OT - Looking for info and advice on Maui

[carpenta]

Two years ago when we were here I though that this tour was going to be stopped soon due to the danger and deaths I kept reading about. I think that the company is irresponsible taking letting amateurs do this.

.....Boy they must have great lawyers and that waiver is solid...

 

[Diskidatheart]

Due to a lot of fatalities, Maui Downhill really really has toned down their tour recently; contrary to what you have or may have read on trip advisor.com


Moreover, to those who have incurred injury while on this tour?? IMHO, they had NO BUSINESS being on a bike!!

IMO, the
Bike ride (last week) was tame w/the exception of 3 times when tour guide gave us the all clear to use no brakes and WOW!!! that was fun!! yes, I would reccommend it. If you go, IMO bring a flashlight for the sunrise part of the tour as it will help you to see easier.

LSmith - I personally took this as taking the tour lightly. Although Knewton claims that people who were injured had no business being on the trip (many people don't realize their ability is not quite up to what it should be), he followed this comment up by saying it was tame. When i read this, I thought to myself, there is nothing tame about bike riding down Haleakala.

I don't want to get into a he said this and that topic, but what i got out of the beginning of this thread was that bike riding down Haleakala was something that anyone could do and I think Sayhello got the same feeling as she sounded like she was considering doing this excursion. I think she realized that it's not worth it for her and I just wanted others reading this thread to understand how dangerous this can be. Unfortunately, there are a lot of lives lost riding a bike down the mountain. There are so many other wonderful and safe things to do on Maui, I don't know why people would consider one of these tours. To each their own.

 

[LSmith]

LSmith - I personally took this as taking the tour lightly. Although Knewton claims that people who were injured had no business being on the trip (many people don't realize their ability is not quite up to what it should be), he followed this comment up by saying it was tame. When i read this, I thought to myself, there is nothing tame about bike riding down Haleakala.

I don't want to get into a he said this and that topic, but what i got out of the beginning of this thread was that bike riding down Haleakala was something that anyone could do and I think Sayhello got the same feeling as she sounded like she was considering doing this excursion. I think she realized that it's not worth it for her and I just wanted others reading this thread to understand how dangerous this can be. Unfortunately, there are a lot of lives lost riding a bike down the mountain. There are so many other wonderful and safe things to do on Maui, I don't know why people would consider one of these tours. To each their own.

Right. I'm sorry Sayhello . I hadn't read that part that Knewton said that the trip had been toned down, etc.

What really bothers me about these Haleakala bike companies is that they let kids ride by themselves. One site said over 8 and one site said over 12. That is ridiculous.

Like carpenta said, they must have a solid waver.

 

[sayhello]

I've done some reading, and Haleakala National Park has banned all downhill bike tours within the Park since late 2007 due to the unsafe record of the tours (3 deaths in under 12 months that year). They have no jurisdiction outside of the park, so the remaining companies take you outside of the Park before starting the biking portion of the tour.

I was really struck by this quote:

Doctors at Maui Memorial say, they see at least two to five injuried cyclists in their emergency room each week. With broken bones or facial injuries from their downhill ride.

Source: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...-on-popular-bike-tour-on-maui?redirected=true

Yes, I think I'll be skipping this activity! It's just not worth it!

Sayhello

 

[carpenta]

Yes, I think I'll be skipping this activity! It's just not worth it!

Sayhello

We have seen some tours from the tour BUS and I scratched my head and thought "that looks dangerous". Good decision IMHO and we all don't want to break in a new Moderator......

 

[knewton64]

What I was trying to convey is what floors me is:


1) on the am of the day I visited the Cliffs of Mohor (Ireland ....June 2011) 3 people jumped to their deaths just about an hour before our tour group arrived.

Now before I read read and read on the internet about the CLiffs of Mohor, I WAS going to crawl on my belly up to the edge of the Cliffs and then look down.
And yes, even a Rick Steves dvd about Ireland even has this on it.



BUT......once I read on the internet that a lot of people got killed doing this, I backed away from it. And yes, the tour director even informed us NOT to do this as well.

** I AM glad I did **


In regards to Maui DOwnhill (Hawaii):


On the sunrise portion of it, I saw THREE individuals with NO head covering on them at all!! And their teeth were chattering as they huddled with their arms folded across their chest.

ME?? I took pics/video (thus leaving my right hand exposed to the weather)...then bhoggied back inside the HEATED visitors centor for about 5 minutes......then boogied on back outside to take more pics/


LOVED IT!!

In relation to the 2nd part of the add-on:
2) W/i the first 1 minute of being on that bicycle, I KNEW that using one brake wouldnt cut it in as far as controlling that bike. I KNEW that I had to alternate (which is what I highly recommend doing) using each brake (say every 3-5 seconds apart) if I had any semblance of controlling that bike.

Yes, waivers were signed before hand, I paid CLOSE attention to the safety meeting as we all clamered around the bikes....the tour director even asked us (as he held of a hand or both) what that meant in relation to what we are supposed to do while riding those bikes.
Riding that bike down that much of an decline is IMO just like snow skiing.....meaning you have to use your body as well to control that bike.



3) Oh Heavenly Hana Tour (Hawaii):

Again, I went on the internet and read as much as possible on this as well...asked a ton of questions.

Yes, One (out of 4 people on our tour) got 'car sick' due to the vast amount to switch-backs that you encounter plus the high elevation we went to.


4) "Trilogy II" tour (Maui):

Again, I went on the internet and researched this. Had fun on it, even saw 2 bottleneck dolphins while I was near the "Jetty of Doom" (as the Director calls it).

Yes, he did clearly point out if you get TOOOO close to it, it will shoot you "out to China"...and he was deadly serious about it. I had fun getting close to the jetty whille at the same time respecting it.


LOVED IT!!


So, all in all, what I am trying to say is YES, accidents do happen but IMO, not to the point of losing your life.

Yes, My heart goes out to these 14 people and their families.



I am still left seriously scratching my head asking myself just how in the world could so many people lose their life like this??

IMHO, this tour is tame if you use basic common sense and have a basic understanding of knowing your limits.


For example, the tour director also took great pains to explain to us how to ride a bicycle over a cattle guard crossing. this is very important to listen to unless you want to crash your bike going over the 2 cattle guards


SO in closing, when I go on my DCL adventure in Jan, yes I will be on the look out for the few who after CC day, will be on crutches.

These are the ones who didnt know their limits in regards to the CC 5-K fun run.

------------------------


Just please remember the very first question the Maui DOwnhill tour giude director asks you:

"WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU RODE A BICYCLE?" WHERE DID YOU GO??


A: all answers in my tour was less than 6 months.


So i feel that I haved said more than enuf here - none of my commentary was meant out of meaness.It was meant to express that all the above tour add ons I have listed are indeed a sight to behold.

And that yes, I do like to push the envelope jkust a smidge when I am on vacations. Like another person has said as well, it is to each their own.

But ........my defination on a person that I am not??

I dont do Extreme vacations: Like Abd's South america vacation (I fogor which one but its VERY PHYSCIALLY demanding).


All right eveyone, time for me to head off on my DCL cuise!


CHEERS