄ star gazing, etc etc) this is The Best. It's the only activity that we've repeated. We do this ride every trip.
First trip, four or five years ago, I rang up this outfit before my visit. I wanted to make sure this ride is in fact all downhill. Because no way could I possibly ride a bicycle for 25 miles otherwise.
I get Billy, the owner, on the line and he's like, Dude, just relax, it's pretty much all downhill. He tells me yeah, the ride is 25 miles, but only 500 yards of that distance is actually uphill. OK, I think to myself, I should be able to handle that.
Then I need to know about the gear they use.
First, I had to ask about the helmets. Because, you know, I have a huge head.
I asked Billy, Do you have helmets for guys with really massive heads? Billy laughed and insisted he did.
But even more than the helmets, what I really wanted to know was about the bikes. Specifically the seats. Because if there's one thing I know there's no way in hell I could sit on one of those narrow bicycle seats like they have on them fancy racing bikes.
Billy said don't worry about it, the seats are big and wide. He tells me they're very comfortable, actually. You know I was glad to hear that!
So, the day comes and we meet up in Paia. The van ride up to the 6,500 ft elevation departure point was informative and also super entertaining.
Most importantly they explain that you can go downhill as fast or as slow as you want. There is absolutely no pressure to go any faster than you are comfortable with. They teach you the hand signals they use to safely guide you down the mountain. The whole while they're doing the explaining they're also pointing out historical points of interest and slipping in some hilarious tales of previous guests who didn't follow the rules.
They told us they have a notebook with all these crazy stories, and they advise you just follow the dang rules so you don't end up in the notebook. So for once in my life, I listened to the rules. I mean, intently!
I damn sure didn't want to end up in that infamous notebook (In my mind I could hear them telling a future van full of riders, One time there was this guy with a really massive head...).
So we get up to the staging area. Billy and his partner unload the bikes and hand out the helmets. What do you know? They really did have a helmet big enough for my giant head. And to my relief, the bicycle seat was as big and wide as promised.
Then there was the ride.
Factually speaking, from the first moment you start to roll down the mountain to the end you travel about twenty-five miles and it takes around two hours (90 minutes of riding, 30 minutes visiting Makawao).
But facts be damned. Like during any other magical activity, time slows down as as you descend down the mountain. Riding at such a leisurely pace makes the ride seem to last at least two or three hours.
There's no better way to experience the utterly breathtaking Maui scenery. I like to ride in the back of the pack. I'm in no hurry to get to the bottom of the mountain. I want to savor each moment, to revel in the magnificence that is Maui.
Mahalo, Billy!