I LOVED this. I definitely forced my friends into it but we all ended up having a great time.
Writing this review to share my experience so you know what to expect.
Summary:
1. The tour begins in a shuttle on the way up with some education about Hawaii, the park, and the ride back down
2. The sunrise was amazing!!!!
3. The bike ride down is very manageable and very fun - just 6 turns to get back and it’s all downhill! The ride is on the roads so there are cars that pass by. This is not some intense mountain bike ride (which may be a relief for some and a disappointment for others)
4. Would recommend to anyone! And would come back and do this if I’m back on Maui in the future.
More info if you’re like me and like to know exactly what to expect:
We arrived at the shop early in the morning, checked in, got helmets (kinda like dirt bike helmets - more than a bicycle helmet but not a full motorcycle helmet), got some extra rain layers for the top just in case. We got in a small bus with our tour guide Eddie who was great. The couple hours it takes to get up the top is spent with stories of the area, the island, and the ride. He did a great job making sure we all understood where the turns were and what to do and I felt pretty confident by the time we got on the bikes.
At the top, we watched the sunrise which is absolutely unreal. One pro to the tour is you don’t have to fight for a permit to get to the summit at sunrise which you’d have to do if not going on a tour (similar to other national parks). The views were amazing and we were lucky with the weather. It is quite cold up there though so definitely bring layers. We brought our own backpacks to pack our layers and snacks for the ride.
After the sunrise, you shuttle back down a little bit to get on the bikes just outside the park boundary. The bikes themselves are super nice and well taken care of. Hydraulic brakes. At the shop beforehand and on the ride up they’ll make sure you know how to operate everything.
And thus began the 23 mile ride down. The ride itself is on the roads so there are cars going by. Just stay out of the way similar to biking in any city. The first part of the ride are large switchbacks down the volcano which is super scenic - beautiful views and not too many cars. Closer back to the shop, we stopped at a town called Makawao which is has a general store, some shops, and some food trucks. This was a fun little break. There were only 6 turns and they hammer them into you on the way up so navigating was easy.
The whole ride is downhill except a couple small uphills (tbh I walked up these) so you don’t need to be super fit to do this - just comfortable on a bike! It felt kinda like being on a roller coaster. Just thrilling enough for me without feeling like I was gonna crash and die.
Overall - would absolutely do this again - I had a great time and the sunrise is absolutely worth it!!!!