Bike Hawaii... NPS Report on Haleakalä National Park, Maui

[K'Tesh]

After years of commercial bike tours, and tens of thousands of safe rides, the National Park Service suspended tours of Haleakalä National Park after a few fatal crashes. They now have posted their results of their study...

They posted their findings in .pdf form, I found them here.

I haven't had time to read them, but I thought that I'd share...

Aloha!
K'Tesh

[K'Tesh]

I really enjoyed this part of an article about bikes on sidewalks in Honolulu that I found on the Hawaii Reporter's website.

The number of pedestrians killed or injured in the simple act of trying to cross the street by automobiles will always be far greater than those injured or killed by bicyclists on sidewalks. It is simply a matter of physics. The laws governing bikes are based upon a false premise, that they are equal to automobiles. They are not. The ongoing carnage that bike riders endure is an unnoticed, unintended consequence of that false premise.

That point about physics holds true for the the rest of the world... I can't say I completly agree with the next part of the article, but I can see their point...

Sometimes the solution to a problem is so obvious it is overlooked, like the four-leaf-clover. Perhaps it is time to rethink and re-examine the laws governing bicycles. If people routinely ride bikes on the sidewalks now, with little detrimental effect, why maintain a law against it? If bike riders routinely run red lights and stop signs with little practical effect, why maintain a law against it? In both cases, such laws clearly aren't needed.

Aloha!
K'Tesh

[K'Tesh]

Found at KGMB Channel 9's website (online article includes video link):

Pearl Harbor Bike Path Problems
Written by Jim Mendoza - jmendoza@kgmb9.com
June 28, 2008 04:01 PM

Five days a week Patrick Ah You peddles the Pearl Harbor bike path.

"It's the only safe route from the leeward side to get towards town," he said.

But safe is a relative term. Ah You said several sections need repair. The pavement is cracked, tree roots are buckling the surface, and riders must cross bridges patched with rotting wood.

"If you're not aware. If you're not looking for it and your bike just drops out from under you, you could crash," he said.

Some have. Ah You's friend put his front tire into a crevice in the middle of a cement bridge.

"You get your tire wedged in there, your bike stops and your momentum keeps you going. You do what we call an "endo." You just fly over and it's going to hurt when you land," he said.

Bike riders who use the Pearl Harbor path have asked the city for help. They wonder why nothing is being fixed.

The path isn't totally neglected. In April, the city recruited 400 volunteers to clean up the route. They cleared away all kinds of junk.

But the city can't seem to keep the path clear of other obstacles. Motorists aren't supposed to use the bike path but they do.

"I would like to see a department manage this whole bike route and everything that it needs," Ah You said. "If it's sweeping. If it's repainting. If it's repaving. If it's restricting access to the motorized vehicles. Whatever is necessary. I'd like to see one department do all of that without needing a call from us."

[TiAx]

Interesting articles. Good point about riding on the sidewalk. It seems like one of those laws that as long as the rider is being safe and courteous, there's no problem. Are they really ticketing people that ride 3mph, completely avoiding people on sidewalks?

My only concern with Haleakala is that it looks like they just killed all of it, instead of scrutinizing and regulating the organizers better. Let's hope that Haleakala maintains the road open to individual cyclists, as some roads such as Mt. Washington in NH, and Pike's Peak in CO are closed to bikes nearly all year.

Of course, if they did close Haleakala, there is still the even more brutal rides up to Mauna Kea, and especially Mauna Loa on the Big Island. A lot of people don't realize that some of the most massive, difficult bike climbs on the planet are in Hawaii.

[K'Tesh]

Here's an exellent website describing what it takes to Bike Ride UP haleakala.

Great photos, Heart rates, elevations, and also includes a "what not to do" side trip description.

Remember that prices of shipping your bike are subject to change and for more info you should contact your airline.

I've done this ride twice before (in reverse).

For those of you who feel the need to put yourself against others, there's also the race...

Cycle To The Sun

I'm nowhere near that competitive, but I'd love to do the ride (and the artwork of that poster).

See ya at the top!
K'Tesh

[Attornatus_Oregonensis]

I have ridden down Haleakala as well. It is a truly unforgettable experience. Riding up it first would be even better.