There's really no riding on Oahu. The only remotely safe route would be Diamond Head Road, SE end of Waikiki near the Zoo toward Diamond Head. You'd be doing loops around Diamond Head essentially.

Roads on Oahu are narrow and have no shoulders. Most scenic roads have pretty bad pavement too. Kunia (to north shore) and Kamehameha and Farrington (loop around the island) are fantastic scenic drive roads. But I wouldn't ride on them.

That said, Oahu is a pretty neat place to visit once, especially with a family. For everything else there's other islands.

Going from Maui to Oahu you are going to be VERY disappointed in the cycling.

Seriously? Are you a pro? Does supporting your family depend on getting a few rides on while on vacation?

I get it. Tri is important to you and all of us. But at the end of the day no ride is more important than spending time with the family. Yes, even a ride in prep for an upcoming IM or some such other race.

There is a ton of great riding on Oahu, just google 24 hour fitness centers...Best view you could hope for, and you will never crash!

Understood! Thanks!

Not from Ko Olina. That's a nice vacation area for the family, and you can swim and run there to your heart's content.

There are some nice sections on the east side of the island, but getting there from Ko Olina is a pain. I crewed for the Epic 5 event in May, and Oahu was the trickiest day of all - the route had a ton of turns to avoid some of the busier/more dangerous sections on the windward side (parts of Kaneohe and Kailua). You will also hit lots of lights.

Be aware that getting into Honolulu from Ko Olina can be a real pain traffic-wise, depending on time of day. But getting up to the North Shore from there is relatively easy if you want a day off of the resort.

Ian

I just got back a few weeks ago.I ended up only doing one group ride with the tri shop in Honolulu - I'm very glad I went with a group, I wouldn't enjoy going out alone in that traffic - I was surprised at how few bike lanes there are. My guess is that Ko Olina would be worse, although I haven't been out there in 10 years.

I saw some crazys on the NE side on the weekend - no bike lane, no room, etc. Seemed pretty sketchy to me.

Actually, Ko Olina blows for swimming and running too. you have the lagoons, but they are small although i suppose you can just go back and forth like a giant lap pool. The running sucks for sure. Unless you like doing laps, you're confined to about 3 miles staying within the area.

Oahu is easily my favorite island. Here's the ride I did a few years ago: https://www.strava.com/activities/442312591 Very enjoyable route. Traffic wasn't too bad, and I remember the shoulder being huge for most of the ride. There was some debris on the roads, but it wasn't bad. We only got one flat. We also rented bikes from a shop in Honolulu. I can't remember the name, but based on the strava file, you should be able to figure it out pretty easily. Have fun!

I was trying not to make the guy feel worse about his vacation. ;-) Re running, I did find some dirt roads you can get on past the eastern edge of the resort - puts you past Barbers Point in a light industrial area. Good for 7 or 8 miles. It is not very scenic, though.

For swimming in the lagoons, there are also the jellyfish days to watch out for: http://beatofhawaii.com/...our-hawaii-vacation/

Looks like Ironman is right in the thick of the October days...

Ian

I was just in Oahu and was surprised and disappointed by the cycling. There were a lot of cyclists out on the Kalanianole Highway (72) around the east side of the island, but the roads are narrow and traffic is heavy. You don't cycle there without putting a lot faith in drivers, which I never like doing. Combine that with the heat and it wasn't all that appealing. Maybe there are other routes- I spent most of my time around Waimanalo/ Kailua and didn't see much west of Honolulu. You might reach out to Island Triathlon and Bike. I was in there a few times and they are knowledgeable and friendly.

Yes, and the trouble is half the drivers are tourists driving rental cars. They aren't familiar with the roads or with their cars.

Was that going north or south? I've gone up along the railroad tracks but that ends at Electric Beach and I still couldn't get more than I think 3-4 miles roundtrip. I'd love to get in 7-8 miles!

South and kind of east - you end up in the hinterlands of Kapolei. You get to the dirt parts if you stay on the main road through the resort and you hit the lowrise townhouse/condo enclave where the paved road ends (at least it did the last time I was there a few years ago). You have various dirt trail/road options from there.

Ian

I work on the of the hawaiian islands (Oahu, Big Island and Maui)
They are all good.
I road the original Ironman course on Oahu, with no problem and there were other triathlete doing the same.
Contact Ben Williams at Hawaii Triathlon Center.
Over by Disney you will open roads to ride. You can do reps on pineapple road.

You will be fine.

I nominate for post of the month.

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My latest book: "Out of the Melting Pot, Into the Fire" is on sale on Amazon and at other online and local booksellers

So true. Like me from New Zealand. We are on the other side of the road. I'm there in October and still working up the courage for the cars we are hiring.

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