The Honolulu Century Ride, held every year in Hawaii. With one of the largest shares of Japanese participants of any overseas cycling event, it had long been on my someday list. This year the stars aligned, and the LOVE CYCLIST crew was invited as guests. Across two nights and four days, we packed in a whirlwind Honolulu trip — and I’ll relive the whole journey across Parts 1 and 2.
text & photo / Tats (@tats_lovecyclist)
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The Honolulu Century Ride
The Honolulu Century Ride (HCR) unfolds along the east coast of Oahu, Hawaii, drawing over a thousand riders. From the full 100-mile (≒160km) route down to a 25-mile (≒40km) option built for newcomers, four distance choices let cyclists of every level join in.
Honolulu Century Ride 2025
| Date | Sunday, September 28, 2025 |
| Start / Finish | Kapiolani Park, Oahu, Hawaii |
| Organizer | Hawaii Bicycling League |
| Courses | 100 miles (≒160km) / 1,042m↑ 75 miles (≒120km) / 918m↑ 50 miles (≒80km) / 579m↑ 25 miles (≒40km) / 255m↑ |
| Participants | Around 1,000 (approx. 200 from Japan) |
| Time limit | Start 6:00 → Close 17:00 |
| Entry fee | Adult: Phase 1 ¥21,000 / Phase 2 ¥24,000 Child: Phase 1 ¥7,000 / Phase 2 ¥9,000 *Various discounts available |
HCR’s appeal lies in a route that puts you face-to-face with Oahu’s nature and scenery. Starting from Kapiolani Park, the course heads north up Oahu’s east coast and turns back at a designated point — an out-and-back through some of the island’s finest landscapes.
Even over 160km, total elevation gain is a modest 1,042m — if you ride regularly, the finish is well within reach.
Diamond Head, Makapuu Point, Maunalua Bay, the coastline of Kaneohe Bay, and the lush tropical “Jungle Road” through Waimanalo — the scenery shifts again and again as you roll.
The 2025 edition introduces a new route, opening up a stretch overlooking the spectacular Hanauma Bay.
The full 4-day itinerary
Scheduling left us with the tightest possible window — two nights, four days. Here’s how those four days broke down. If you’re planning to join in the future, take this as a reference for making the most of your time.
| Japan | Hawaii | Schedule | |
| Day 1: Travel | 21:55 | Depart Haneda | |
| Day 2: Registration | 5:35 | 10:35 | Arrive Honolulu |
| 6:30 | 11:30 | Shuttle bus transfer | |
| 8:30 | 13:30 | Hotel check-in | |
| 10:00 | 15:00 | Bib number pickup | |
| 11:00 | 16:00 | Reporting | |
| 12:00 | 17:00 | Free time | |
| 16:00 | 21:00 | Lights out | |
| Day 3: Race Day | 23:30 | 4:30 | Wake up |
| 0:30 | 5:30 | Arrive at venue | |
| 1:00 | 6:00 | Start | |
| 11:00 | 16:00 | Finish | |
| 11:30 | 16:30 | Reporting | |
| 12:00 | 17:00 | Free time | |
| 16:00 | 21:00 | Lights out | |
| Day 4: Travel | 4:00 | 9:00 | Wake up / free time |
| 7:30 | 12:30 | Shuttle bus transfer | |
| 11:05 | 16:05 | Depart Honolulu | |
| 19:25 | Arrive Haneda |
Two of the four days are essentially eaten up by travel. That said, the hotel sits close to both the bib pickup and the race venue, so once you’re on the ground there’s still time to wander Honolulu. If you can afford the extra night, a 3-night, 5-day itinerary frees up a full day for sightseeing — and that’s the version we’d recommend.
The time difference between Tokyo and Honolulu is -19 hours, but jet lag barely registers in practice. Even on this tight schedule, our bodies held up just fine.
From the airport, we took a pre-booked shuttle bus (Roberts Hawaii) straight to the hotel.
Team LOVE CYCLIST
The Crew
 | ||
| ←Tats Editor-in-chief of LOVE CYCLIST. Drawn to unpacking the road bike scene through a marketing lens. First trip abroad in seven years, since Taiwan. | ↑Saad From Bangladesh, five years in Japan. The moment things get fun, he attacks and disappears off the front. Makes a mean curry. Last trip abroad: the US, just two weeks ago. | Anna→ From Fukushima. Loves climbing, spends her days off chasing mountains across Japan. A festival regular with a soft spot for western music across all genres. Last abroad: Vietnam, two days ago. |
This time we rolled deep as a trio. Compared to Tokyo’s midsummer, the climate was mild and dry — pretty much ideal riding conditions. Mornings were a touch chilly, but a short-sleeve jersey and bib shorts were all we needed. None of us are team-kit types, so each of us showed up in whatever felt right that morning.
Gear-wise, less is more — a puncture kit and some fuel, and you’re set. Aid stations and convenience stores along the route handle the rest.
Tats in hypersupp. — a few riders flagged him down along the route saying they’d been eyeing the brand. It was his first 160km on the Standert, but in the end it handled it without issue.
Anna picked a Pedal Mafia green jersey that fit the Hawaiian palette perfectly. The Tarmac SL8 turned out to be a great long-distance partner. Plenty of Japanese riders called out to her along the way.
Saad in RYZON, colors locking in with the Aeroad as he tore through the full 100 miles.
Day 1. Flying with a Bike, International Edition
Off we go!
The single biggest hurdle when heading overseas with a bike is figuring out how to fly with it.
A hard case is non-negotiable, and the two dominant names in that space are Scicon and evoc.
Our weapon of choice is evoc’s ROAD BIKE BAG PRO. It’s the bag of choice for pro teams who fly to races constantly, and its protection is genuinely trustworthy.
You only need to remove the wheels and pedals to pack the bike, so once you’ve got the routine down, the whole job takes under 30 minutes.
For check-in, follow each airline’s baggage rules. This time, only the following two points needed attention:
・Anything containing batteries — eTap batteries, electric pumps, head units, lights — goes in your carry-on
・Let some air out of the tires
We flew out on JAL and back on Hawaiian Airlines, and neither charged us an excess fee, and the bikes arrived unscathed (though JAL does require advance notice that you’re bringing oversized baggage).
Day 2. Pre-Race Check-In
Roughly eight hours out of Haneda, we touched down in Honolulu. Spirits running high.
You need to pick up your race number at the check-in venue by 16:00 the day before. Japanese participants get full Japanese-language guidance, so there’s nothing to worry about. Mechanics are on hand at the venue, so if you’ve just rebuilt your bike and something feels off, get them to take a look. There’s also event-original merch on offer.
Since we were riding as guest participants, we sat down for a TV interview. The three of us happened to be wearing the matching event T-shirts we’d just received at check-in — looking visibly pleased with ourselves.
The interview wrapped up just after 17:00, leaving us free to wander Waikiki in the fading light. With the ride the next morning, we held off on the booze and got our Hawaii fix through pineapple juice and garlic shrimp instead.
We stayed at the Outrigger Waikiki Paradise Hotel — under 10 minutes by bike from the start area, so we could roll straight to the line in the morning.
With a 6:00 AM start ahead, we got everything ready and turned in early. I drifted off buzzing with anticipation for my first Honolulu Century Ride.
Number pinned to the jersey, number plate on the bike — ready to roll the moment we wake.
text & photo / Tats（@tats_lovecyclist）
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