The United States has its first bike-friendly zip line (boy, bike lanes really are popping up everywhere, huh?).
A company called Kauai ATV already operates the Koloa Zipline course on its 22,000-acre property on the south shore of Kauai, the lush Hawaiian island known for its dramatic tropical scenery and abundant opportunities for adventure sports.
Now the Koloa site, which also offers ATV tours to caves and waterfalls, has unveiled the Kauai Zip Bike, which lets thrill-seekers pedal their way across a wire suspended 30 feet above the mountain-ringed Waita Reservoir.
Kauai ATV's website compares the experience to a tightrope performance at the circus, but the zip bike is actually a lot safer than that. The bike is connected to the wire below and held in an upright position with secure rigging, and the rider wears a harness that links to another wire above. No feats of balance are required—though the elevated ride may unsteady your nerves if heights give you the jitters.
Kauai ATV owner Olie Rivera told Travel Weekly he decided to bring the zip line innovation to Hawaii after encountering a similar contraption in Colombia. There are also bikeable zip lines in Mexico, the Philippines, and elsewhere, but Kauai ATV claims to have the first version on U.S. soil.
(Credit: Kauai ATV)
The zip bike route has three lanes so that you can race your friends. Guides are on hand at the midpoint, 700 feet from the start, to reposition bikes for the ride back to the launching platform.
From there, participants are in for one last shot of adrenaline, thanks to the "Leap of Faith" exit. After you have been harnessed to a belay system, you jump off the platform for a brief free fall before getting lowered gently the rest of the way to the ground.
The Kauai Zip Bike costs $70 per person. Riders must be at least 7 years old. Book in advance online at KauaiATV.com.
