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Donnie Arnoult
Go Cycling Maui
99 Hana Hwy - Unit A
PO Box 791365
Paia, HI 96779
(808) 579-9009
donnie@gocyclingmaui.com

Client Comments -
Articles about Go Cycling Maui

May 6, 2008
Skypp Cabanas
I just got back into my office and wanted to let you know that I had an AMAZING TIME riding with you and your guides You gave me some great insights to my own riding habits (I'll remember to not go race horse speed when I first roll out) and great suggestions on performance.
THANK YOU so much for some great rides.
Hope to be there again soon! Mahalo! Skypp Cabanas

VIP Treatment Perfected
11March, 2008
David Clayton Cole
Thanks so much for having the team put out the red carpet. And boy, oh boy, do they know how to put out the red carpet! Each person we met was just sensational.

Jan Weissenberger
6 May 2008
Thank you again for a fun bike ride. It was great to be out on the bike in Maui. I have told all my friends about it. Emily and I really enjoyed ourselves. The views were great and soaking in the Maui air on the bike was even better.
Next time we are coming to Maui, …we will have to hook up again.

Paul Zackin
24 April 2008
Just want to drop you a not to say thanks for the great riding in Maui. I really enjoyed all three days.
Hope to see you again next year.

Mark and Nancy May
2 April 2008
thanks for the great service. I will definitely call next year when we come to Maui to schedule more rides.

Joanne Serina
12 January 2008
…My husband and I were in Maui over Thanksgiving and joined you for another great ride.
We always talk about our next trip to Maui.
Thanks very much!

Justin Calvo
26 December 2007
Abby and I had a blast with your crew when we were in Maui. The ride to Keanae was the unanimous highlight of our trip and the company and equipment/gear (banana bread included) was top of the line!

Carl Fornaris
26 September 2007
I wanted to thank you again for a couple of great rides you put together for me, particularly the crater climb, which was a real confidence-builder for me and fun!
I will definitely contact you again for rentals/rides next time I'm in Maui and will recommend your outfit to others.

Garet Heintz
21 August 2007
My ride up Haleakala was unbelievable and I can't imagine ever tipping it. The ride back down was just as intense and the view from the top is so surreal. I've been telling all my friends in San Diego about my ride and your company. Many Thanks.

Heather Johnston
23 July, 2007
Back in Montreal for a month, and thanks to you and your team, I have re-discovered biking.
Thanks again for a fabulous Maui experience and for being so 'kind' on my bike rental- you guys made my Maui experience something I want to repeat next year!

Craig Mosley
20 August 2007
Just a note of thanks for organizing the ride today. …everything was very well organized and provided valuable support. It was a delight to have a virtually personal sag wagon well stocked with water, drink mix, snacks, suntan lotion and etc. ..When I return to Maui, I will definitely plan more time on the bike. …

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
by Bob Machlin

Fellow Cyclists,

If any of you have any vacation plans for Maui, I have what I think is a great suggestion . . . www.gocyclingmaui.com!

As some of you may recall when we published our goals, I said that I wanted to ride up Mt. Haleakala on Maui. John Wright responded to me letting me know about a new company called Go Cycling Maui run by Donnie Arnoult, a former pro-racer, as an alternative to bringing my own cycle. Donnie provides 7 island rides, including climbing Mt. Haleakala. He focuses on the avid cyclist who rides an average of 100 miles+ per week. Unlike other tours that provide low quality equipment geared for inexperienced riders, Donnie provides high quality LiteSpeed cycles outfitted with Ultegra doubles and triples. He also provides helmets, shorts, jerseys shoes, pedals, gloves, vests, jackets - literally everything if you need it - AND even has a SAG van follow you with food, drinks, etc on each ride !

I had a chance to do 3 of his rides - one on the north side (road to Hana), one on the south side (overlooking the ocean from 3,000 ft), and the ride up the mountain. Every ride was fantastic and exceeded my expectations ! In addition to the beautiful views, I had a chance to ride with Josh Frick (top cyclist on Maui) and Tom Doughty (US Olympic cyclist from 1980 and 1984 teams) as well as a few other elite cyclists who gave me a few pointers - Donnie certainly attracts quality riders. In fact, Lance came over a few weeks earlier to ride with Donnie and a few other cyclists.

As for the ride up the mountain, it was tremendous ! If you like to climb, this one is great - believed to be the longest single ascent on earth (36 miles of continuous climbing from sea level to 10,023 feet) ! And needless to say, once you accomplish this goal, the descent is also fantastic - we literally had 25 miles of open mountain before reaching the lower towns (all the tours and tourist had pretty much deserted the mountain by mid-afternoon).

If anyone wants any more info, including a few pictures, let me know or check out Donnie's web site above (note: I have no vested stake in Donnie's success - just trying to pass on info about a great experience). And for those interested in racing up the mountain versus just riding up it, they actually have an annual race "Cycle to the Sun" www.cycletothesun.net.

Hauoli Makahikihou (Happy New Year in Hawaiian)! Bob Machlin

SKINNY SIDE OF MAUI 
By John Robson - The Miami Herald

As it happened, the next day found me exchanging fat tires for skinny as I returned to the flanks of Haleakala with an organization called Go Cycling Maui. Having sold his Las Vegas-based electrical contracting firm and moved to Maui simply because he ''wanted to live on an island,'' avid road cyclist Donnie Arnoult was stunned to find how absolutely great the cycling was on this dot in the Pacific.

An idea took shape and soon enough he cut short his retirement to open a business that would give riders like himself the experience of training just like the world's best professional teams do. This is not a fantasy camp, but the real deal. About all you have to bring is your own cycling shoes and Go Cycling Maui provides the rest: socks, uniforms, helmet, gloves and, best of all, high-end Litespeed Siena titanium racing bikes.

Once you're suited up and riding, you find that you're trailed by a large support vehicle filled with spare bike parts, cold drinks and energy bars. It really is the pro team experience -- and the routes are just sensational.

Once a week, the Go Cycling Maui group rides the full 38 miles from the top of Haleakala to Pa'ia -- but only after first riding the 38 miles up to the top from the beach. For comparison's sake, it's worth noting that the toughest climbs in the Tour de France rarely involve an elevation differential of more than 5,000 feet and almost never go over 7000 feet in altitude. But when you ride Haleakala bottom to top, you're literally climbing from sea level to over 10,000 vertical feet in one uninterrupted climb.

But -- curse my bad timing -- the day I rode did not coincide with the Full Monty of Mount Haleakala. Instead, we climbed a mere 2,000 feet or so before cutting off on a road across the flanks of the mountain that would take us to the Tedeschi Vineyards, Hawaii's only source of locally grown and produced wine. This road, though, was a full e-ticket thrill ride.

Having earned every bit of elevation with that 2,000 feet climbed, we now gave it back in a swooping, curving, speedy descent. Five miles or more where pedaling was a rarely indulged option and you could ride absolutely as fast as you wanted. With dazzling views of the shimmering Pacific on one side and the great expanse of Haleakala on the other, this was road cycling at its best, hugely entertaining and highly addictive.

Of course, payback soon came as we retraced our route back up those five miles before bombing back down Haleakala Highway.

This second descent is a little steeper, and ride leader Arnoult said he registered something like 52 mph on his bike computer. Being unfamiliar with the route, I played it a little safer but still logged long stretches in the 40-mph vicinity.

Near the end of the three-hour, 50-plus-mile ride, we had another one of those cultural clashes that seem to pop up all the time on Maui. As we pedaled leisurely down a side road, we came upon a group of fat-tire riders who were nearing the end of their descent from the top of Haleakala. Ahead of them was a little bump in the road, a gentle climb of perhaps 15 vertical feet, the only uphill in the entire 38 miles from top to bottom. All the riders had dismounted and were drinking cold water prior to walking their bikes up this modest grade.

Go Cycling Maui has charted over 10 different routes around the island and makes the call as to where the ride will head after checking out the weather each morning, increasing your chances of staying dry while you ride and giving you a variety of choices in terms of difficulty and distance in the rides. For solo riders, routes are posted at GoCyclingMaui.com.

UNIQUE MAUI OUTFITTER LETS CYCLISTS TAKE TO THE EXOTIC ISLAND ROADS LIKE THE PROS
By Jim Woodman - Active.com

Maui is arguably one of the most scenic travel destinations in the world. But whoever thinks of road biking on Maui?

World-class beaches, snorkeling, diving, hiking, sailing and the all-too-popular but way-too-lame mountain bike coast down the famed 10,000-foot Haleakala are the signature activities. Road cycling is rarely, if ever, mentioned.

"You’re going to Maui?" my friend and travel writer John Robson asked when hearing of my plans to visit Lahaina. "You’ve got to call this guy at Maui Cycling and hook up for some amazing rides."

Well, the last thing on my mind was taking my bike to Hawaii. Not only do the airlines rake you over the coals for bringing your two-wheeled buddy — $80 each way is today’s average scam rate — I’d rather ride into a 30-mph headwind with no food or water for five hours than drag a clumsy bike box through airport security and rental cars.

"There’s no way I’m taking my bike to Hawaii," I said.

"That’s just it," John replied. "You don’t have to. These guys have tons of titanium Litespeed bikes, clothing, helmets, glasses — and they’ll set you up. All you have to do is bring your pedals and shoes. And if you forget your pedals and shoes, they’ve got an assortment of those as well."

Go Cycling Maui

John directed me to Maui Cycling’s Web site, and I was immediately intrigued.

"The experience is to be treated like you are on a professional cycling team, sort of a fantasy camp for cyclists," read one of the first few lines on their site.

I continued reading: "Get a flat tire and we get you a new wheel and pace you back up to the group. Get cold and we get you a jacket, vest, or arm warmers. Need help up the mountain and we will do our best to pace you to the top. Get hungry and energy bars and fluids are supplied. We want you to experience what it is like to have your own domestique working for you during your ride in paradise."

OK, enough reading. Being the diseased bike geek that I am, I knew it was my rightful duty to check out this Maui cycling gig. My next challenge was to convince my wife that I needed to throw in a couple of rides while on our "family vacation." While my wife is certainly understanding of my weekly need to join the "boys" for group rides every Saturday, I figured the vacation request, considering we have two small children, might throw her over the edge.

"You’re going to do what?" was her immediate reaction when I tactfully tried to explain that I might go for a ride or two while in Maui. I’ve learned that it’s never prudent to mention anything definite when making this sort of request. The word "might" comes in very handy, as it always softens the full impact.

"How are you going to do that? When? And who’s going to watch the kids?"

Well, she was going to watch the kids. That seemed pretty logical to me. Of course I couldn’t come out and just say it that way, so I twisted this whole ride idea into a business reason.

"I’m going to do a story for Active," I explained. "This is a new concept in the cycling industry (yes, I stole that line right off the Web site) and it’s my duty to report it (this was sounding like a crock even to me). You can hang out at the pool, relaxing and reading while I ride. Besides, I’ll probably only ride once and then you can go snorkeling or do whatever you like and I’ll watch the kids."

Well, my wife was quick to point out there’s no relaxing or reading while watching 20-month and 3 1/2-year-old boys. She had a good point there, but was quick to concede on letting me do one ride, maybe two.

Rice Park to Kahikinui

On my third day in Maui, the plan was to meet Donnie Arnoult, owner of Go Cycling Maui, at 7:30 a.m. in Rice Park for a 2- to 3-hour ride with four or five other riders. Rice Park is located in the middle of the island off Highway 37, the road to Haleakala.

It took me about 45 minutes to drive there from Lahaina, and I arrived to find everybody geared up, ready and just waiting for me.

Donnie seemed like a very pleasant guy and certainly looked the part of a seasoned bicycle racer. He’s 37 years old, a Cat. 2 cyclist with over 17 years of racing experience, and says he climbs the zero-to-10,000-foot Haleakala "at least once a week with clients."

As Donnie had me sign a release form, I quickly peered into his black Chevy Tahoe. The Tahoe was stocked with extra wheels, bike parts, tubes, tires, helmets, energy bars, replacement drinks, water — basically everything, and anything, we'd need. Custom painted with Go Cycling Maui logos, including a big "caution: cyclist ahead" message on the back, helped the Tahoe really stand out. I wondered why it said "cyclist" instead of cyclists. Did they use the Tahoe for following solo riders? I could imagine how cool it would be to motor-pace behind that thing.

"Here's everything you'll need today," a voice called from behind, which quickly snapped me back to reality and out of my motor-pacing delusions. I turned as a guy named Jeff handed me a bag of clothing — shorts, jersey, socks and helmet.  The black cycling socks with "Go Cycling Maui" logos emblazoned on each side would be a great souvenir and pretty unique, I thought.

I had my own pedals and shoes and Jeff quickly grabbed my pedals and screwed them onto a Litespeed Siena. After a quick seat-height adjustment, the bike was ready. The compact titanium frame Siena had a 12-25 cassette with a triple chainring that seemed unnecessary to me. As a Cat. 3 cyclist who had just finished in the middle of the field at Masters road nationals, I figured I could hold my own with just about anybody and didn’t need the small ring no matter how steep the climbs got.

I soon learned that not only did I love the triple chainring (especially on an 18% grade they call the "wall"), but the compact frame felt really comfortable, especially on the winding descents. In fact, when I got back to San Diego and jumped on my own road bike, it felt a little awkward. Donnie told me that most of his clients are amazed at how quickly they feel comfortable on the Litespeeds.

I especially liked the added touch of what I’d prefer in my water bottles. "Gatorade or Cytomax?" Jeff asked. When I responded "Cytomax," he asked me how strong I wanted it mixed. What normal bike tour operator would even think to ask that? These guys were way dialed into how cyclists think. He then brought out a varied selection of energy bars and I chose a vanilla Powerbar to stash in the back of my jersey.

The fact that the support vehicle was following us for the entire ride made carrying pumps, tubes, food, extra water and/or cameras totally unnecessary. How cool would it be to always ride with this kind of service, I thought.

"I’ll take your camera and snap some pictures if you want," Jeff said. And sure enough, once we started riding, there was Jeff driving up ahead, stopping the Tahoe and snapping pictures of us as we cruised by.

Great roads, no cars

We took off heading south on Highway 37 to the Pi'ilani Highway, also known as Highway 31, on the south part of the island. Go Cycling Maui calls this route "Rice Park in Kula to Kahikinui."

Some of Maui's roads are beautifully paved with no cars. Shown here is the road to Kahikinui.

Before I got hooked up with Go Cycling Maui, the thought of riding on these narrow island roads seemed suicidal. I soon learned that was because I had no idea how much variety of well-paved, nearly deserted roads were on Maui.

I’m not usually that impressed with roads and traffic conditions, especially to where I’d waste the space writing about it, but the road to the south part of the island was like having a private little cycling paradise. We spent 2 1/2 hours winding up and down hills on perfectly paved asphalt with, I would guess, less than 10 cars passing us the entire ride.

"Why aren’t there any cars out here?" I asked.

"Because this road doesn’t go anywhere," Donnie replied. "It ends up as a gravel road for about 14 miles before meeting with another paved portion that goes to Hana. We’ve got tons of roads like this out here." 

While there weren’t any other paid clients while I was there, Donnie assembled a group of local triathletes and cyclists to join us and they were all strong enough to make the ride somewhat challenging. The nice thing about the rides is that the pace can be dictated by the type of riders in the group.

"Nobody really gets dropped because we either wait or pace them back up to the group," Donnie says. "A lot of people just come out here to enjoy the scenery and are happy to ride with the pace of the group. We really don’t get too many people who just want to hammer. But if they do, I’m happy to ride with them."

After returning to Lahaina from the Rice Park ride, I thanked my wife for watching the kids and told her how truly amazing the whole experience had been. This was part of my setup strategy to try to join Donnie for another ride.

"Are you going to do another ride?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think it might be good to get another perspective," I replied. "I’m not totally sure yet. It depends on what we’ll be doing."

Of course, I was dead-set sure I’d make one more ride.

West Maui

Since we were planning to drive to Hana the morning I was going to do my second ride with Go Cycling Maui, time was critical and I wouldn’t really have time to drive somewhere else on the island, get back and then head to Hana with my wife and kids.

"Why don’t we do a ride from where you are on west Maui?" Donnie suggested. "It’s actually a great ride and I haven’t done it in awhile. I can pick you up at the hotel in the morning."

This seemed like a great idea and I wouldn’t ride much more than two hours anyway, giving me plenty of time to get back and take the kids on the drive through the rain forest to Hana.

The next morning Donnie arrived with a few cycling buddies, including Jeff, the triathlete, who had driven sag the other day. Altogether there were five of us — a true group ride by Maui standards — and we headed north up the west coast of the island. 

We had a nice bike lane coming out of the hotel district in Lahaina till we got to Kapalua, where the road became narrow and winding. Fortunately, there was also far less traffic. The views were stunning, and some of the climbs were quite challenging. In fact, this is the part of the island that features the 18% "Wall." 

And I was very glad to have the extra 30-tooth small ring in the front, as I watched everybody else barely turning their 39-tooth "small rings" and struggling up the Wall.

I kept thinking to myself, yes, I’m a bike geek, but how many people actually get to experience Maui this way? Not only do you get an outstanding workout on most of the climbs, but the scenery is all postcard material.

And when you consider that some of the sailing, snorkeling and diving trips can run you north of $150 per person, the Go Cycling Maui deal of having a fully escorted bicycle tour for several hours — between $115 and $135 per ride, depending on how many days you ride — seems like a sweet deal.

For more information, visit www.gocyclingmaui.com or give Donnie a call at (808) 572-0259.

Jim Woodman is one of the founders of the Active Network and former editor and publisher of Florida Sports Magazine. He’s been an avid cyclist for over 22 years.

CYCLING ON THE ISLAND OF MAUI
Article submitted by Gerald Iacono of Palos Verdes California

For me, the thought of cycling on Maui conjures up visions of tourists in yellow rain slickers and motorcycle helmets cascading single-file down the face of Haleakala on strand cruisers with breaks squealing as they cause a traffic jam. I cringe just thinking about it. But on my recent trip to Maui, I still wanted to ride.

Thanks to an advertisement in Velo News, I discovered a new concept in bicycle touring called Go Cycling Maui (GCM). GCM is a touring company focused on serious cycling enthusiasts. Its owned and staffed by competitive cyclists. These guys are great athletes and they really know their way around the island. On my ride from Haiku to Keanae, I was accompanied by two world class cyclist- Donnie, a recent competitor in the Sea Otter Classic and Jeff who had just qualified for Ironman Hawaii. 

GCM provided everything! They provided a custom fit Litespeed Siena with Shimano Ultegra components, a full cycling uniform, and a support vehicle equipped with an extra bike and all the energy refreshments I could consume. I just supplied the shoes, the pedals, and the power.

What a great day! There’s no better way to see and experience Maui. I had a pleasant ride from Makawao upcountry to the coastal road leading to Hana. A total of eight routes are available including the climb to 10,000’ summit of Haleakala.

I highly recommend Go Cycling Maui to any riders planning a trip to Maui. 
 

MAUI CYCLING
Article submitted by Rocco Hollaway of Modesto, California

I returned from Maui last Friday, I planned on doing the usual: snorkel, golf, hike. I also planned on taking my road bike, ( at my age and lack of talent, missing 7-10 days of riding can be devastating). The team bike cases were in use and the airline cost for a bike is $75 one way. Then I remembered picking up a brochure at the Death Ride about a cycling tour for the avid to elite cyclist. So, I set up a two day ride with Go Cycling Maui, www.gocyclingmaui.com.

According to Donnie, the owner, most clients want to ride up Haleakala. Sometimes, Donnie has to ride the volcano 2 times per week! So he decided Saturday to take a break from the volcano and ride the North shore, from Haiku to Keanae. This is also the road to Hana.

I arrived at 8:00 Saturday morning. Donnie and one of his staff arrived in a new black Suburban with all the team logos, paint job, racks, and of course a load of Litespeed bikes.

I brought my shorts, shoes, and pedals. Donnie supplied the bike, jersey, socks, helmet, food, drink, and sag support. After installing my pedals and adjusting the bike we were off.

The ride route: We started out by going inland through single-lane back roads near Haiku. We came out on highway 36 and headed towards Keanae. This road is up and down with many turns. Typical pattern was descend inland to a 180 degree single lane 10 mph bridge and climb back out towards the coastline. We did this over and over again. The views along the route were postcard quality.

Riding behind Donnie and his staff was great. Of course, since I’m a paying client, I didn’t have to pull through all day. I trusted and followed Donnie’s speed and line through all the switch backs. I would not have ridden as fast by myself. Similar to my local cycling group rides when we draft garbage trucks, Donnie showed me the fine art of passing those 30 passenger tour buses and staying in front of them. We road faster on the roadway than most vehicles. The ride totaled about 40 miles and it took about 3 hours. On the last climb back to Haiku, I cramped. Sign of a good hard ride.

Immediately after, I changed and played 18 holes of Golf. After a full day of Maui activities that ice cold Corona never tasted so good!

So, if you vacation on Maui and need your ride fix; had it with shopping and tourist deals, then go out and ride with Go Cycling Maui.