Many age group athletes don’t spend enough time on the Big Island riding routes other than the actual bike course. Some might get the impression that Kona doesn’t offer more than a busy, windy and hot highway where you have to be careful not to be blown into the lava fields. Many pro athletes arrive in Kona a couple of weeks before the race in order to do their final preparation on the island. Athletes like Sebastian Kienle often choose a normal roadbike over a triathlon bike for training and are eager to discover the variety of riding possibilities on the island. We’ve followed Sebastian on one of his rides that took him to the hinterlands of Kona. We discovered streets with little to no traffic, challenging uphills, technical downhills and breathtaking landscapes.