Bike trip round PEI
 

I fancy riding round the island taking a week or so and staying in prebooked or as I find them hotels or B&Bs. WHat are the problems and things I should do?

DAte June July 2008

There really are no problems w/ cycling around PEI. It is a wonderful place for a bike trip...very flat & scenic. As b/t June & July I wld choose mid to late July as the weather wld be much warmer than in June. This also means that the ocean will be warmer. PEI beaches are beautiful.

I believe the Confederation Trail goes from one end to the other and is designed with biking in mind. I think I read about a grandmother and grandson doing it last year. Chek it out on the Prince Edward Island website. I think they would even advise on accomodations.

The Confederation Trail is indeed flat, but it takes you through the middle of the Island and you would miss some of the glorious coastal areas that make PEI special. In places it's quite monotonous...alders, potato fields... I've cycled a great deal of the Island and prefer the roads. When you design your itinerary, I'd strongly suggest pre-booking your lodging, esp. in July and August, the preferred months for good weather and, of course, the busiest. Stay off the Trans-Canada when possible, and enjoy the many back roads (not all of which are 100% paved, so be careful and study the map). The western and eastern ends of the Island are less touristy and quite attractive, for the most part. The central region, if you are riding north-south, can be very hilly and demanding, if you're carrying the extra weight of panniers. (e.g. Crapaud to Cavendish is a killer!) The coastal ride from Cabot Park to Stanley Bridge, while hilly is spectacular on a sunny day. Oh, yes, the wind blows often, so factor that into your time/distance computations. Good luck.

In europe on the atlantic cost the wind tends to blow from the West. Is there a prevelant wind pattern on PEI?

In the summer, the wind would most often be from the W or SW. An E wind would mean bad weather. Mornings tend to be calmer. By noon, the wind is up, and it's calm again by dusk. Don't let wind deter you, however.

I don't know if this is still available, but I have a small booklet entitled "Prince Edward Island Cycling Guide/Guide Cyclotouristique de L'ile-du-prince-edouard".Mmine is the 1996 edition, published by
Veloasis
CP 772,
Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5K7
Tel/Fax: 819-562-7522

It's a small paperback, with maps and routes all over the island, small enough to carry with you on a tour.

FYI, the Confederation Trail is former railway tracks, converted to trails.