No doubt about it: our ride with Maui Easy Riders was the highest highlight of our recent visit to Maui .
This was our second ride with Maui Easy Riders and it was even better than our first. One reason is we had a smaller group, there were only five of us on the ride.
The main reason, though, is that I knew what to expect. I wasn’t worried about a thing. It’s totally safe. My first ride I was kinda apprehensive about everything. Particularly the safety issue. But there was nothing to worry about. It's totally safe.
On my first ride I was also worried that the ride was going to be too long. I thought riding a bike for several hours might be uncomfortable. Actually, it's not the least bit uncomfortable. The bike are equipped with huge ass, really comfortable seats. And the descent is broken up in to manageable chunks: you ride for a gloriously long time and then pull over for a little break every so often, There's even a stop with a bathroom about half way down the mountain.
Your enjoyment, comfort and safety are clearly the main focus of Maui Easy Riders.. Billy, the tour leader and business owner, emphasizes that you can go at whatever speed you are comfortable at. The transport van rides behind the bike riders and blocks traffic so you don't have to worry about cars passing you.
It's important to know that the ride starts at an elevation of around 6600ft, and it's likely to be colder up there than it is down in Paia where you meet the tour in the morning, Best advice is to dress in layers. You can leave clothing in the van as you peel it off coming down. Just remember to grab it out of the van at the end of the ride.
Bonus: the ride up to the starting point is filled with interesting information about the local flora and fauna.
A rain shower caught up with us when we were taking a break in Makawao. Billy gave us the option of finishing the ride or hopping in the van. Our group was unanimous: Ride On! LOL.
What we saw next totally kicked ass! Billy immediately pulled out rain gear from a box in the van and distributed it to everyone. He had a small for my petite wife and an XXL for me. No problem.
So, you know, if you ride them on a dry day, the bikes don’t have fenders. They don’t need them. But when it rains, all the sudden you do.
So, Billy reaches in the back of the van and pulls out a stack of rear fenders. Making it look easy, like he’s done it a thousand times, he quickly installed one on each bike. Excellent!
Absolutely fantastic customer service, superb attention to safety protocols, and the most thrilling bike ride I ever been on.
Hell yes! I highly recommend Maui Easy Riders!
I learned something important this trip: next time I'm going to book TWO rides with Maui Easy Riders. Because it's THAT much fun. I'm not even kjidding, I'm going for TWO rides next December. Hell yeah!
Mahalo, Billy!