We know you probably don’t bike on the side of a volcano every day, so you may be wondering how intense our Haleakalā bike tour will be. Do you need to be a professional cyclist to take on the volcano? How fit should someone be to ride on the Haleakalā bike tour? Is it dangerous?
Let us reassure you that our self-paced Haleakalā bike tours are not physically intense or only for the professional cyclist. In fact, almost everyone can bike down the volcano on our tours.
Haleakala Downhill Ride Is Leisurely
Because the Haleakalā bike rides are downhill, it is a pretty leisurely bike ride. Even those who were not exceptionally physically fit have really enjoyed our bike rides down Haleakalā. We have had a 90-year-old bike rider join us as well as teens as young as 15 years old. Although you won’t have any strenuous peddling uphill, you will be biking down a mountain with curved roads, so you will need to be comfortable and experienced at riding a bike and riding a bike with hand brakes. The only other basic restrictions we have is that our bike riders not weigh more than 300 pounds and not be pregnant, and that all children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Our Downhill Tour is Self-Paced
Another aspect of our Haleakalā bike tours that makes them not intense is their self-paced nature. We give our biking guests a narrated tour as we drive you up to the staging area outside the National Park entrance of Haleakalā. From there we put you on your bikes and you have the option on our tours of staying in your own cycling comfort zone. Thus, you won’t have the pressure of trying to keep up with a group like many of the guided Haleakalā bike tours. You can ride down the volcano at your own pace and stop wherever you would like at the many great towns, restaurants, and shops along the route.
We think that this aspect of our bike tours makes them more enjoyable and more like biking at home with friends and family.
We Provide Biking Safety Gear
Are the tours dangerous? Really, the Haleakalā volcano tours are no more dangerous than any other bike ride. You do however, need to be comfortable riding a bike, be able to focus, and be able to use hand brakes. But basically this bike ride will be dangerous only if the biker decides to ride recklessly. Our highest priority is your safety, so we take great care to provide you with all the necessary safety and biking equipment, as well as guidelines and safety briefings. And, you don’t have to be completely on your own. If at any time during the bike ride you feel uncomfortable or need assistance, just give us a call and we will come to help or pick you up.
Haleakala Ride Provides Intensity… In Fun
We could say that the Haleakalā bike tour is pretty intense . . . that is when it comes to its amazing scenery. Everyone will agree that the Haleakalā bike tour is possibly the most incredible activity they’ve ever done. It’s simply unforgettable. And the beautiful countryside you’ll see on the way down is a side of Maui you can’t miss. Upcountry Maui is breathtakingly beautiful and riding down through this amazing landscape on a self-paced bike tour is thrilling and relaxing all at the same time.
Hi, I see in the paragraphs that a 10 year old can do the ride, however I see 15 as the age limit. I have a son that is 14 , will he be able to do the ride?
Aloha, The Maui County Law changed the minimum age to 15 years old on February 1, 2023. We apologize for the confusion as this post was from 2019. I have updated this page to show 15 years old. While we don’t check each participants age, it is honor system and each rider completes a waiver including the young ones. If your child is turning 15 by the time you travel they can definitely do the ride. This decision was made by the County with the safety in mind for the young ones, as many of them don’t have experience riding a bike on the road with cars, nor do they understand basic driving rules of the road yet. We always do safety checks for each rider to make sure they can safely descend down the volcano, as some adults also don’t have experience riding on a road with cars. Mahalo for reaching out.
If you would like to do this and have children under age 15, is there an option for a tandem or something so they can ride along with an adult?
Unfortunately, as of February 1st the County of Maui does not let any child under the age of 15 participate in any form on any Haleakala Downhill descents. Many families will opt for the North Shore Bike Path instead as we have a fleet of rental bikes to choose from. We sometimes also have bigger families or groups and the more adventurous adults will do the downhill and a few younger and 1 or 2 adults will do the bike path. Both activities start from our Paia bike shop and both finish roughly at the same time.
My husband and I did this in 1996 and it was wonderful. It was misting or maybe we were in a cloud but we were not cold because they gave us raincoats. It was one of the best experiences! I loved it!