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Kauai Vacation (6/22-7/6)
Last Post 06/14/2013 08:40 PM by Orange Crush. 6 Replies.
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Dave Stohler
Posts:13
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| 06/12/2013 07:23 PM |
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Will be in Kauai 6/22-7/6. Family vacation, but I'm in the middle of my race season and will be riding on the road every day (very early, so back by 8 or 9). Not the best island for road cycling, but we go a couple times a year and over the years I've discovered a handful of very good/safe routes through the cane fields, into the interior mountains, etc. Despite what people say, it can be done. Riding early and avoiding a few super dangerous stretches (e.g., highway from Lihue to Kapaa, aka blood alley, etc.) is key.
I'm a 45y old cat 2, will be riding lots of tempo with a few hard days and a couple long days thrown in. Company would be nice, make the miles pass more quickly.
If interested, post a response and we'll hook up. I'll be in Lihue for the first week, Poipu the second, but have a car and could meet anywhere between Kapaa and Poipu.
Cheers!
Can't seem to form paragraphs (code required?), sorry! |
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jpouchet
Posts:81
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| 06/12/2013 08:41 PM |
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Would appreciate info on your north coast routes. I'll be in Princeville late September with another riding buddy. We plant to rent a few road bikes from Kauai Cycles. Not exactly the S-Works I ride but good enough for vacation time. Will have a car to reach other spots. Not interested in the Canyon ride. Too much tourist traffic and too long of a drive. Besides living in So Cal we have all the mountain climbing work we need right in our back yard.
JP |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 06/12/2013 11:44 PM |
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JP - there's only the main road on the north side around Princevile. The east side near rental place has some secondary roads as Dave describes.
Much more fun bush wacking all day.
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Dave Stohler
Posts:13
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| 06/14/2013 07:52 PM |
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| JP, Crush is right. Princeville is tough for road. Doable but limited safe options. If you can drive down to Kapaa, lots of choices. Same in Lihue and Poipu areas.
My best advice - and how I found lots of routes - is to scrutinize Strava. Use the explore function and you'll see the routes locals use. For example, check out "Fishpond" in Lihue. It's a little climb I did b/c I saw it on Strava. Once I did it (and coughed up a lung for the KOM, hehe), I learned it's part of a pretty 3.5 mile loop on perfect roads with nearly zero traffic. Do all the Strava segments near where you are and you'll find stuff.
I've ridden the road in Princeville (every day for a week a few years back), so you can get miles in if you need to 'cause you're in the middle of race season, whatever (tho' if not necessary, I might skip renting a road bike just for Princeville). Just be careful on the highway (Kuhio or 56, the only one). Drivers are generally cool but there's often no shoulder and there've been multiple fatalities. I had many super close calls on the stretch from Lihue to Kapaa, which looks safe but isn't. Local bike shop guys confirmed its' high danger and I'll never do it agsin. Also, for you, I wouldn't ride to Hanalei, or do it VERY early before traffic. No shoulder in places.
Good luck. Sorry for no paragraphs. I'm on an iPhone, can't separate paragraphs. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 06/14/2013 08:23 PM |
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Interesting, I would have suggested Hanalei as only worthwhile destination from Princeville, nice and technical; the other way is just a bloody HWY and dangerous looking at that. Yes no shoulder towards Hanalei but speeds are generallyt lower and because it is technical drivers have to pay better attention so it seemed safer to me. I wanted to ride that but ran out of time and better things to do.
I guess everyone has their own preferences. |
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Dave Stohler
Posts:13
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| 06/14/2013 08:33 PM |
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Crush, the ride to Hanalei is beautiful (tho' short), and it is better than the highway down to Kapaa. The problem is right when you get out of Princeville, you descend down a little curvy road which has zero shoulder. No problem very very early in the morning (before 7 a.m.) or if you're descending with cars. However, when you climb back up you're doing maybe 10-12 mph within inches separating you from the tourists who zipping by and looking at everything but the road. To your right is dense sugar cane-like vegetation. Zero out, you're a sitting duck, very dangerous.
Shame, if there were a bike lane, it'd be perfect.
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 06/14/2013 08:40 PM |
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| Yup that climb on return would be the only problem spot. It doesn't help that it is right after the 1-lane bridge so folks want to make up for "lost time". |
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