I`m leaving for Kauai in 2 weeks, and plan on staying for 2 months of paradise. My brother lives over there and says I need gears , but he is more roadie tri geek than mtn. biker. So is there anyone on kauai that rides a singlespeed. From what I gather the trails are fairly short and seem perfect for one speed. I would hate to be stuck in Hawaii with 27 gears. Local advice is apreciated. thanks

Unless your one gear is a very low granny gear, you're going to be pushing your bike up 50% of every trail. Your brother is right.

Like MTBKAUAI said...you'll be pushing half the hills or more. I have a single speed and it's only off-road use is on the (rare) flatter trails here on Oahu. Bring your geared bike.

First rule of coming to Hawaii, when a local gives advise, you'd do well to follow.

BTW...hunt down the Brick Oven Pizza place...worth the ride

Coming from Florida? You will definitely want a geared bike.

I did some riding in Oahu over the summer and rode the 24 hour race....all single speed all the time. Depending on what time of terrain you're used to, I though Oahu was singlespeed paradise!

Do it.

B

I did some riding in Oahu over the summer and rode the 24 hour race....all single speed all the time. Depending on what time of terrain you're used to, I though Oahu was singlespeed paradise!

Do it.

B
You rode on Oahu once and from that you're advising someone to take their ss to Kauai??? Yeah, I was in part of Colorado once and it was flat as a pancake (same logic). The trails on Kauai are nowhere as developed as on Oahu and altlhough there are some ss appropriate trails, I think you'd have more fun on a shifter.

It will be better to have some gears man.

If you want to ride on the roads bring your single speed, if you want to ride trails(real trails) bring a hanful of gears with you.

mo gears mo bettah

You rode on Oahu once and from that you're advising someone to take their ss to Kauai??? Yeah, I was in part of Colorado once and it was flat as a pancake (same logic). The trails on Kauai are nowhere as developed as on Oahu and altlhough there are some ss appropriate trails, I think you'd have more fun on a shifter.

Easy there! I specifically said I was talking about Oahu and I intentionally used the term "thought". I thought Oahu was perfect for a singlespeed and would have no use for gears there. That's all.

Great trails in oahu by the way.....can't wait to go back. I'm not sure if we'll be back for the 24 hour race but it's a possibility.


B