TOP BIKE TOURS

SELF-PACED BIKE TOURS

Haleakala Bike Co. - Self Paced Bike Rides - for experienced riders

Mountain Riders - Self Paced Rides - for experienced riders

GUIDED BIKE TOURS

Aloha Bike Tours - Tedeschi Winery Bike Tour - Self Paced & Accompanied

Bike It Maui - GuidedBike Tour w/group photos

Cruiser Phil's Volcano Riders - Guided Haleakala Bike Rides

Emerald Isle Bike - GuidedHaleakala Sunrise & Day Rides

Maui Downhill - Guided Haleakala Sunrise & Day Tour Trip

Maui Mountain Cruisers - Guided Haleakala Sunrise & Mid-Day Trip

Mountain Riders - Guided Haleakala Sunrise & Mid-Day Tour

The ride down the volcano is filled with the sites and smells of Maui and the fact that there is no peddling involved is a very special "plus." Some of the companies provide a stop for "brunch" at one of the beautiful restaurants on the way down and some provide your meal when you get to the bottom. You are then delivered back to your hotel by van and usually arrive back before noon. The Maui Mid-Day Bike Tour is essentially the same as the Sunrise but leaves at a later hour. Usually pick-up at your hotel is about 6:30am to 8:30am and your arrival back at the hotel should be about 2:30pm or 3:00.

Maui has long been known for it's many natural beauties: its beautiful beaches, spectacular resorts, breathtaking scenery and so much more but it has only been in the last fifteen years or so that it has become world famous as the location for the bike trips down the mountain from Haleakala Crater.
In the early 80's Bob Kiger and Rich Goodenough pioneered the first bicycle downhill company on Haleakala, which was called Cruiser Bob's. They were the first to bring the excitement of the downhill cruise to the Maui visitor.
Since then there have been literally hundreds of thousands of eager participants enjoying the splendor of the downhill experience. In fact there have been so many that that "downhill biking" on Maui has become a cottage industry of it's own.

There are a number of small companies that carry clients to the summit on a daily basis. Basically they fall into one of two classifications:

• Those that provide a guided tour and stay with they're clients throughout every leg of their journey
• The "free-style" tours, which take the clients to the top (or in some cases, partially to the top) and then set them free to traverse the turns and causeways on their way down the mountain by themselves.
  Obviously each has its own merits but here is the basic format for each:
  

GUIDED BIKE TOURS ON MAUI come in two basic forms:
The Haleakala Sunrise Bike Tours get you to the top of the mountain for the remarkable sunrise at the crater. Long before we ever had bike trips on Haleakala it was a "big deal" to go see the crater at sunrise. Cloud cover is usually minimal at this time and the colors are magnificent.
The ideal time to arrive is when it is still completely dark out with all the stars still visible. As the first shades of violet and magenta appear at the far east rim you'll realize why you made the special effort to get up there so early. Of course getting there early means that you'll have to leave your hotel early as well and quite often that means a "pick-up" time of 2:30am or earlier.
After witnessing the sunrise from the park ranger station at the top you'll be provided with a bike which the staff has been busy adjusting for your height and stature. You'll then cruise the parking lot at the top just to make sure you remember how to ride a bike and then you'll be off with the other bicyclists that traveled up with you in your van.

UNGUIDED BIKE TOURS ON MAUI will usually meet you somewhere on the mountain at a designated time and then take you up in a van to either the top or just at the beginning of the National Park at the 7000' level. You will then be allowed to cruise down the mountain on your own to their base yard at your own pace. Some people like the freedom these trips afford but also remember that you are much more involved with dealing with the "traffic" on these tours and they are generally recommended for more experienced riders.

ONE FINAL WORD OF CAUTION FOR MAUI BIKE TOURS:
Since their inception the Maui bike tours down Haleakala have been among the most popular tours of any sort on Maui. Literally hundreds of thousands of cyclists have descended the slopes on these exciting tours. You must remember however that you are on a moving vehicle that is traveling at speeds generally a bit in excess of 20mph. It is incumbent on you to ride your bike safely. Though there have been relatively few accidents with regard to the overall volume of bike tours that descend the mountain some of the accidents that have happened have been simply disastrous and in fact there have even been some fatalities. Once again you must remember that the movement of your vehicle and how and where you guide it is ultimately up to you.