RecumBum

Just got back from ten days or so in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and as the title indicates, I didn’t get much riding in.

It was a family vacation, after all (and in this case, extended family plus friends — eleven people in total), and I was the only cyclist, so I succumbed to mob rule and didn’t force my wishes on the group.

It was still a good time, and I did manage one quick stop in a local bike store (Hawaiian Pedals / Bike Works in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii) and scored a new cycling jersey:

I also picked up a Specialized Deflect Jacket on clearance for half-price, which I thought was a pretty good deal.

I did see quite a few folks riding in Hawaii. On the Big Island, I saw road bikes, mountain bikes, and cruisers. The western portion of the island is lightly populated and the landscape is primitive (primarily exposed lava rock as far as the eye can see, with very few trees or plants), but the roads are excellent — smooth and clean with wide shoulders. However, elsewhere on the island, roads are less bicycle-friendly. They’re generally in good shape, but the shoulder comes and goes, and traffic is heavier.

It’s ironic, but the prettier parts of the island — i.e. the best places to ride — have the worst roads, but the ugly side has great roads.

On Oahu (the most populous island, containing the capital of Honolulu and famous attractions such as Waikiki Beach and the North Shore), road cycling appears to be a complete disaster. Traffic is heavy, roads are narrow and twisty, and shoulders are slim to none.

In the city and near the beaches, bicycles appear to be a popular form of transportation, but most of these bikes are of the clunker variety. I saw an occasional Specialized, Giant, Cannondale, or other familiar name, but the majority were Next, Murray, Huffy, Schwinn — department store bikes.

Once home, after spending most of a day on planes, I wasted no time in getting back in the saddle, riding to the grocery store to pick up some milk and bread. It felt good to ride again!