Men's Journal

Temperatures can drop 30 degrees while riding up the 10,023-foot Mount Haleakala. Photo credit: Map by Alan Kikuchi

Team Garmin-Slipstream’s CEO Jonathan Vaughters earned his reputation riding the most stunning road routes across the U.S. Here’s one of his favorites.
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4. Mount Haleakala
Maui, Hawaii (76 miles)

Riding up Mount Haleakala is a tough haul: The route starts at the edge of Paia Bay’s gin-clear water and perfect breaks and heads up the side of the mountain (close to 10,000 feet in 38 miles), climbing from an almost-hot 85 degrees to a place where you can throw on skis and get a couple of runs in. The payoff of the climb is getting to see vastly different views, wildlife, and vegetation (you’ll ride through four ecosystems, ranging from tropical at the base all the way to subarctic tundra at the peak). The climb is four to five hours straight for your average cyclist — the record is a blistering 2:32 by Ryder Hesjedal, if you want to flirt with killing yourself — but then, of course, there’s the one-hour-plus, white-knuckle screamer back down: It’s 35 miles of high-speed descent while barely pedaling, and possibly the most thrilling thing you’ll ever do.

We’ve posted all five of Jonathan’s favorite rides. Click here to see the final one — Tour of the Valleys, starting from Putnam, VT. Or click here to see route number three — The Peak to Peak Highway, starting from Boulder, CO. Click here to see route number two — The Gila Monster, starting from Silver City, NM. And click here to see route one — From Orange Groves to the General Sherman, starting from Visalia, CA.

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