Bike Hugger Visits Maui again!

The blogger Bike Hugger visited Maui over the new year. Specialized sent over a special colorway silver Tarmac Pro Race SL4 for him to enjoy on our amazing Maui pavement. Check out the "Maui" section of his blog to get the skinny on his two wheeled adventures. His Best of Maui 14 post includes a Google Glass walk through of the West Maui Cycles shop which is where this blurp comes from.

“I was in Maui just to ride after a very long season and didn’t take the bait when this Katusha Pro passed me twice. He said something that I think Pros say to each other in Euro pelotons, but I sat up, and just pedaled. Later I worked out a few scenarios in my head of what would’ve happened if I’d accelerated up to him that all ended badly. The Russian National TT champ, probably wouldn’t half wheeled me…

He wasn’t Upcountry when I was, which is good, cause I get angry after tall, thin dudes pass me on climbs. It’s the pleasure of just riding a bike that I was really trying to reconnect with on Maui and not turning myself inside out. Did plenty of that in 13 and posted about it here.

That’s the thing about Maui and why we enjoy riding there so much. You can ride like a tourist, have an epic day, or with their updated infrastructure, an errand ride to stock the vacation condo fridge for lunch.

Maui has also become a destination for cyclists and every year we see more on the shoulders and the roads we’ve ridden for years. The best of those routes I’ve mapped on Google and include

Haiku Loop
Wailea to Paia and Back
Big Inland Loop
It never gets old riding the same loops, like to the end of Makena and back or from Kihei to Lahaina. We prefer to stay in South Maui and for tourist activities, snorkeling with Maui Snorkel Charters who offers a more personal experience with a highly-qualified crew that cater to all dive levels.”

— Bike Hugger

The rest of his adventures include a ride on Lanai, viscious trade/Kona winds, fruit stands and a whole lot more.

“The story was supposed to continue a season of riding Hydro with a trip to Maui, where we’d ride up and down a volcano, but you all know by now with the recall, that got cut. So Specialized and SRAM rushed out a Tarmac Pro with Force 22, Rovals and Zipp 303s. Traveled with the Tarmac in Thule’s new Transition case and after the flight, and arriving at the vacation condo, set up the Thule stand for a impromptu Lanai bike shop.”

— http://www.bikehugger.com/tag/maui

Bike to Work during National Bike Month and more Maui Bike Fun!

Did you know cycling is celebrated in the US in the month of May?May is National Bike Month and this year Bike to Work Day is today, May 17! To commemorate National Bike Month, we share the following fun biking facts about Bike to Work Day, Bike to Work Month and Biking in General. Being a local Maui bike store, we managed to weave in a few facts about riding a bicycle on Maui, too. After you scan through the short factoids, find out how you can get a FREE bicycle water bottle with the latest West Maui Cycles logo:

• National Bike Month has been recognized since 1956. The 3rd Friday of May is declared as the national Bike to Work Day celebrating cyclists who commute to work. The Third Week of May is designated as Bike to Work Week.
• With over 50% of US population living within five miles of their workplace, riding a bike to work is practical and saves money. The perpetual summer weather we enjoy makes getting to work by riding a bike on Maui even more practical and avoids the high cost of gas and maintenance. Do you bike to work on Maui? Share the details about your Maui bike commute in the comments section.
• In 2012, more than $4.6 billion was saved by Americans bicycling instead of driving.
• Trips of Less than 3 miles are faster by bicycle.
• Ride a bike on Maui to avoid generating the 3.6 pounds per mile of pollution short auto trips generate.
• $308. is the average cost of annual bicycle maintenance.
• $8000. is the average annual expense for an automobile.
• Save time and avoid parking fees in Lahaina by riding a bike. Ten bicycles will fit in the average auto parking space. Fortunately, you’ll find plenty of bike racks in Lahaina, Kaanapali and most other Maui locations.
• An average bike commuter travels at 10 mph.
• Use Your Work Commute to Exercise. On average, a 130 pound woman burns 300 calories on a 10 mile round trip bike ride while a 180 pound man burns 400 calories over the same 10 mile cycling route.
• All Maui County buses permit bicycles with storage for up to two bikes in front of the bus. Check your route and use the bus for if any parts of your bike commute you don’t want to ride.
• Most roads on Maui have a wide shoulder or berm suitable for riding a bike for sightseeing or commuting on Maui.
• Our Maui Bike Rentals begin as low as $15. a day for a beach cruiser bike. Performance road bike rentals are $60 a day. Most economy car rentals on Maui begin at over $50 per day plus fees and gasoline expenses.

If you used your bike to get to work on Maui on Friday, May 17, 2013, we’ve got a new West Maui Cycles bike water bottle for you! All you have to do to claim the water bottle is post a picture to our Facebook page. Make sure the picture includes yourself with your bike outside of a local workplace after you ride to work on Maui. Then, stop into the bike shop in Lahaina, identify yourself in the pic to claim your new bike water bottle. Or, if you are a Maui visitor and use a bike to commute to the beach, you may use a photo of yourself alongside one of  our West Maui Cycles rental bikes at the beach you commuted to on May 17. Either way, all images must be posted to our Facebook page before the end of May, Bike Month on Maui.

If we organized an event for next year for bike to work day or bike to work week, would you participate? Let us know in the comments section below. If we have enough interest, we’ll try to organize an event for the 2014 National Bike to Work Day. Would you ride with the mayor or attend a breakfast bike ride and rally for National Bike Month?

Thanks to the BikeLeague.org website for some of the details and info about the National Bike Month.

Keep up with the latest Maui biking info and news by subscribing to the West Maui Cycles weekly update: 

Maui Bicycle Blog and Maui Adventure Activities blog, West Maui Cycles RSS

The Endless Summer Biking on Maui and Around the World

Kicking off an endless summer of cycling, BMX bike fans enjoyed the XGames in Los Angeles and the 99th running of the Tour de France is underway! The cycling world will toast a glass of fine French champagne when the winner is crowned on the 22cnd. Keep an eye on your favorite road bike riders and teams while you check out the latest performance road bikes from the major bike manufacturers, including our Maui bike dealer brand, Specialized. The latest in bicycle technology is always on display at the tour de france. The first few days of racing already saw some nasty crashes even before the riders get into the mountains!

While some were busy keeping up with the XGames, mountain bikers got to witness another installment of the Cross Country Mountain Bike World Cup races in Windham New York. Specialized S-Works team rider won the race on a StumpJumper 29’er HardTail, just like the mountain bikes we rent on Maui. Watch a couple mountain bike video clips from the factory Specialized bike team and the Monster Energy Specialized Team at Windham:

World Cup Bike Video:

Monster Energy Specialized Team at Windem for the Mountain Bike World Cup Video:

Credits: Specialized Bikes - West Maui Cycles is a Specialized Bike Dealer on Maui!

As noted above, the annual Tour de France bike race is roaming about the beautiful French country and mountains, completing the 6th stage earlier today. Do you think it’s still too early to pick a race winner? Do you have a favorite? Use the Maui bike blog comments section below to let us know who you think will win the 2012 Tour de France! New to the road bike racing or have Tour de France questions? Get answers to your Tour de France questions on the bikerader.com forum and visit The Guardian’s Tour de France 2012 Interactive Guide.

Later in July, the Olympic bike races get underway with the Men’s road bike race on the 28th of July and the women’s race the next day. After the road bike racing events, the Olympic cycling events continue in August with mountain biking, BMX and Track bicycle racing all from England. The Track cycling events start on Aug 2 while the BMX events run from the 8th to through the 10th. The mountain bike riders won’t race at the Olympics till August 11 for the women and August 12 for the men. The Olympic mountain bike races are being held on Salvation Army land at Hadleigh Farm and Hadleigh Country Park in the grand old English countryside.

Not to be forgotten, we have our own Maui cycling competition with 36 miles of climbing the 10,000 foot Haleakala bike ride in the 2012 Cycle to the Sun on August 25. Bring your bike or reserve one of our performance road bike rentals. You’ll be competing against some of the best climbers bike riding up the steepest and longest paved road on the planet! And, you’ll be in Maui bike riding! What could be better? Ok, maybe you need a bike rental for the 2012 XTerra world championships at Kapalua in West Maui in October? Either way, mountain bike or road bike, West Maui Cycles caters to performance biker riders. We only rent the best bikes on Maui!

Can you tell I’ve been nursing my broken finger back to health unable to enjoy mountain biking in the West Maui Mountains? I usually get out at least a once a week and its already been over a month since my last mountain bike ride! To help me with my lack of riding time, please share your Maui bike ride pics and videos on our Facebook page.

Maui Bicycle Blog and Maui Adventure Activities blog, West Maui Cycles RSS

Romantic Ideas for Valentine’s Day Maui Bike Ride

Soon after arriving at the bike shop in Lahaina (West Maui Cycles) and beginning the day getting a few island bike rentals out to riders picking up bikes, I answered a phone call. The caller arrives on Maui this Saturday and is planning a few bike rides during her Maui bicycle vacation. Being an avid road bike rider, she had already made her online bike rental reservation for our Specialized Performance Road bike rental to enjoy a week of bike touring on Maui. She suddenly realized she’ll be here over Valentine’s Day and had not planned on riding with her fiancé. Now, she wanted to spend Valentine’s day with her fiancé and was calling to inquire if we rent bikes suitable for an inexperienced bike rider in good condition. She also asked if I had any good ideas for fun bike rides on Maui, where she and her fiancé could enjoy a romantic valentines day togethor touring Maui by bicycle.

I thought for about a half a second before recommending she rent our Electra HellBetty tandem cruiser for a morning of leisurely riding in Lahaina. Since their accommodations are in Kaanapali, the bike shop in Lahaina will be easy to get to and a good point to begin their day of bike riding on Maui after picking up their rental bike. I suggested riding the Electra HellBetty tandem into Lahaina Town for a leisurely cruise on Front Street followed by a mid-morning breakfast at one of the charming restaurants in Lahaina. Since we include a lock with our bike rentals, it will be easy to secure the bike rental while enjoying breakfast. After exploring Lahaina by bicycle, they’ll come back to the bike shop to pick up a couple Specialized Hybrid comfort bike rentals. For the second half of their fun day of bike riding on Maui, I suggested the Lahaina to Olowalu Petroglyphs bike ride. The bike ride to the Olowalu petroglyph is approximately 6.3 miles and another mile or so of easy off road trail riding to and from the petroglyph. I recommended a stop for lunch at Leoda’s Sandwich and Pie Shop in Olowalu before returning to the bike shop to drop off their hybrid bike rentals in Lahaina.

What is your favorite romantic bike ride? Does riding the red Electra Hellbetty tandem bike rental on Valentine's day sound like a romantic bike vacation? Let us know in the comments section below! Or, subscribe to keep up with the latest Maui bike news!

Surprise your valentine with Maui rental bicycle reservations made via our online bike rental reservation system. Need romantic gifts for bike lovers? Order West Maui Cycles cycling jersey and other Maui bike logo wear from our online bike shop. Our bike shop in Lahaina stocks a huge selection of bike parts and bicycle accessories to prepare your bike for riding on Valentine's day! From tubes and tires to bicycles for sale, our Maui bike shop is stocked with a complete selection of bicycle parts and accessories. If you don’t feel like servicing the bike yourself, maybe a bike tune-up from our bike repair shop would be perfect bike lover gift on Valentine's day? Gift certificates are also available and make a thoughtful romantic gift for Valentine's day.

Do Your Part! Record Your Maui Bike Rides in the 2 Mile Challenge

As a bike shop participating in the Maui cycling community and for benefit of those who bike Maui, we are always looking to share ideas and facts about the benefits of bicycle riding. Clif Bar is in the midst of a fun 2 Mile Challenge campaign. Whether you are visiting Maui to enjoy mountain biking, a road bike ride up Haleakala or exploring Lahaina on an Electra cruiser, choosing to ride your bike for trips less than 2 miles will keep a few cars off the roads and reduce carbon dioxide. Enjoy these bike facts from the Clif Bar 2 mile challenge bike video, then sign up to record your Maui bike rides:

• While the United States has more bicycle owners per capita than most countries, we are near the bottom of the list for use of bicycles

• If one million people replaced a 2 mile car trip once a week with a bike ride, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 50,000 tons per year
• Sign up for the Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge, 2milechallenge.com, start pedaling and register your Maui rides.

Need to buy a bike on Maui for the Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge? A full service bike shop in Lahaina, West Maui Cycles offers bike repairs, setup, bicycle tuneups and bikes for sale. Ready to record your bicycle rides on Maui and need a Maui bike rental? Just choose a rental bike, enter the dates you want to reserve your bike and complete the reservation process. It really is that easy!

The 2012 Olympic Vids of Mountain Bike Trail Course from Maui Bikes

Mountain Biking on Maui or the Olympics in England?

The 2012 Olympics includes numerous bicycling events, including track riding at the velodrome and the mountain bike course at Hadleigh Farms in England. If you are curious about the progress and scenery for these events, check out the videos below and let us know what you think. We'll be watching all the 2012 Olympic bicycle events from our bike shop in Lahaina.

The Velodrome is nearly ready. Watch this time lapse video of the velodrome being constructed:

And a Video of the 2012 MTB Olympic Course at Hadleigh Farm in England:

In July of 2011, a test run of the Olympic MTB course was ran, here is a video from the event:

Did those videos get you in the mood to ride this winter? Maui offers the perfect perfect weather and a variety of bicycle riding opportunities ranging from extreme mountain biking trails on the slopes of Haleakala, road bike riding the West Maui Loop and rides to Olowalu petroglyphs, or cruise Lahaina Town in style on an Electra cruiser bike. West Maui Cycles can set you up with whatever type of bike rental in Maui you are looking for.

Not going to the 2012 Olympics in England but interested in bicycle vacations on Maui instead? Not sure of the riding conditions for performance road bike riding on Maui or where the best mountain bike trails on Maui. Let us know your style of riding and abilities and we'll suggest rides on Maui matching your preferences. Then, if you aren't shipping your own bike to Maui, we'll help you rent a bike to match.

Leave questions in the comments section below or subscribe to our blog for the latest Maui bike information.