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Our first ever cycling trip was to the Big Island of Hawaii back in 1992, 10 years ago. All 10 of us were younger, sliimer and more energetic - but lacked the experience. We rode around the island with a van support. Fast forward 10 years later (year 2002), we're back to celebrate the 10 year anniversary. Aside from gaining some weight and growing more wrinkles, we've aged like fine wine. What makes us better riders this time is years of condtioning our butts to endure long days on the saddle. We used to race from point A to B, but not anymore. Now, we cruise and enjoy the scenery - learning to see what is between A and B. It's no longer about the destination, speed or mileage, more the journey. This is how age has changed our outlook on bicycle touring. Of the 10 original bikers, only 6 return to commemorate this ride. Doug, the oldest back then at 62 still returns at a fine age of 72. The group has grown to 13, hopefully to keep on riding till our twilight years. Our planned route is to go on a counterclockwise direction, arriving Kona and making a 10 day cycling vacation. |
The best source of information we used is the tour book Big Island of Hawaii published by Moon Handbooks. Their writing style matches our travel style - on the frugal and inexpensive side. For a $20 investment, it proved invaluable in finding where to stay and what to see along the way.
As for a detailed description of road mileages and terrain, check People's Advocacy for Trails Hawaii (PATH). Their web site at www.hialoha.com/path divides the routes into segments with very detailed descriptions. I suggest printing their map and carrying it on the trip. A "must have" piece of information before you leave. This web account of the trip hopes to augment thier description with pictures.
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Planning Your Own All of our trips have been self-planned since day one. It affords us the luxury of customizing our itenirary to match our interests, vacation days and pocket books. It's not as hard as it seems. We hope that with the help of our trip account, you can make planning your own Hawaii trip a lot smoother. Thre is also a big monetary reward to planing it. Our whole cost for the trip including air, hotels, all meals, souvenirs etc. is far less than what a commercial tour company will charge for the LAND COST alone. Think of it as getting a free air and meals by planning it yourself with some cash to spare to buy a new bike |
the trunk bag is all the load we need for 10 days of touring |
Packing One thing we've learned to do is never pack the bike the last minute. There is always something that will go wrong. Ride a bike you are used to, with low gears more than the high. Give it a once thru check up a few weeks before the trip. We strongly suggest doing "dressed rehearsal" rides weeks before the trip simulating mileages, elevations and loads. As for things to pack, we have boiled it down to a science. Only the basics !! One set of cycling clothes we wear, a spare in the bag, spare footwear and a set of more fashionable clothes to wear at night. Our bags have gone thru a dietary regiment year after year of travel. Now, camera equipment takes more space than the clothes we bring. Most of us carry folding and travel bikes which we pack in regular suitcases. It is not a necessity, but it sure beats paying the outrageous airline bike fees. It also affords you the luxury of riding a bike you are accustomed to. So sit back and relax and enjoy our Hawaii Big Island by Bike adventure. |
It was an uneventful 5 hour flight into the Big Island from San Francisco. Arriving at Kona, it was still the same airport I remember 10 years ago. It is one of the few airports left in the US where you disembark off the runway tarmac down rollaway steps.
Everybody took the cab to Kona. Cecilia and I decided to unpack our cases at the airport, assemble our bikes, and breakdown our bike bags into backpacks to ride into Kona. We were able to the whole assembly for 2 bikes in under an hour. Past 1:PM, we were on our way to Kona
It was good weather was overcast with a slight breeze, The bike cases on our bikes was a bit heavy, but it was worth trying it. There is actually just one road out of the airport so it was a snap. Kona has one of the widest well kept shoulders thanks to the Ironman races. On some sections, the shoulders are wider than the road itself. Compared to San Francisco, the roads are flat. The 8 mi. trip from the airport to Kona took us about 40 minutes.
The hardest part of the trip was the temperature switch from San Francisco's 60 deg F cool weather to Hawaii's tropical humid heat in the 90's. We were sweating like pigs as the body was adjusting.
We took the industrial route into town (via Kaiwi St) instead of the traditional Highway/Alii route. Nothing has changed since the last visit 10 years ago. We checked in at Kona Bay hotel - the very same hotel we stayed back then. As we were entering Alii Dr, it was deja vu all over again. It seemed the town hasn't changed one bit.
After checking in, took a shower and did laundry right away. Walked around town to the pier, the church, the Banyan trees. No lunch today. Just feasted on the backup food of dried sweet potatoes and peas.
We met everybody for dinner (except Doug) at Kona Mix Plate - a local hangout. It was the traditional 2 scoops of rice with macaroni salad and choice of meat. The place was doing good business with the locals. After dinner, everybody piled into Long's Drugs to stock up on energy bars for tomorrow's long ride to Naalehu. Meeting time tomorrow, 7:45 am