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When you think of biking Hawaii, do you think of coasting down a mountain on a rental bike? For a memorable experience, forget the tourist trap and take a day to pedal the perimeter of the island of Oahu.
Our day begins and ends on Waikiki. Start with a ride following the beautiful beach going toward Diamond Head. An easy climb takes you to the lookout, a great place to watch surfers and whales. From there, we follow the coast counter clockwise.
Our second hill of the day is at about the 13 mile point leaving Hawaii Kai and going toward Hanauma Bay. Koko Head is on the horizon and the windward side is just over the hill.
The descent from Hanauma Bay is one of the two dangerous areas on the ride, however, if you can relax, it's also one of the most fun. A fairly steep, winding downhill on a narrow road, traffic is mostly tourists enjoying the magnificent scenery. On the way down the is found one of the most famous "blowholes" and, finally, at sea level again, Sandy beach, strictly for the experienced surfer and boogie-boarder.
Rest stop. Without question, the best bakery on the island of Oahu is Agnes' Portugese Bakery in Kailua. We stop. Kailua is also known for Lanakai beach.......travel channel's #1 most beautiful beach in the world.
Riding up the windward side of the island is a series of beaches 2-5 miles apart....each beautiful. The "chinaman's hat" is a famous landmark on the windward side. The road is a two lane highway with a shoulder. The max speed limit is 45 so the traffic is not threatening.
A great day to ride. On all my trips around the island, this is the least windy day ever. From Kailua up the windward side, around the top, and down the North shore to Hale Ewa, it is about 80% just like the picture above. A great ride with mountains on the left and beach on the right.
North shore: This is where the professional surfers ride the big waves (click on the picture to get a glimpse of the surfers). The famous Bonzai Pipeline is on the North Shore just south of Sunset Beach. Don't get so excited about the big waves that you miss Turtle Cove.....where the giant Honu beach themselves to enjoy the sun.
Leave the coast at Hale Ewa and start the 6 mile climb to the top. Don't forget to look over your shoulder....the view is nice as the ocean falls away behing you. At the top, you'll find the Dole pineapple plantation (tourist trap)....nice to look at but not worth a stop. From here it's a series of up's and down's as you cross the top of the mountain. The descent on the other side is into Pearl Harbor. Once back at sea level, you have about 12 miles of city riding to get back to Waikiki.
There you have it. My third trip arond the islsnd and memories for a lifetime. On this trip, I met Bob Barker from Sacramento CA at a bike rack in Waikiki. We got talking and he joined me on the ride.....nice company. We had conversation and enjoyed the scenery. When I do this ride, I prefer to go at an easy pace and stop every time I want to enjoy the view. The locals will tell you that it's 112 miles.....but that depends upon how you cross the top of the mountain and how you find your way back through Honolulu en route to Waikiki. On this trip, I had 114 miles on my odometer and got back home at 4:30 pm. Be sure to lather up with sun tan lotion and take water. Finding food and water is not a problem. There are convenience stores all the way around the island. I plan to do the ride again in July 2008 and February 2009. If you care to join me or have questions about biking in Oahu, use the feedback box on this web site and I'll get back to you.
