Mountain Bike Maui ("Mauintain Biking"? No? OK)

When you're on islands that have leant their place names to what has been proved to be my favourite brand of bike it would be entirely rude to not try to ride.

A rainy afternoon visit to what seemed to be a great shop in Kahului, Crater Cycles was interesting. Given the expanse of amazing landscape on Maui I was surprised to learn that there were only two officially allowed mountain bike trails on the island. One was described as an XC loop, but I was told it was unridable after rain so that was out. The Skyline trail was a big downhill ride from the top of the Haleakala volcano that was apparently fine, but would involve logistics in the form of getting a car back to the bottom of the trail. With a bit of a chat we devised a plan and I hired a good Giant Reign for the next day.

After discussing with the hotel staff I was told to just put the bike in my room, which suited me fine, and an early night allowed for a very early start to try and catch the sunrise at the edge of the volcano's crater.

The sunrise was hidden by clouds right down on the mountain top but the ride was still on. I moved the car to the trailhead that had been suggested, up a tight and twisty road to the end of the tarmac where I kitted up into a cobbled-together riding outfit and nervously set out to hope that the route would be as clear as had been suggested.

The ride was actually a fantastic mix of slippery rooty rainforest singletrack,with tough sections that pushed the idea of what's ridable to the limit. Drops into streams were extreme at times and could only be carried over as far as I could see, but in between there was great fun to be had.

With my mind firmly on the brakes being the wrong way round form my point of view I flowed through where I could, slid along in other places and fought the high humidity and heat that was very different from the UK. Wet-through but warm and muddy I soon hit the climb. The first up was perhaps ridable on a drier day, but the steepness and ice-like roots meant I spend far more time pushing than riding and sweated my way up through the redwoods. An excruciating period later I emerged at a camp ground and a rough track, that was at least ridable. I pointed the bike upwards, shifted down and settled in for a solid slog up into the clouds.

Grinding up around the track I gasped and sweated up past what I imagine were great views hidden in the clouds. I remembered the warning to hang left and continued to climb to the trailhead for the Mamane trail.

Here it got worth it. A left hand fork took me onto flowing singletrack that whooped across the slope and then pointed down round some fun drops. Proper mountain bike trail style rushed and smoothed my way downwards with the bike let out in front and dropping away until it deposited me back on the big trail with a shortish cruise back to the car.

It was highly satisfying to ride in such a different environment and to tap briefly into a different scene. I'm sure there's more fun to be had on Maui, if you know the secrets.

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