Crowning the Volcano: Phil Gaimon Sets New KOM on Hawaii’s Haleakala Climb

On Monday, January 27, Phil Gaimon set a new KOM on the Haleakala climb on the island of Maui.Gaimon ousted Drake Deuel from the top of the Strava leaderboard by just 28 seconds, riding the segment entitled “Haleakala – World’s Longest Paved Climb” in 2:23:36.

The segment, which is used to crown the ‘king and queen’ of the Hawaiian volcano, measures 34.16 miles with 9,689 feet of climbing and an average grade of 5.8 percent.

Kate Courtney holds the queen of the mountain record with a time of 2:59:13, set last year.

Climbing Humble Haleakala

Going for a record on Haleakala is as much as a logistical feat as it is a physical challenge.

Maui’s winter weather, while tropically delightful for visitors from the mainland, is also quite variable with seasonal spells of heavy rain and high winds.

Furthermore, when climbing Haleakala from sea level in the town of Pāʻia to the summit at 10,023, riders pass through four distinct climate zones on the climb. For those attempting a record, timing is everything.

Gaimon landed on Maui on January 23 and studied the weather forecast before choosing the day for his attempt. While he had mostly impeccable conditions for the climb, he ran into wind near the volcano’s summit.

“I was three minutes up [on Deuel’s record] going into the last five miles, but then hit a terrible headwind,” Gaimon said. “I thought I was going to get it by three or four minutes. I was sprinting the last mile just to get the KOM at all.”

In addition to weather variables, KOM/QOM hunters can’t do the ride alone. The Haleakala summit — and part of the climb — sit within Haleakala National Park, so there is a ranger station and fee booth that everyone must stop at to enter.

Gaimon had a support crew consisting of his wife Emily, as well as cycling YouTuber Mitch Boyer’s wife. The women had bottles and fuel for Gaimon, and also paid for his entry to the park so he didn’t have to stop.

There was only one hiccup, when the women, who were also supporting Boyer as he climbed the road behind Gaimon, made a wrong turn.

“Mitch missed a turn, and then they got lost,” Gaimon said. “I didn’t see them for a long time and was out of water for about 30 minutes.”

Gaimon also optimized his gear for the ride, even wearing “a dorky skinsuit and everything,” he said.

Gaimon rode a Factor O2 VAM road bike, the same older rim-brake version he used for his Mauna Kea KOM. His setup prioritized weight savings, with Shimano Dura-Ace C24 tubular wheels and 24c tires—an “old-school setup” that he said was perfect for Haleakala’s consistent 5-6 percent grade

He fueled with First Endurance caffeine gels and high-carb drink mix, noting that racing’s current high-carb trend suits him well

 — “I’m so glad sugar is back in.”

Haleakala vs. Mauna Kea: Two Volcanoes, Two Stories

Haleakala wasn’t Gaimon’s first KOM in the state of Hawaii.

While it was his first trip to Maui, the retired pro and YouTuber has climbed over 27,000 feet on the neighboring island of Hawai’i, where he twice set the KOM on the Mauna Kea climb. He set the current record of 4:52:55 on Mauna Kea last winter.

Both Haleakala and Mauna Kea are shield volcanos, characterized by their broad domed shape and gently sloping sides, but Gaimon says the similarities stop there.

Not only is Mauna Kea, widely regarded as one of the toughest climbs in the world, taller than Haleakala at 13,803, but it’s also more complicated — both logistically and politically. For both of those reasons, Gaimon cautions even the most adventurous cyclists to think twice about riding to its summit.

“Mauna Kea is significantly harder,” Gaimon said. “It’s steep, loose, and unsafe to ride down by yourself. It’s also politically complicated. There’s important science being done there, and it’s sacred to the natives. I always tell people, ‘don’t do it.’ That was my takeaway from that effort.”

But Haleakala, Gaimon said, offers a completely different experience.

“You have to be a little crazy, but it’s a great challenge,” he said. “There’s a race to the top every year, and people are used to cyclists. You just pay the park pass, and you’re good to go. It’s a great challenge and not that risky.”

Why Does Gaimon Keep Climbing Volcanoes?

For Gaimon, who retired from the pro peloton in 2016, these record-breaking efforts are about more than chasing watts or leaderboard glory. They’re an extension of his unique approach to creating cycling content, blending humor, travel, and feats of endurance.

Gaimon said that when he does travel somewhere to attempt a KOM, he wants the trip to be about more than the ride.

“This climb had been on my list forever,” Gaimon said. “But Hawaii is far, it’s hard, and I wanted to do it right — spend a week, find the best day for it, bring [my wife] Emily, and make a video.”

Gaimon’s YouTube channel, which has 140,000 subscribers, chronicles adventures like Haleakala under the series name “Worst Retirement Ever.” Despite the fact that he can sometimes get into the weeds about numbers and data, Gaimon says that he really wants people to get a sense of where he’s riding.

“I want my channel to feel like a travel show with a feat of strength on the side,” he said.

That said, there’s no question that the leaderboard glory is the carrot dangling in front of Gaimon as he plans his adventures. He still trains with the focus of a pro, but with the specificity required for setting KOMs.

Before leaving for Maui, Gaimon’s coach Frank Overton calculated that he’d need to average 340 watts for the climb, so Gaimon spent weeks in Malibu honing his pacing.

“I did a lot of endurance for this one, which is what I’d do at this time of year anyway, and tried to hit that number on every climb in Malibu,” he said.

Gaimon’s training paid off despite the uncontrollable variable of a headwind. He also fulfilled his mission of achieving not just a KOM but coupling the “feat of strength” with a full-value trip to Maui. He and Emily got to ride together, marvel at whales off the side of a boat, and celebrate his 39th birthday with a rest day on the lanai

Turning oneself inside out for an arbitrary record may not seem like everyone’s dream trip to Hawaii, but for Gaimon, it’s the best way to experience both worlds.

“It’s my kind of fun. I love having something to train for and emptying the tank, all that kind of stuff,” he said. “After I finished my ride, I drove back down and did the last five miles with Mitch. That’s when I really looked around and enjoyed it.”