Cruise Haleakala uphill, downhill, and sideways - Haleakala Volcano, Hawaii - includes related article on cruise companies

Sunset, Oct, 1996 by Lora J. Finnegan

Maui's Haleakala volcano promises the biggest rush you can get on two wheels. Sometimes you're coasting along a steep road with hairpin turns and shoulders little wider than your wheels. On the straightaways, you glance out to drink in the spectacle - the sheer West Maui Mountains, grassy-looking cane fields, the azure tongue of Maalaea Bay.

Five companies package the volcano ride. Their tours include trips in which you coast downhill, and rides that combine a downhill segment with some uphill challenge along Haleakala's flank. Riders should be at least 12 years old and 5 feet tall and have some road-trip experience; these tours are popular, so book at least a week ahead.

COLD, FOG, RAIN, TRAFFIC: WE'RE HAVING FUN NOW!

Most operators offer the full downhill-all-the-way trip, which takes about 3 1/2 hours. Because there's no real hard pedaling on these rides, single-gear cruiser-style bikes (with heavy-duty brakes) are provided, along with helmet, windbreaker, and gloves. The trek is not without hazard: If you start at dawn, temperatures can approach freezing at the top; then you may plunge through blustering winds or fog or rain that slickens the road. Add sharp turns and auto traffic and you've got quite an exciting mix - and some good reasons to go with a guide.

A vehicle takes you to the summit, where you get a quick look at the cindery, burnt-umber-colored crater. Most visitors are breathless and cold here, so riders soon get under way, picking up speed as they roll past slopes banked with tall, spiky silversword plants. Guides may break up the ride by stopping at various pullouts to give riders a chance to rest or take photos.

Not far past Haleakala National Park headquarters is a long straightaway. Enjoy the view, because a series of switchbacks soon follows. Eventually you descend past cattle pastures and small ranches, and pause at a protea farm to view these unusual flowers. The rest of the 38-mile run takes you past upcountry farms, homes, and cane fields. You end up near the coastal town of Paia at the bike shop where the trip began; tour guides then return you to your hotel.

The most popular rides aren't for slugabeds: they begin at sunrise, and your hotel pickup may be anytime between 2 and 5 A.M. (operators need time to get riders geared up and hauled to the top). Once at the summit, groups are allowed down the mountain at intervals on a first-come basis - you may wait as long as an hour before your group receives clearance to go.

DOWNHILL AND BEYOND

For more of a challenge than coasting affords, some rides include a measure of downhill thrills, then add a trip segment around the west side of Haleakala. These trips involve moderate pedaling, so riders are equipped with 21-speed mountain bikes. Most trips follow a route that heads down the Crater Road to the protea farm, then takes off on a country road at about 3,500 feet to go past homes and ranches. You curve around the mountain-side to stop at a park or inn for lunch. The last leg of the trip may bring you to Tedeschi Vineyards for a tour and tasting; you'll find a van waiting to ferry you back to your hotel or car.

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Guided rides on and around Haleakala include pickups at some hotels, gear, a snack and/or meal, and operators who ride with you and/or follow in a van (called a sag wagon) loaded with repair and replacement equipment and other gear. Area code is 808.

Aloha Bicycle Tours, 249-0911. Tours ($89) start at 7:30, head to the summit for a view, then bike from the 6,500-foot level to the protea farm (11 miles and 21 switchbacks away). From there, you roll up and down country roads across the mountain's flank, ending the 34-mile trek with a picnic and winery tour at Tedeschi Vineyards. The ride is conducted outside the national park, so no lead rider is required, but Aloha's outfitters follow you in a sag wagon.

Chris' Adventures, 871-2453. The popular Haleakala Wine Trek ($89) starts at 4 and 7:30 a.m., goes about 34 miles to Tedeschi Vineyards, and includes a picnic lunch; it's suitable for riders with modest experience. A shorter, afternoon tour ($59) takes you to about midmountain. Fit, experienced mountain bikers might want to consider the Wilder Side of Haleakala tour ($110), an all-day trip that covers 46 miles along the coast, including 15 miles over remote lava fields.

Maui Downhill, 871-2155. The 38-mile sunrise tour ($115) starts at 2:30, the day tour ($110) at 6:30; both include breakfast. A new, shorter option, called the National Park Ride ($50), starts at 9:15 at midmountain Kula Lodge; you'll ride 22 miles down from the summit and return to the lodge by 12:30.

Maui Mountain Cruisers, 871-6014. A basic summit ride at sunrise ($99) includes breakfast; pickup is between 2 and 3.

Mountain Riders, 242-9739. This outfit also offers the standard downhill ride from the summit. The sunrise ride ($110) begins at 2, the midmorning ride ($95) at 7; both include meals.