I'm so sad to have to write this review, because this tour was one of the reasons that I wanted to go to Maui so badly. First of all, be aware that this is NOT the only tour group that offers the chance to ride a bike down Haleakala. Our guide even let it slip that this company will not be approved to provide this sunrise tour in 2018. Basically, the park service is screening which tour groups they will let go up the volcano after January, and this group didn't make the cut. After using them, I can definitely understand why. But on to the good and the bad . . . 1. Early morning wake-up: If you're doing this tour, you're getting up early. We were picked up from the Hyatt Regency at 2:15 am. Anyway, we made the pickup time, but I have to say, it did seem kind of excessively early, especially considering the fact that they get you there 1.5 hours before sunrise. Sure, you can make sure you have a good view, but it's cold up there. Really cold. And let me tell you, the equipment they give you (a jacket with NO HOOD, windbreaker pants, and a pair of gloves) does next to nothing to keep you warm. I saw other groups that had been given multiple jackets as well as hats and I really wish I would have booked with them. Keep that in mind. 2. Breakfast: Okay, so during the morning briefing at their office, during which time they hook the trailer up to the bus you rode in on, you watch a five minute safety video during which time they stress the major rules you must follow, i.e. no passing and no riding side by side. (I'll tell you more about this later). During the five to ten minutes you're here, you can either get a mini bottle of water, a cup of coffee, or a cup of tea and a Nutrigrain granola bar. That's the only snack they had when I came. So I you want something other than granola, bring it yourself. 3. The sunrise: This was the first sunrise that I've ever seen, so I was impressed. It was very beautiful and I took a ton of pictures and videos. This is the one bright moment of this whole horrible tour. My husband, however, has seen many sunrises and said he thought it was nothing special, so I guess it depends on your perspective. 4. The ride down the mountain: Okay, so if you're not comfortable going REALLY FAST on a bike, don't do this. The bikes are old and very, VERY squeaky. Also, the guide just sits you on one, says that's fine, then doesn't ask if you're comfortable or anything. He just moves on. The driver had to help my husband adjust his seat after the guide set it up way too high, and the driver doesn't even work for this company. He's an independent contractor hired to drive the van. Anyway, I thought this was going to be a peaceful ride down the mountain and it was not. The bike was shaking the whole time I was on it. Every time I hit the brakes, the thing squealed so loudly that my GoPro picked up the sound quite well even though it was inside it's waterproof housing while I was filming. Oh, and even though the guide told us never to pass each other or ride side by side, this happened continually. Apparently I wasn't going fast enough, so after about 5 minutes of riding--during which time we were supposed to be getting acquainted with the bikes--he stopped the tour and stormed back to where I was riding and said, "Oh, no we are not going to go down this mountain this slow." He then pointed me out and said that I, along with three other people, had to move right behind him so that he could "keep an eye on us." Very humiliating. I forced myself to go faster afterwards, but even though I thought I was keeping up with him and even keeping the correct distance between our bikes (one van's length, he'd said), I still got passed later on by several members of our group. So much for rules. 4. The tour guide - I wish I could tell you who this guy was, but he never introduced himself to my husband or me and never asked our names. Maybe he told everyone else, but we were at the back of the bus and couldn't hear everything he had to say. Anyway, he was one of the WORST parts of this experience. One of the first things I heard him say when we got up the mountain was that he and the driver worked on tips, so it was expected that each of us give him $30 per person before we left. Now, I typically tip, but I think it's in kind of bad taste when you not only tell me the exact amount I need to tip you but ask for the money before you've even provided a service. Still, it was really early in the morning, and I let it slide. What I can't let slide, though, was how impatient and condescending he got at times. He constantly talked about how he wanted us to "go faster". We had to be the first ones down the mountain. No wonder we got back to our hotel nearly an hour before scheduled. HORRIBLE. At least it ended sooner. I could say more, but I don't have the word count here. The only good thing was the driver. His name was Marlon, and he was great. I wish he'd been our guide. Very funny. Very nice. Very friendly. read more

My husband and I did the "Bike down the volcano" years ago and went through this company. This was one of THE BEST experiences of our entire trip. We did the SUNRISE tour where we were picked up at 2am. Don't let this deter you though - it was so worth it. Seeing the sunrise was amazing. This isn't like watching a sunrise on your lanai, or whatever...you are literally up in the clouds at the top of a volcano. Seeing the sun rise through the clouds was indescribable. It was really crowed (and I hate crowds), but I was so immersed in the experience that I didn't even notice. Oh, yes, it does get cold. So make sure you wear layers. You will want to be able to take clothes off as the morning progresses because it gets warm. We ended up wearing sweat pants over our jeans, along with sweatshirts over a t-shirt over a tank top. They also give you suits to help keep you warm. Much needed for the sunrise, but through the day you will find yourself tearing off layers. As for the biking part - so much fun! It was exhilarating to be able to fly down a volcano. Yes, it was scary, but I felt well taken care of. You have a guide in the front of the pack on a bike and a van following behind in case you want to stop, get injured, etc. They block you in to protect you from cars. Although, this doesn't do much help if you drift into the next lane into oncoming traffic...I did this once (oops!). Luckily, there were no cars so I was good (Phew). This was at the start of the tour when I was still getting used to to everything. After that, it was smooth sailing..or biking in this case. The tour guide ("Uncle" Rus) and van driver ("Mighty Joe Young") were awesome. I wonder if they are still there? If they are, definitely request them both. Uncle Rus was a true character - an older man who was super laid back and hilarious. Joe was great too - very nice and down-to-earth. They both had us cracking up with their jokes and stories..but, also managed to make us feel well taken care of too. As much as they entertained, you could tell their priority was to protect us. Along the bike down the volcano, they will stop for occasional photo ops and breaks. There were two big breaks (if I remember correctly) during the bike. The first was to stretch our legs and grab a quick bite to eat or drink. Then, back on the bikes down the rest of the volcano. The second stop was once we hit town at the base of the volcano. From there, you bike the rest of the way through the town. My husband and I chose not go through the town and ride the rest of the way in th van. The reason was because I am pretty short and the bike that they gave me was too tall...I literally had to tilt the bike so that my foot could reach the ground to stop. This wasn't a big deal on the volcano, but through the town with frequent stops I knew it would get tiresome. Note: They DO have bikes for shorter people...but, I happened to be on a tour with other short people and they ran out when it came to me. They also give you time to get on the bike and ride around to familiarize yourself with it. For those that are scared to do this tour: Yes, it can be scary...but, the fear subsides (at least it did for me) once you are on the bike. The people really do make you feel safe and they give you a tutorial beforehand to make sure you know how to work the bike (breaks, gears,etc.) and to give safety tips. Make sure you PAY ATTENTION. When we were in the van with Joe (after we were done biking), he told us stories of bad accidents...all of them were due to people not listening to what they were told and doing something silly (like slamming on the breaks). During the tutorial, they also put you on the bike to fit you to the right one and adjust the seats and handle bars. This didn't happen in my case because the bike was too tall for me and they gave the smaller bikes tot eh other short people. The reason they gave me the bigger bike was because the other shorty's did not speak English and they felt more comfortable with me on the bigger bike because I would be able to follow commands better, if needed. Oh...they also put you in line to ensure the highest level of safety. For instance, hey put the non-English speaks directly behind Uncle Rus, they positioned the rest of us by size and experience. One more thing to note - you do not have to be an experienced cylclist or even in great shape. The last time I was on a bike before doing this tour was over a decade. So, I was quite inexperienced. Also, although I am in pretty good shape, I didn't need to be. When you are going down the volcano, the bike does most of the work. Just watch your breathing...the thin air, adrenaline, and excitement can result in shallow breaths. This tour was definitely worth doing...at least once. read more

This is a must do and is absolutely breathtaking! This company was perfect and our driver Owen and tour guide Dan were just great people. So, if you don't like long reviews or can't read for very long here is the tl,dr: DO THE SUNRISE TOUR WITH THIS COMPANY! We, my wife and I, did this the day after we got in so it's easier to get up in the morning and it was early...2am pickup. We read the guidebook Maui revealed and this was listed in there as one of the big companies. It didn't have any real firm recommendations but we loved this company so I suggest picking them. The ride up in the morning isn't bad and the van was a typical passenger van. Picked up some other guests and then headed over to the base to get the trailer full of bikes and have a small snack, granola and coffee, and then head up. Dress warm, seriously, it's cold. Like Detroit cold. Ride up is through some curvy roads so if you get sick sit near the front. At the top they explain everything and are very clear with the instructions which is a big plus at 5 in the morning. The sunrise is just jaw-dropping. I would probably rank this as the most beautiful display of nature I've ever seen. After getting your spirit renewed you hop back in the van and head down to the drop off point where the trailer was left earlier. Sorry, left that part out, you drop the trailer off at like 6500 feet - I was probably sleeping. So you get on your bikes at this point and Dan explained everything clearly and made safety their number 1. Riding down is awesome, we had a large group and it was still extremely organized and fast going down. Views were great and we stopped at Maui Lavender Cafe for breakfast - go and read my review. Rest of the bike trip is fun, it's all downhill so if you're looking for a workout you will only get one if you are jabba the hut. You coast down the rest of the mountain and get to the beach and then they take you back to your hotels. Bikes - comfy, stable, safe. A little on the older side but I imagine they get a lot of use. Tour guide Dan - awesome and amazing person. This guy is a biker - brew rode across the US last year on a bike, a bike. You will be safe with him. Period. Driver Owen - local awesome funny dude, has your back the whole way down the mountain, likes to give free hugs read more

Woke up at 2:10am to get picked up and shuttled to the top of the crater. too bad there was a huge cloud that prevented us from the seeing the sunrise, which was the whole reason we went. of course, this isn't the fault of the mountain riders so I can't blame them for the issue. the bike ride down was awesome, very relaxing and scenic. defintely recommend doing it at least once. and if it wasn't for the cloud, I'm sure the sunrise would have been amazing... read more

On another bike company tour. They run a "bike line " which is a row of bikes following the tour guide and followed by there support van. And they treat it like you aren't supposed to pass them even though they go slowly. The support van cut me off numerous times as I tried to make my way past it and the rest of the group. Including once I had made it past coming up parallel and forcing me off to the shoulder. read more

One of the highlights of our trip to Maui! We definitely want to do this again! We had Shannon pick us up and Ana be our bike leader. They were both friendly and really nice. Shannon pick us up at exactly 3AM. We chatted for a while but then my husband and I took a little nap on our way to their office. There were coffee and tea and some granola bars we could enjoy while we watched the safety video with the other people. We got awesome wind breakers to wear. At first I thought we didn't need it since it won't be that cold, but boy was I wrong! It is super cold, so make sure to wear layers and wear the windbreakers they give you. Then we all loaded up in the van and headed our way up to Haleakala. Again, we all took another nap. We all waited in the cold for the sunrise, however, to our bad luck it was a cloudy day so we couldn't really see the sunrise properly. We got in the van again and rode down the mountain a bit to where we had left the bikes. Ana gave us a bit of history and information while driving down and made sure everyone knew the hand signals and safety on the road. Finally we got on the bikes around 7ish and started to make our way down. Those 26 miles were so amazing! The scenic views, the fresh air, and warm sun. We stopped for a bit to eat some granola bars and rehydrate (which was provided by them). And continued all the way down. There was some rain but that made it all the more exciting to ride down. We ended at the warm beach and it was super relaxing. We then got back into the van and they dropped us back to our hotels. It was really easy to plan, excellent customer service, and excellent guides. read more

I couldn't ask for a better reason to wake up at 1:30am. It was a little rough waking up, the bus picked us up and we went to head quarters to change into a van. Kay was our driver and Isaac was our bike tour guide. They knew so much about the island and it was a great ride up the crater. We dropped the trailer with the bikes outside the park and drove the rest of the way. They let us explore and we watched the sunrise. It was beautiful. Then we went down to where the bikes were. Isaac was an amazing guide he was so funny and you can tell he just loves his job. There were a few people that were nervous about the bike ride so they stayed in the van. Kay gave them a great tour and a lot of information about the different plants they passed. We made a few stops along the way for pictures and to change up who was riding in front. It was a blast, I would totally do this again! read more

Excellent experience! Our guides Alika and Rob were phenomenal. Alika was VERY knowlegable, friendly, and warm. Our driver Rob was also very knowledgeable and kept us safe. Our family of 6 likes to joke around and Alika kept us entertained the entire time. The breakfast stop in the little town was cute and delicious! The homemade donuts are amazing. So great to have Maui born and raised guides deliver such an awesome experience. My brother who lives on the big island exchanged numbers with Alika to meet up with him! The only thing I recommend is to BRING GLOVES!!! Also dress in layers because the beginning of the trip is cool! We did the Haleakala Sunrise Tour. read more

We had a great experience with Mountain Riders. It was recommended by our Concierge and took my 14yr old and 12yr old. Our guides were Bobby and Kay. Both were full of information about the island and you could ask them anything. Super friendly. Big on safety. Bobby even stopped on our ride down and caught a Jackson Cameleon for everyone to see /hold. Gorgeous sunrise and the ride down was amazing with views. Kay, (amazing driver), was also full of good tips, Hawaiian culture and history. The bikes weren't in perfect shape but they were equipped with good brakes and tires which was the most important. Definitely would use them again. read more

We did the daytime bike ride down the volcano on Nov 25th, and have to say it was fantastic. Shannon and Mike, our guide and driver, were GREAT!!! They were friendly, informative, and made the ride a great adventure. Even the lunch stop they recommended was the BEST. I cannot say enough great things about the two of them, and the company and ride itself. If we are ever lucky enough to come to Maui again, we would definately use your company, and would ask for the two of them by name!!! read more

Has great potential but with the wide range of riding ability it's hard to keep better riders entertained but worth the ride just for the information that you get about maui great tour guide mike and driver val keeps you vary safe read more

I would highly recommend the self guided sunrise tour with any other company than this one. The sunrise is breathtaking, and there is a lot to see on the ride down that is not easily seen when being rushed down the mountain. Our tour guide Michael was in a hurry to end our tour from before it even began. He raced everyone up the hill at twice the posted speed limit for much of the way in a 15 passenger van towing a trailer making many in the back seat motion sick. When we arrived at the top, he informed us that we "weren't in a race, but he never finishes second." And also that "... a 20% tip was customary as that is their source of income." Also, the bikes were poorly maintained and pretty beat up. When the tour was finished, we were forced to wait an hour before they managed to get us a ride back to our hotel. read more

You wake up EARLY.... Really early. However the sunrise on Haleakala is amazing. Dress as warm as possible. I would have loved a hoodie or toboggan to cover my ears. It is great that they provide jackets and pants (and gloves) Lots of layers are needed. After waking up at 2:00 a.m (I said it was early), you start the journey toward the summit. The sunrise was worth the cold. A hike to the top or securing your spot before the crowds come in will insure a great view. Not into pedaling .... Don't worry! You will be on the brake for most of the 26 miles to the beach. You will cruise through a cowboy town, Paia and end up watching surfers. Kevin and Roger were great guides and made you feel safe. They also provided history and insight into the ride and all the surrounding areas in Maui! read more

What I was told vs. what I experienced: What I was told: Continental breakfast would be provided, and we would stop for a full breakfast during the ride. What I experienced: we were given a few granola bars and a cup of coffee as the 'continental breakfast'. We did not stop at any point for breakfast during the ride. What I was told: We would be provided with windbreakers and waterproof pants to protect us from the cold at high altitude. What I experienced: No gear was provided, they told us, 'sorry, the sunrise riders get all the gear, they don't leave any for the daytime group'. This made the top of the ride extremely freezing and uncomfortable. The guides were friendly enough and portions of the ride were fun and amazing, but I would advise you to choose a company that treats its customers better. Avoid mountainriders.com and go with another tour group. read more

Had a fantastic bike ride down Haleakala. Great crew and they were safety conscious. I would definitely recommend them.

We had a great sunrise bike tour with Mountain Riders. They picked us up super early (2:15-2:30 am) so we booked it the second day of our trip so we wouldn't be as tired (still on CA time). The sunrise over the volcano was beautiful! We were very cold, but the cold weather gear was very helpful. We enjoyed the ride up and we enjoyed the ride down even more. The bikes were a little sketchy, but not much could have been done about that. Our group went slowly down the hill, but it was a good pace. The town that we stopped in for breakfast did not offer much (the cafe was closed the day we went), but it was neat to see how locals live. Overall, it was a great experience and we would recommend it to anyone who would like to see the sunrise over the volcano and then go for a nice, enjoyable bike ride. On a side note, we were worried about them housing us for tips as previous reviews had mentioned. I think they maybe mentioned it once, and that was it. Very neat guides who were helpful and informative. Enjoyable excursion! read more

Love love love the staff. The experience alone is 4 stars but the staff here really pushed it to 5 stars. I forgot their names (I think Tamara and her brother ) were so professional and safe especially for such a young age! Would recommend to all. Plus they are the only mountain bike ride guide company that actually lets you ride all the way to the bottom! Thank you for such a great experience! read more

I didn't know riding a bike could be so much fun, this is one of those activities my wife dragged me to, and let me tell you i was not at all disappointed in fact the complete opposite i loved it. The crater is cool it looks like Mars in Total Recall. We bought are tickets online at a discount website " http://mauifunthings.webs.com/ " they had the best rates we did the promo it was worth it. read more

What a great experience! We were lucky enough to have Alika and Marlon as our guide and driver- they were amazing. Tons of fun and interesting facts and they truly make this trip comfortable and put you at ease. As someone scared of heights,biking down 10,000 feet on a volcano can be a bit daunting but they give you plenty of options to customize the trip to your comfort level. If you don't want to bike down the whole trail or you get tired, they have the van behind you (also blocking traffic for your protection) and you can jump in and relax until the next stop. We all had a fabulous time! Highly recommended. Thanks Alika and Marlon!!!!! read more

My wife and I took the sunrise tour and bike ride down the volcano earlier this week. We are both experienced bike riders and were completely disappointed in our experience. Be aware that the bikes are pretty beat up here; my seat was poorly adjusted (I'm tall) and the chain rattled with every pedal. But here's the kicker, if you have slow riders in your group, you are forced to ride as slow as the slowest rider (no passing allowed). My forearms were exhausted by the end of the ride because I was forced to brake most of the way down the mountain. We also stopped several times for the stragglers to catch up. The tour leader did all he could to speed up the group, including putting the slowest rider in the support van, but still a pretty disappointing experience for the price. I did notice other tour companies had better bikes. read more

Mountain riders ruined the end of what was a great vacation by cancelling our bike trip less than 12 hours before our scheduled pick up. What's worse, they failed to even make a decent attempt to make up for it. Would absolutely NEVER use them again. Don't really trust that we ever got the truth. STAY AWAY!!! read more

Good guys to take the tour, we did the sunrise bike tour had to wake up 2.30am to see the best sunrise we saw. You need to dress up in layers it's cold really cold. I am from Chicago can handle cold weather, but guess what that wind is going to layers of cloths......dress warm and enjoy read more

This was one of the most amazing days we had in Hawaii. Everyone was amazing from the van driver that picked us up at 3 am to our guide that got us down to the ocean. Read their instructions and follow them. You are at 10,000 feet before the sun comes up and it is cold! Dress in layers as they recommend and your experience will be better. The sunrise is beautiful. The bike ride is 26 miles. 26 miles of coasting. You will brake more than you pedal and it is very fun. read more

I want to start off this review by saying I experienced the Haleakala Sunrise Bike Tour almost 15 years ago with a different company, and it was a COMPLETE DIFFERENT experience this time around. I booked this excursion through a 3rd party website who offered a 15% discount through my work. There was only 1 option available for the Sunrise Bike Tour, so I booked it for me and my wife. We were in Maui for our 1st anniversary and only had 3 days to spend during the trip. We booked the Haleakala Sunrise Bike Tour as the only activity we would do aside from hanging out on the beach. Upon arrival in Maui, our tour was the next morning and I had still not received an email or phone call from Mountain Riders confirming the pick-up time from my hotel. I ended up giving them a call the afternoon prior to the ride to ask when they were picking us up, and they said between 2:15 am and 2:30 am. I'm glad that I called, since our email confirmation said to plan around 3:00 am. The shuttle arrived on time at 2:30 am and took us directly to the Mountain Riders headquarters. I find it hilarious reading some of the other reviews that complained about the food and drinks available during this stop!! When doing this, you pay for the bike ride experience and not a breakfast. My wife and I brought crackers, meat and cheese for the shuttle ride and were just fine. Everybody was given pants, jacket and gloves for the sunrise (FYI....it is freaking cold on the top of the volcano during the sunrise. Feel free to bring as much clothing as you'd like, since you can undress and keep everything you don't want inside the shuttle). The sunrise experience was fantastic, and I have no complaints here. There were a few other Bike Ride companies doing the same thing, and several people drove up themselves to see the sunrise. After the sunrise, we were driven down to the entrance of the park. This is something different from my experience 15 years ago, as back then we started at the top of the volcano. This wasn't a huge deal for me this time around, as we started only around 1 or 2 miles from the top. Getting to the point as to why I rated my experience 2 out of 5 stars...... Since we were REQUIRED to ride down the mountain together with the group of 10 people, you can only go as fast as the slowest person in the group. The way they operate is there's a tour leader at the front of the group and a van at the rear. They communicate via radio so that if a car is driving down, the van can alert the person at the front and he instructs everybody to move over to the side of the road. Once the car passes, he instructs everybody to start riding in the car lane again. In the group I was assigned to, we had 2 people who were terrified of riding bikes down a volcano and therefore they were riding their brakes the entire ride down. Since the group was forced to stay together, everybody had to go as slow as these 2 people. The word "frustration" doesn't even begin to describe how I felt during the tour. At the beginning of the tour, they told all riders that we do not need to use our breaks unless it's a sharp corner.....but we were all forced to use our breaks the entire time because we were not allowed to pass the tour guide at the front, and he was forced to ride as slow as the 2 people in the back who should not have been on the ride in the first place. I expressed my frustration during our first stop, and would have LOVED to sign any type of waiver necessary to be allowed to go down the rest of the mountain on my own together with my wife. However, this option was never offered and I was told I needed to stay with the group. The reason I booked this tour was to experience an exciting bike ride down Haleakala, but it turned out to be extremely boring. What bothers me the most is that this company also offers a tour where riders can go down the mountain by themselves, and it costs half the price. I paid $120 per person for an experience that I didn't want, and could have paid $60 for the experience I wanted. Why they didn't allow us to sign a waiver and go down on our own baffles my mind. Also, there were 2 different groups of 10 people as part of this Sunrise Tour. What Mountain Riders should have done was separate people into "Experienced Riders" or "Slow Riders" instead of splitting us up at random. Lastly, I want to say that my horrible experience was not the fault of Alvin or the female shuttle driver. They have the responsibility of ensuring the safety of all 10 people, and Alvin (who was the front leader on a bike) could only go as fast as the 2 ladies at the rear who were ruining the experience for everybody else. My recommendations for this company is to first give everybody the option at the very beginning to ride down the mountain on their own. My wife and I could have been down the mountain in 30 minutes instead of 3 hours, and could have gone and done something else on the island had we known. read more

It was definitely an early wake up but well worth it! We were the first people to get picked up at our hotel at 1:45am. We took a bus to an office where we received wind breaker gear and warm clothing for the predawn sunrise. It was pretty chilly up there so make sure you wear the proper layers. Seeing all the different colors emerge from the sky was breathtaking. After experiencing sunrise we got geared up on our bikes. It was a 26.2 mile bike ride down the volcano to the beach. We stopped for pictures, to shed layers of clothing, and to get breakfast in one of the towns. Our guide made sure we were all safely riding behind him and kept us close together. Even though it seemed like a scary experience with how high up we were, I definitely felt safe and it was such an amazing thrill. Our bus driver and initial tour guide kept us laughing and entertained in the early hours of the day. A must do in Maui! read more

We booked a Haleakala sunrise bike tour through a third party vendor online, received all the confirmations and followed the instructions such as reaching out to Mountain Riders once we arrived to confirm pickup at our hotel. Once we called, the person who answered stumbled around to find our reservation confirmation. Once it was located, we were given a time to meet the next morning. We had just traveled 9 1/2 hours on a plane, drove 1 1/2 hours in our car to the hotel. So we would need to get up at 1:00 AM the next morning to be picked up around 2:15 AM. At 2:45 AM we called Mountain Riders to inquire about the status of our pickup van. We were told the van was 5 minutes away. Just before 3:00 AM, we received a call telling us the van was almost at its final destination to begin he tour. Therefore, we would have to make additional arrangements for another day. We were told to call back at 8:30 AM to talk with the manager. OK, so what do you do at 3:00 AM in the hotel lobby? At 8:30 AM, we called Mountain Riders and were advised that the manager did not work on the weekend. We were then asked what could they do to resolve the issue. As I discussed with the lady, I will leave her name out for privacy, I asked what could be done. She asked me what I wanted. I told her we did exactly as instructed, so we would be agreeable to a 2 for 1 second chance. I was then advised that we would have to go back through the 3rd party vendor to make that arrangement. She basically slammed the service as a large impersonal group that would drag out the process. I asked if Mountain Riders could just refund one of the prepaid tickets. She said there was no way her manager would allow that. She agreed they screwed up, but any resolution would have to be made through the 3rd party vendor. I then called the vendor who was polite and got all 3 parties on the line. As we discussed the proposed option, the vendor said they would have to confirm with their manager. Before the lady could finish her statement, the Mountain Rider rep challenged the vendor for not already having a solution approved. We finally decided to just get a refund, because of the unprofessional and disrepectful attitude of the Mountain Rider employee. The vendor, Viator, was extremely polite and helpful in giving us our refund. Through all of this, Mountain Rider acted like they were the ones who were wronged. We later checked Google reviews and found a lot of negative reviews on this business. I would just suggest other options for anyone wanting to bike Haleakala. read more

Despite my rating I had a 5 star experience. I think it was a fluke, but my wife and I didn't find it to be terribly professional. Case and point they didn't show up to pick us up at 2 am. So, I called and initially they thought I was mistaken, but after reading off all pertinent information from my confirmation they told me to drive an hour to meet the driver. The other complaint is that we did not follow the itinerary provided. Like a complimentary breakfast ate the summit never happened and we didn't stop at the lavender gardens for a bite to eat if we wanted. With that said the sunrise was great and the ride was worth it. read more

My husband and I booked a sunrise Haleakala and downhill bike ride trip with Mountain Riders towards the end of December 2015. Be prepared to wake up at 2 am and dress for proper winter when you go up there (dont forget to wear woolen socks and gloves like we did)! Haleakala Sunrise: The pick up service of Mountain Riders at the resort was prompt and our driver and the staff were pretty friendly. We were stopped briefly at the foothills of the volcano and got some extra jackets. We got a good view of the beautiful sunrise although to get a spot and hold on to it, we had to stand in the freezing cold for about an hour and a half! The downhill ride: Just outside the boundaries of the park, we were sorted into teams and handed over our gear - bicycles and helmets. I was of petite build and the bike ended up a couple of sizes bigger for me, as all bikes are of standard size with only seat adjustment available. As a result I had a to lean the bike on one side to get on to it. The fact that I couldn't reach out and touch the ground with my feet made me nervous, so I started out very cautiously. But the ride was definitely thrilling as we whizz past curvy roads along the volcano at about 15-20mph! How many times to we get to do that? However, I wasn't able to enjoy the beautiful scenery and views as much as I would have wanted as I was occupied the whole time with trying to slow down and lookout for the winding curves and traffic behind. But the big issue for me was, tour guide didn't help at all ! Since I was of a slighter build, my bike was not picking up (as much) speed as 90% of our group, and at the sharp turns(of which there are a lot!) along the road I had to slow down which only increased the distance further. This kept making him mad and his constant nagging about trying to keep up the speed just knocked off two stars from this review. Strangely, the Mountain Riders advertise the min age is 11 years for this ride, which I cannot even fathom how!! To tour guides: When you are guiding a tour team, expect people of different builds and abilities. Esp. if you don't have the gear to support all sizes! Although, I understand its highly desirable to have everyone at the same pace, it is highly unlikely that everyone can bike just as fast. If you push them to do it, it could just end up extremely dangerous, esp. on curvy edges when they cannot control the speeds. Be sensitive to the fact that your guests don't bike down a mountain just about every day. And when they have spent hundreds of dollars for that experience, make sure to not ruin it for them! Overall, I think its worth it just for the exhilarating experience of biking down :) Although if done at my own pace, we would have stopped down once in a while for a picture of the awesome scenery from the top. I can see how wonderful this experience could have been, the wonderful sunrise, the exhilarating speed and the crazy curves would have been a 5 star experience. Except it turned out as those gym days with a very mean instructor. read more

Do not go with these guys. We had a ridiculously uncomfortable ride (4 adults crammed into the back of a 15 person van with limited AC) for 2 hours up the volcano. After watching the sunrise, we were given disgusting and uncleaned helmets and gloves to ride crappy bikes down. Our guide would not let us reach a good speed and literally yelled and swore at other bike riders. Do not book these guys. They will only make you feel bad for not making much money then they beg you for a 20% tip at the end. I want my $478 back. read more

My excitement of seeing the sunrise and biking down Haleakala was thanks to the tour services at Mountain Riders. Tom and Julio were da bomb tour guides and locals. Pickup was 2:45am at my hotel. Tom was super nice and friendly, answering my random Maui things to do and eat questions. There were muffins and hot coffee waiting at their office. A little video was being shown to introduce the safety and things to know and what to expect. They also provided windbreaker suit, gloves, bikes, and a lot of humor. Their knowledge and experience conducting the bike tours as well as talking about Maui and Hawaii were great, I learned a bit more every time listening to different tour guides, and they knew their stuff. My whole experience was memorable and it also helps to have great tour guides to show me the way. I highly recommend Mountain Riders for your Sunrise and Biking down Haleakala experience. Check their website for online deals and Hawaii residents mention that and you'll get discounts as well! read more

Our experience with Mountain Riders was amazing! Great staff that made the whole trip more enjoyable with many fun facts about the island and the mountain and plenty of humor. They picked us up from our resort and drove us up for the sunrise and then guided us safely down the mountain while still maintaining a solid pace of around 20 mph. There was coffee and granola bars before we took off for the sunrise and they dropped us off at our resort after the ride down. All in all, a great experience with Bobby and Michael! read more

I was not looking forward to the sunrise bike ride tour but did it anyhow since my husband already paid for it. I was tired and grouchy but the beautiful and COLD sunrise woke me up and made me pretty happy. We were prepared for the cold though, so it was not a big deal. The bike ride was really amazing as we rode past farms and fields and groves. Had a blast and our tour guide was great. I did not have any problems with my bike and neither did anyone in our group (21 people). Remember to bring tip money as we did not even think about it and only had $30 in cash on us. This company was recommended to us by two different cousins and we would recommend it as well as it was a neat experience. read more

We had a great time on the Maui Sunrise Bike Tour. Yes, it was cold on the top of the volcano (37F when we visited) and yes the bikes have brakes that do not behave like the brakes on your bike at home but this was a lot of fun and we really appreciated the personal touches that Marlin provided. Well worth the adventure if you are a at least a little bit of a hardy sort. Marlin went above and beyond. read more

My wife and I did the sunrise bike tour and we had a great time. She was a little anxious, but the guide helped her through it and she ended up enjoying it a lot. read more

Owen and Shawn made this tour 5 stars. Waking at 2:30AM was a challenge, but our driver, Owen, was gracious and polite. After picking up all the guests, we watched a video on safety and were provided Hawaiian soft drinks, coffee, and not-so-tasty breakfast treats. I wasn't feeling well, so they made a pit stop for me to get some meds. We were provided windbreaker suits and the van pulled us up to summit to watch the sunrise. Sunrise was spectacular... just remember to wear pants, long shirt, shoes. Shawn fitted us for our bikes and checked all the necessary brakes, fit, etc. We felt very safe. We stopped at a nice little cafe with an interesting flower garden. In fact, we made enough stops to break up the trip in a good way. Shawn provided us with interesting factoids about Maui and they places we stopped. We even got to do silly poses on our bikes for photos. Ultimately we ended up at a beach... and it was only 10AM! Had the whole rest of the day to relax! Well done. read more

Would use again...the sun rise was spectacular...be ready for a lot of folks when you get to the summit.( some 300-600 folks daily visit summit) Also temp was 46 and a bit chilly...Mountain Riders (MR) do provide an all weather suit..they also have coffee..juice..granola bars at main office......take gloves and wear socks..there is about a 30 minute wait when you get to the summit awaiting the sun rise. The P/U at the hotel by MR was timely and they confirmed the night before..The driver Kay and Iren was most accommodating. Kay shared about history, plants, people local business facts as well as the famous folks that live in the area..All helped passed the time...its about 49 minutes from hotel to MR main office then another 60 minutes to the summit. The bike guide was very good and he constantly checked as to our progress as we went down the mountain...it about 26.4 miles and about a 2 hour down hill ride..( average speed about 19-20 miles/hour) .fairly easy stopped along the way.....and enjoyable.End the ride at restaurant for lunch.... read more

This is a great trip. Door to door service, great tour guides, and awesome scenery. A special shout out to "K" our tour guide. She was very knowledgeable of all of the flora and fauna of the island as well as other island facts. Mahalo. read more

This is the only bike tour I've done on Maui but I would go with this company again when I have the choice. My family and I were ready for pickup and they got us right on time, we got up the mountain by sunrise which was beautiful. The top was very cold so I'd bring a sweater! The guides were very informative and everything went smoothly down the mountain. read more

The sunrise was amazing and it was very cold so make sure to bring lots of layers so as you start the ride you can shed them. I recomend doing it at the beginning of your trip as your time schedule will be messed up the first couple of days and you will get this early morning adventure out of the way. You will get split up in the group as lighter and less experienced riders go in front so they are not left behind. I have been riding bikes for over 35 years and yes I wanted to go faster but I still enjoyed looking at everything around me. It's not about how fast you can get down the mountain it is about enjoying what is around you and the people you are experiencing this with, so enjoy! I was in the back of the pack and could hang back and gain speed when ever I needed to catch the group. Our group had so much fun and Travis and Owen were the best guides to have. These two made the ride an unforgetable experience and we had so much fun zipping down the hill and laughing with eachother when we stopped. I would do this again with Travis and Owen as they made it one of the best experiences we had in Maui. Also take advantage of their knowledge of the Island and ask them for things to do and places to see while you are in Maui. We got lots of info from Travis and he was correct about everything he told us and our time in Maui was unforgetable. Mahalo, Steve and Heather Mike and Lavonn read more

This was so much better than we could have imagined! We thought we'd be given bikes and pointed toward the road - turned out we had an amazingly informative, fun, engaging experience. Everyone who worked for this company was friendly, always willing to help, passionate about and well versed in the island's history and culture. Definitely so much better than we bargained for. This ride is suitable for experienced bikers and also not-experienced bikers. The guide did a great job of accommodating and reassuring people who were less comfortable riding really fast down a mountain. read more