Saturday, August 22, 2009

What Biking in Hawaii Really Means

By Pat J. Walker

If you were to ask around, you would find that there are a lot of people that have Hawaii designated as their dream vacation. This is either because they have seen pictures, or have had friends telling them how beautiful it really is. This is especially the case if you are if you are there biking, as Hawaii has some of the most intriguing bike trails anywhere.

You will want to continue reading this article, because it will talk about all the various places to bike in Hawaii, such as Kaena Point. Kaena Point is located in between Haliewa, and Waianae, and will provide some of the most stunning views out there. However, there are some drawbacks to this particular trail because ATV's are aloud to ride on them as well making them crowded at times. With that said you must make sure that you are very careful, and watch out for all the other people on the trail.

Kulioou Valley can be found near Hawaii Kai. There are several different trails, but the easiest one is the Kulioou Valley trail. However, even it can get a bit tricky when its wet. There are a few roots and rocks to make it a bit challenging. About halfway up the valley trail you will find the trailhead to the more difficult Kulioou Ridge trail. This trail is more technical with steep climbs, fast descents, switchbacks, and jumps. However, the views are incredible.

Now once you have been to, Kaena Point, and Kulioou Valley you may be ready to step up to Mililani. Most people who try and tackle these trails are more advanced bikers and not novice. This is for the simple fact that these trails come with a variety of steep inclines, and very steep declines at the crest of the hill leaving you racing at about 30 mph on your way down. With all of that said though, you will certainly enjoy the scenery as it is some of the best you will see while you are out there. One of the downsides to these trails is that they are not easy to access because of housing developments that are around them. So you will need to find and alternate route to get down to them, and the easiest way to do that is parallel to the H-2 Highway.

If you are looking for more of an endurance run instead of all the curves and jumps, you will want to check out the Aiea Loop. This is an endurance run that is still packed with very steep inclines and declines but also is a nice 4.5 mile ride. The most exciting thing about these trails is the view that you get with them. This is because the trail follows a ridge overlooking Pearl Harbor, Oahu, and the Halawa Valley which makes it very dangerous when wet so be careful.

Another great place to ride will be the Kula Forest Reserve. The Kula Forest Reserve is packed with some dynamic scenery, and comes full with all the inclines and declines you are looking for. Just make sure that you stop on the trail to take in some of that beautiful scenery.

As you can probably tell from the descriptions above, biking in Hawaii is not for the faint of heart. There are not a lot of places for the beginner or novice biker. However, you wont find more adventurous biking anywhere else! Happy trails!

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