Kailua

January 11, 2018

The home stretch: we return to Kailua today, following the coastline the whole way on the Ironman route. We get off for an unusually early start, by our standards at least - we show up at the coffee shop not long after it opens at 6 and are on the road before 8. We want to get most of our riding in before it gets too hot, and arrive in time to pack up the bikes nd relax a bit.

It’s grey out when we start riding, and actually misting a bit - Hawi isn’t quite over on the dry side of the island. Conditions change quickly though, and within only a few miles it’s already starting to lighten up and the skies ahead are blue. Suddenly it occurs to me that it’s still misting but also sunny - rainbow conditions! I look around, and yup - there’s a slight one that disappears within a minute.

The ride down the west side of the Kohala peninsula is really beautiful. The dense forests on the east side are wonderful, but I’m really drawn to this landscape, with the grassland exposing all the contours of the Old volcano. As we bike south, Mauna Loa gradually becomes larger and more distinct ahead of us.

Today’s ride is the only part of the island where we’ve seen many other ccylists on the road. We pass a steady stream of them going the opposite direction all morning, spaced about a half mile apart on the average. We’re on the famous Ironman route - a 110 mile loop that begins and ends in Kailua, with a turnaround in Hawi - and most of these riders look like serious cyclists. It’s also a very safe cycling road, with an abundant shoulder for the entire 55 miles.

Mauna Loa is just starting to break through the haze in the distance. We’ll be riding straight at it and watching it swell for then nexttwenty miles.

Looking back toward Mount Kohala - one more to add to my collection of Rachael’s stretching poses

The road is very quiet until we reach Kawaihae, where we merge with highway 19, the busy Belt Road. From here on out traffic becomes steadily more pronounced the closer we approach Kailua; and by t(e time we pass the airport it’s nonstop and makes for not very attractive riding at the end. The wide shoulder persists the entire way though, so it’s just a matter of aesthetics.

The day is also becoming steadily warmer as we ride - I think this is the hottest part of the island. We leave the highway when we come to Mauna Lani resort, in the mistaken opinion that we can ride through it and return to the island at the other end. It’s a beautiful, quiet ride, but proves to be just a long scenic detour - after two and a half miles we dead end at the entrance to a gated community. As long as we’ve pulled off though we’re happy to cool off at a juice bar.

Here’s Rachael’s video for the day.

Mauna Lani

Is this a banyan, and is this a naturally occurring color? These trees look like they’ve been white washed.

A recent flow from Kualalai, the volcano just east of Kona

This tree really stands out in the middle of this lava flow - there’s nothing like it for several miles.

Not far from the Kona airport, looking back at our road snaking into the distance

Nearly ruler-straight for about four miles

We arrive in Kailua about 2:30. It feels too hot for me to want to do anything right away, especially because I seem to be coming down with a cold of all things. We haven’t been in the water for the hole tour thoug, which doesn’t seem right somehow; so after cooling down a bit we go down to the bay and Rachael takes one for the team to preserve our honor. Afterwards, we head down to the waterfront once more and settle into a window table for one last great fish meal.

Then, back to the hotel to repack the Bike Fridays. It’s dark out, so I’m careful about working in a location where I don’t lose anything in the shadows. Not only do I not lose anything - I find something! Buried in one of the packing bags is the collar for the saddle stem that was missing when we arrived. I feel much better - it worried me that I’d been careless enough to lose an essential component.

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Total elevation gain: today, 2,000’; for the tour (final), 28,700’

Today's ride: 60 miles (97 km)
Total: 434 miles (698 km)

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