You will see lots of bicyclists on Oahu. Bike rentals concessions abound at the resorts, and the
Backpackers Hostel mentioned in the lodging of
this book offers bike rentals for only $5 a day. If you want to take
The Bus and then ride to various places off the bus route or just for fun, you can use The Bus' bike rack.
The
State of Hawaii Department of Transportation offers a great deal of information, including current bicycling conditions, the State’s plan for improvement, and the rules of the road.
The island of Oahu currently has 34 miles of bike lanes with another 49 being proposed and four underway. This is part of the State’s plan to make low-energy transportation more easily accessible and appealing. The State estimates that bicycling and walking combined make up about 11 percent of the daily trips made by those on the island. The state would like to see this percent increased. To this end, they have also made available an interactive map to show you the safest bicycling routes for your level of ability. I found that first reading this map gave me information that made using the interactive ones much easier.
If you want to bring your own bikes, check with your airline on their policies regarding how it is to be checked in and packed if required. If you can count it as one of your two pieces of check-in luggage, then that will save you some money. Hawaiian Airlines charges $50 for one bike and has specific check-in rules, although they don't require packaging your bike.
On the other hand, Delta Airlines, will check a bike free-of-charge in lieu of one piece of luggage, provided the dimensions the box that holds your bike does not exceed 62 inches (length + height + width). Otherwise, there is a $100 fee.
If you have difficulty finding a Web page on an airline’s site with the information you need, try typing into your search engine, bicycle + the name of the airline. I would also call to confirm that the information is up to date.
Quick searches in Google for bicycle + hawaii + oahu bring up several bike rentals. Some of them like Coconut Cruisers offers useful information and links as well.And, again if you’re staying in an alternative lodging place such as the Backpacker’s Inn, inquire before you go about bike rental rates and condition of the bikes.
If you want to do a bus/bike tour of the island, just be sure to plan where you want to go first and then check the bike maps. Happy pedaling!
This article is an excerpt from Cindy Blankenship's ebook, The Hawaii Eco Budget Guide to Oahu, available at her Website, www.CoconutRoads.com.
