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Hawaii’s Back Yard
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
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Big Isle bike tour lets whole family go on a fun ride
Watching TV coverage of cyclists competing in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Christopher Gay was inspired to get rolling on the road to good health.
Coffee Express Tour
Place: Pickups are made at Kailua-Kona hotels or other prearranged spots in town at 8 a.m. Return time is about 12:30 p.m.
When: Call for availability; this tour is not available on Sundays and holidays.
Cost: $79.95 per person and $59.95 for ages 6 through 15. Price includes snacks, beverages, use of bikes and helmets, and admission to Puuhonua O Honaunau. Kamaaina, groups of six to 12 and those booking at least seven days in advance receive a 15 percent discount (kamaaina discount applies to everyone in the party even if only one is a local resident). Those booking two or more half- or full-day tours at the same time on a single credit card also receive a 15 percent discount. Tours must be taken within a 15-day period, and the discount is not available for custom tours, defined as groups of 13 or more. Discounts may not be combined.
Call: 808-327-1133 or toll-free from the other islands, 877-592-2453
E-mail: bikeinfo@cyclekona.com
Web site: www.cyclekona.com
Notes: There is a two-person minimum for all tours. Participants must wear closed-toe shoes and be able to ride a bike. Tours run rain or shine. If weather conditions create a safety hazard, tours will be canceled at the discretion of Kona Coast Cycling Tours. A support van accompanies all tours and can provide transportation for participants who need to rest. Trail-a-Bikes are available for children who weigh up to 85 pounds. The rider of the tow bike must be at least 16 years old (18 if not related) and at least 5 feet 4 inches tall. Ask about eight other half- and full-day tours ranging from easy to strenuous. Itineraries include North Kohala, Waimea, Honokaa, Waipio Valley and Hilo.
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Twenty-two years old at the time, he says, "I wasn't doing anything athletic, and when I saw the biking events, I thought, 'That looks like fun, and there's no reason I can't do it!'"
Two days later he bought a bike and pedaled to the beach near his home in Orange County, Calif. Although the 22-mile round-trip route was flat most of the way, it was an ambitious endeavor considering it was his first time on a bike in a decade.
"Afterward, my behind and muscles were sore," Gay recalls, "but it was such a great feeling getting exercise outdoors in fresh air!"
He was hooked. In less than a year, he was riding 250 miles a week and participating in long-distance events ranging from 100 to 500-plus miles.
Along with health benefits, biking provided him with a new circle of friends.
"We came from many different walks of life -- doctors, lawyers, salesmen -- but cycling was our common ground," Gay says. "Some days, we'd ride 60 miles; other days, we weren't as energetic, but we enjoyed biking together even if it was only to ride down to the beach and get breakfast at the seaside cafe."
Today, Gay and his wife, Megan, own and operate Kona Coast Cycling, which leads visitors on half- and full-day biking tours around the Big Island. He asserts it's much more rewarding than sightseeing by car.
"On a bicycle you're immersed in the sights, sounds, smells and textures of nature," Gay says. "When you tour in a car, you drive from place to place without getting a sense of what's in between. When you bike, you're aware of everything along the way, from the tiniest flowers to the feel of the wind and rain on your face. Exploring a place once by bike is like doing it five times by car."
He also points out that biking is environmentally friendly and provides a good aerobic workout.
It's also an activity just about everyone can do. Gay's customers range from kids as young as 6 to great-grandparents in their 80s. And, he says, contrary to what some might think, the older folks don't only book the easy options.
"A 79-year-old gentleman recently did one of our moderate tours that went from pastureland in Waimea to the rain forests of Honokaa," Gay recalls.
"It was a 20-mile ride with some challenging inclines, but he did every mile under his own power, either riding on the bike or walking with it."
COURTESY OF KONA COAST CYCLING TOURS
Children 6 and older are welcome to bike with adults during the Coffee Express Tour in Kailua-Kona.
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THE POPULAR Coffee Express Tour includes seven scenic miles of cycling in South Kona, most of it downhill. It begins with a visit to Greenwell Coffee Farm in Captain Cook, founded in 1850. Here, you'll learn about the Big Island's most famous crop, sample freshly brewed java and pick ripe coffee cherries if you're there at the right time (they can appear from June through February but are usually most abundant from August through December).
A little farther down the road, you'll hop on your bike and cruise past more coffee farms; macadamia nut farms; papaya and mango groves; hibiscus; ginger; Cook pines; African tulip, kukui, banana and breadfruit trees; and coastal views en route to St. Benedict Catholic Church, commonly known as the Painted Church.
Between 1899 and 1904, Father John Velghe painted detailed frescoes of biblical stories on the walls and ceiling as a way of teaching the gospel to illiterate congregation members.
From the church you'll glide three miles down a wide highway shoulder to Honaunau Bay and Puuhonua O Honaunau, a 16th-century place of refuge for defeated warriors, noncombatants during times of war and those who had broken a kapu (sacred law).
Among other things, the ancient kapu system specified seasons for fishing, hunting and gathering timber, and forbade commoners from walking in the footsteps of a chief and women from eating with men. The penalty for breaking a kapu was death, unless the violator could make it to a puuhonua where he was absolved by a priest and allowed to return to society.
COURTESY OF KONA COAST CYCLING TOURS
In addition to coffee farm stops, sites visited include the Big Isle's famed Painted Church.
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Now a National Historical Park, Puuhonua O Honaunau harbors numerous cultural treasures, including a fishpond, reconstructed heiau (temple) and 17-foot-thick wall that separates the sanctuary from the compound where Hawaiian royalty once resided.
After taking a self-guided tour of the grounds, you'll enjoy refreshments and a van ride back to Kailua-Kona.
"The great thing about the Coffee Express Tour is that it's something the whole family can do together," Gay said. "Experienced bikers can kick back and get into the laid-back feeling of the tour, and it's perfect for beginners because it's not too long or strenuous. The riding time is broken up, which keeps the trip interesting for kids and doable for those who aren't in top physical condition or don't bike very often."
One participant was a 7-year-old girl who had always ridden bikes with coaster brakes. "She wasn't used to hand brakes and was really nervous," Gay recalls. "We took her aside, explained the controls and had her practice a bit. We got her going, and the further we went, the more comfortable she got. By the time we were heading toward Puuhonua O Honaunau, she was riding circles around her mom and saying, 'Let's go! Let's do more!'"
Seeing people share his love for biking is one of the things Gay enjoys most about his job. "The Big Island has 350 sunny days a year and over 500 miles of smooth paved roads," he says. "In terms of climate and landscape, it offers more diversity than any other Hawaiian island. You can ride through tropical rain forests, over dramatic mountain passes and beside rolling green meadows and fields of barren lava. No matter which of our tours you choose, you'll find the Big Island is a cyclist's dream!"
COURTESY OF KONA COAST CYCLING TOURS
The Coffee Express Tour is a fun and educational activity for the whole family.
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COURTESY OF KONA COAST CYCLING TOURS
Stops allow visitors to witness the process of coffee harvesting. Here, coffee beans dry in the sunlight.
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Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based free-lance writer and Society of American Travel Writers award winner.