Once a year, the gang from Boca Hawaii rides a few of the steepest hills on the East side of Oahu. A few weeks ago I joined the group of almost 40 people, and we rode 50 miles and climbed nearly 6,000ft.
Oh!!! It was so hard! I started riding each hill excited to get to the top, but half way to the top when the legs started to burn, the lower back getting tighter, I thought, “Why am I riding this hill? Is it really necessary?!?” Is not really necessary but I really wanted to get to the top, so I kept going. And I had that thought on every single hill (They are hard! That’s why!) But every time I reached the top it was so worth it!
My strava stopped working at mile 31, not sure why, so the map below is from Tim’s strava. He rode with us too. From his map you can see the route we took and the elevation of all the hills.
(I promise that I climbed all the hills and rode the whole distance but of course not as fast as Tim did.)
WHERE?
Honolulu – Hawaii – USA
DISTANCE, ELEVATION & ROUTE
INFO ABOUT THIS ROUTE
- we started at Paki Park riding towards Diamond Head, then Hanauma, Kamehame, Mariners Ridge, Laukahi, Sierra Drive, and St. Louis Heights.
- Hanauma Bay is a scenic route, so be attentive to the traffic.
- Kamehame, Mariners Ridge and Laukahi don’t have bike lanes but those streets are wide with a lot of space to share with cars.
- Sierra Drive and St. Louis Heights are more narrow roads with no bike shoulders, and with more traffic than the first three hills.
MY FAVORITE WORKOUT ON THIS ROUTE
Riding up hill focusing on my core powering my legs. Riding down hill spinning my legs instead of just coasting, so I get the blood flushing in my legs to get ready for the next climb.
SHARING A FEW TIPS
- make sure your brakes are working properly, because the downhills can be steep and there are some tight curves.
- it is safer to drink and eat while you are riding on the flats.
- take your time going downhill. There is no reason to go fast downhill. Race up, not down!
- on the top of St. Louis Heights there is a beautiful park (Wa’ahila Ridge), enjoy it, and celebrate the last hill of your ride.
- don’t worry how fast you or anybody else is riding, just keep going your own pace. Enjoy the ride!
some dreams are worth sharing…
Mariane
