CENTRAL MAUI - Maui: Including Molokai and Lanai - page 198

village of Kahakuloa and back. Distances will vary depending on where you start, but
along the way cyclists will be treated to quad-burning ascents, hairpin turns through rain-
forest surroundings, and sweeping views of the entire North Shore. Sharing the road with
cars can be tough considering how narrow it gets, but most cars are traveling so slowly
around the tight turns that altercations are rare. If you would prefer to be on a designated
bike path that stays on level ground, the North Shore Greenway runs from the last park-
ing lot at Kanaha Beach Park all the way to the town of Pa'ia, and along the route of the
seven-mile bike path only 0.25 mile passes along the shoulder of the main highway. To
reach the Kahului terminus of the bike path, follow Amala Place all the way to the end
and park in the last parking lot of Kanaha Beach Park. Parts of the bike path go direc-
tly behind the airport runway, and this ride is best in the morning due to the strong trade
winds which can create momentum-destroying headwinds during the afternoon (the wind
normally blows from Pa'ia toward Kahului).
Rental Shops
Across the street from K-Mart by the Tesoro Gas Station, Island Biker Maui (415 Dairy
Rd., 808/877-7744, www.islandbikermaui.com , 9am-5pm weekdays, 9am-3pm Sat.) of-
fers rentals which range from $60/day to $250/week. All bike rentals come with flat repair
tools, water bottles, one spare tube, and local insights from staff members who ride these
roads on a regular basis. Both mountain bikes and road bikes are available.
At Crater Cycles (358 Papa Pl., 808/893-2020, www.cratercycleshawaii.com ,
9am-5pm Mon.-Sat.), rentals range $65-85/day depending on which ride you're going to
be doing. The focus here is mainly on mountain biking. If you're looking for information
on trail conditions in Polipoli, Skyline Drive, or Makawao Forest Reserve, these are the
folks to call.
Horseback Riding and Bird-Watching
HORSEBACK RIDING
The most well-known horseback riding outfit on this side of the island is Mendes Ranch
(3530 Kahekili Hwy., 808/871-5222, www.mendesranch.com ), a family-run operation on
the road to Kahakuloa. Just before the seven-mile marker on Kahekili Highway, often you
will smell Mendes Ranch before you see it. That's what happens when you have a fully
operational ranch with more than 300 head of cattle, but it's all part of the paniolo exper-