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.