We are often asked about, just how hard the Hawaii Epic Cycling Tours are. Depending on the participants' level of cycling, the tours can be easy to Extreme. That still does not give a person any idea of how hard it can be and what that person is about to attempt. So we have created the DES Rating (DeMarchi Epic Scale).

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DES rating on a 1 to 10 scale

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• 1.0  -  1-hour easy flat ride

• 2.0  -  1.5-hour easy ride with a 1000 ft elevation gain

• 3.0  -  3-hour ride with 2000 to 3000 ft elevation gain

• 4.0  -  3-hour ride with 4000 to 5000 ft elevation gain

• 5.0  -  4-hour ride with 5000 to 6000 ft elevation gain (Captain Cook Coffee Ride)

• 6.0  -  5-to-6-hour ride with 4000 to 6000 ft elevation gain (Kona to Hawi Tour)

• 7.0  -  5-to-6-hour ride with 6000 to 8000 ft elevation gain

• 8.0  -  5-to-6-hour ride with 8000 to 10000 ft elevation gain

• 9.0  -  7+ hour ride with 10000 to 12000 ft elevation gain (Mauna Loa Tour)

• 10.0-  7+ hour tour with 12,000 to 14,000 ft elevation gain (Mauna Kea Tour)

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​Chris has Participated in some of the most Epic & Extreme cycling adventures around the world and has come up with his scale to help everyone determine the level of each tour.