Cape Bear Road lighthouse
My sister offered me a job out on Prince Edward Island and I packed up the bike and made the haul out to it's red mud. My happiest moment was offloading the bike from the back of the U-Haul that I'd rented for the move.
I'd purchased this bike from a friend in the spring, and subsequently sold two older bikes, my 2001 Suzuki Bandit GSF600s, and my 2004 Kawasaki KLR 685 prior to leaving for the island.
What can I say about Prince Edward Island? First lets talk about the roads, and while the island is small, they've many many roads that criss cross the island, and because of the large number of estuaries that bite into the landscape, all seem to funnel riders towards Summerside to the West of the Confederation Bridge, Charlottetown to the East, and to a lesser degree, Montague in the north west, as there are only a few ways to get there.
The Trans Canada Highway 1 is in fair repair, and heavily used by tractor trailers, tourists, commuters, and farm equipment. Getting stuck behind a combine is no joke as they move from field to field, and wow are those suckers wide!!! Late in the season you will find potato trucks labouring up the hills and rocketing down the other side, leaving red trails of mud on the highway as they pull out of the fields fully laden
This is taking up two lanes. Much of the TCH on PEI is only two lanes wide! Suddenly the shoulder looks like a good option.
Roads that are not in such good repair are the interior roads, where you can go from pristine pavement, to cracked with grass growing up through it, to patched potholes, to gravel roads, to clay top roads. Let's talk about the last as they present a special challenge to any rider. When wet they get as slick as snot, and on my dual sport 50/50 tires, can keep the adrenaline flowing. There is also a sand here similar to fesh fesh, it's light dusty red in colour, and you only really know it's there when your front tire slides and sends the feedback up the bars. The gravel roads also suffer drainage problems, and heavy water falls will carve lines across it, or up and down hills, so they are graded on an infrequent basis to deal with that. In fact, it's rather common for a heavy rain to wash someone's driveway part way out onto the road, or for the shoulders to tint puddles red with deposits. The remainder of the roads can throw surprise potholes, and wee patches of gravel at you, but the coastal tourist routes are in better condition, not perfect. I'd definitely soften up the suspension if you have your bike set up for the track.
Oh, There is always a way to avoid a stretch of gravel or clay road. You may need to box the compass, but it can be done.
Are these roads worth it? If you have a passion for scenic coastal photography, rural pastures and woodlots, quaint small town eccentricities, and some truly friendly locals, then loading your DSLR into your tank bag is a must.
Confederation Bridge. There is only one route out to the island if you plan on using the bridge, from Port Elgin straight in unless you enjoy Route 955 along the coast, but it filters you back onto 16 and onto the bridge again.
HIGH WIND
warnings will see high sided traffic (tractor trailers, Recreational Vehicles and motorcycles) barred from crossing until the weather improves. I haven't been caught yet, but I've had friends on the island get turned back or even worse, coming back from New Brunswick and forced to find a motel to wait out the weather on that side. I've felt some nasty gusts that had me concerned, but far worse riding in Newfoundland and in parts of Ontario. The Wood Islands ferry into Pictou Nova Scotia will on occasion be cancelled due to inclement weather, but it's the exception rather than the rule.
Need a map? Visit the Borden-Carleton visitors centre as soon as you're off the bridge and you will be sure to find a tourist map there. In fact, they are so good that most islanders use these free road maps instead of buying one. I have Map-Art Backroads Atlantic, and the tourist map is almost as good, showing 60% of the paved roads, and 95% of the ones you'd be interested in riding while touring the island.
Place names? They name everything here, so when you see a sign for "Toronto" PEI, don't blink, as it was probably those four farms along the bend, or in the valley. The signage can be a bit confusing, when you saw the sign for Kinkora, later on it might say Shamrock, Rose Valley or Fredericton with no mention of Kinkora again. Plug on, you either get to Kinkora or end up back in Charlottetown or Summerside again.
The province has officially signed scenic routes, and they're straightforward and well signed, and will lead you to items of interest such as light houses, and coastal drives.
Gas stations: Fill up when you can. There are a number on the island, but only the larger towns will have 91 or 94 Octane, and the smaller ones have a tendency to roll up the pumps around 8 pm. On Sunday they may only open from 12 noon to 5 pm, so gas up Saturday night or in Charlottetown or Summerside before a big Sunday tour.
Tim Hortons: Tons in the two cities, and a gathering spot for cruisers and sport bikes. There are dual sports out here, but so few that we use the New Brunswick Dual Sport Club's forum to chat. The site PEISportbikes.ca is dying a slow death, with few regular posters, but will fill in gaps or provide information that I've ommitted. Regular meets are at any Tims on the island, although cruisers really dominate the scene out East.
If you want awesome pictures, all you would have to do is visit the costal provincial parks. In the off season its free, during regular season you pay for park admission.
Late September rain, and potato harvest will slow you down, with temperatures falling at night that would have you wearing cold weather riding gear. The peak season saw highs of 29 degrees without that sticky humid weather we're used to in Toronto. I was laughing when the locals complained about the heat wave, but when you find that few houses have air conditioning, I laughed a bit less and sought comfort with fans and open windows. On the bike, I was fine in a mesh jacket and jeans, although I was drinking lots of water for comfort.
Black flies are really busy in some areas, so if you plan on camping, you might want to consider a bug head net or strong DEET based repellents. They really aren't a problem in the built up areas like they are in the country.
They call it the "The Gentle Land", but perhaps "The Windy Land" might be more appropo. You'll ride up out of a valley and out of cover of the treeline across a vast stretch of farmland, and the side winds will toss a light bike like mine around. A windshield went a long way to making my ride more comfortable on the island. It's not desperate by any means, but something to watch out for on the TCH or exposed roads.
It's so rural and pastoral. There are white churches everywhere, and most of the locals belong to a church community group or go to them to attend music events, theatre, and bazaars.
Don't go to McDonalds until you've tried Boomburger on Capital Drive in Charlottetown near Cornwall. Fresh local beef and potato fries with optional toppings like sauteed onions and mushrooms. Very reminiscent of Smokes Poutinerie for portion size and quality.
Get a bed and breakfast, as they're all over the island and so quaint with lovely gardens and century old hospitality that will leave you feeling more like a distant relation come to visit.
If you are a hard core rider and enjoy 10 hour days in the saddle, then you can do the whole island in three days and still enjoy a lobster supper in New Glasgow, or stop for Cows ice cream in front of the Province House which hosts the Confederation Chamber. Basically I'd divide it up into three rides... East past Summerside, Central, and West. North and south Shores of the island have different characteristics such as coastline and beaches.
Riding the 1800 kilometres out from Toronto? I've done it three ways:
Through the states, and don't forget to visit Lake Placid NY, Stowe VT, and Mount Washington in New Hampshire along the way, or head over to Bar Harbor and follow coastal route 1 up through Maine and over the border into New Brunswick. Three days would be best for the scenery.
Two days for this route means no side trips, and 900km per day. A challenging ride, but not impossible, but the scenery is still worth it.
One day will get you an Iron Butt certification, so if interested, look into it online before you come out. I did it on a corbin seat on my KLR, but no way in hell will that happen on the stocker on my DR650.
Gaspe and Cabot Trail? Awesome! Gaspe first, PEI then on to the Cabot Trail or in reverse.
Have a look at my blog if you want to see more pictures of what you can expect when here next summer.
I'm working on a mini tourist guide for my blog, so if you have suggestions and pictures of places you think I should mention, I'd be grateful for the input.
P.S. If you do come out this way, be sure to let me know so I can buy you a coffee, kick tires and compare scars.
My best pictures are here:
http://rottenxxxronnie.blogspot.ca/2012/10/the-brackely-beach-ride.html
http://rottenxxxronnie.blogspot.ca/2012/10/the-cape-bear-ride.html
My sister offered me a job out on Prince Edward Island and I packed up the bike and made the haul out to it's red mud. My happiest moment was offloading the bike from the back of the U-Haul that I'd rented for the move.
I'd purchased this bike from a friend in the spring, and subsequently sold two older bikes, my 2001 Suzuki Bandit GSF600s, and my 2004 Kawasaki KLR 685 prior to leaving for the island.
What can I say about Prince Edward Island? First lets talk about the roads, and while the island is small, they've many many roads that criss cross the island, and because of the large number of estuaries that bite into the landscape, all seem to funnel riders towards Summerside to the West of the Confederation Bridge, Charlottetown to the East, and to a lesser degree, Montague in the north west, as there are only a few ways to get there.
The Trans Canada Highway 1 is in fair repair, and heavily used by tractor trailers, tourists, commuters, and farm equipment. Getting stuck behind a combine is no joke as they move from field to field, and wow are those suckers wide!!! Late in the season you will find potato trucks labouring up the hills and rocketing down the other side, leaving red trails of mud on the highway as they pull out of the fields fully laden
This is taking up two lanes. Much of the TCH on PEI is only two lanes wide! Suddenly the shoulder looks like a good option.
Roads that are not in such good repair are the interior roads, where you can go from pristine pavement, to cracked with grass growing up through it, to patched potholes, to gravel roads, to clay top roads. Let's talk about the last as they present a special challenge to any rider. When wet they get as slick as snot, and on my dual sport 50/50 tires, can keep the adrenaline flowing. There is also a sand here similar to fesh fesh, it's light dusty red in colour, and you only really know it's there when your front tire slides and sends the feedback up the bars. The gravel roads also suffer drainage problems, and heavy water falls will carve lines across it, or up and down hills, so they are graded on an infrequent basis to deal with that. In fact, it's rather common for a heavy rain to wash someone's driveway part way out onto the road, or for the shoulders to tint puddles red with deposits. The remainder of the roads can throw surprise potholes, and wee patches of gravel at you, but the coastal tourist routes are in better condition, not perfect. I'd definitely soften up the suspension if you have your bike set up for the track.
Oh, There is always a way to avoid a stretch of gravel or clay road. You may need to box the compass, but it can be done.
Are these roads worth it? If you have a passion for scenic coastal photography, rural pastures and woodlots, quaint small town eccentricities, and some truly friendly locals, then loading your DSLR into your tank bag is a must.
Confederation Bridge. There is only one route out to the island if you plan on using the bridge, from Port Elgin straight in unless you enjoy Route 955 along the coast, but it filters you back onto 16 and onto the bridge again.
HIGH WIND
warnings will see high sided traffic (tractor trailers, Recreational Vehicles and motorcycles) barred from crossing until the weather improves. I haven't been caught yet, but I've had friends on the island get turned back or even worse, coming back from New Brunswick and forced to find a motel to wait out the weather on that side. I've felt some nasty gusts that had me concerned, but far worse riding in Newfoundland and in parts of Ontario. The Wood Islands ferry into Pictou Nova Scotia will on occasion be cancelled due to inclement weather, but it's the exception rather than the rule.
Need a map? Visit the Borden-Carleton visitors centre as soon as you're off the bridge and you will be sure to find a tourist map there. In fact, they are so good that most islanders use these free road maps instead of buying one. I have Map-Art Backroads Atlantic, and the tourist map is almost as good, showing 60% of the paved roads, and 95% of the ones you'd be interested in riding while touring the island.
Place names? They name everything here, so when you see a sign for "Toronto" PEI, don't blink, as it was probably those four farms along the bend, or in the valley. The signage can be a bit confusing, when you saw the sign for Kinkora, later on it might say Shamrock, Rose Valley or Fredericton with no mention of Kinkora again. Plug on, you either get to Kinkora or end up back in Charlottetown or Summerside again.
The province has officially signed scenic routes, and they're straightforward and well signed, and will lead you to items of interest such as light houses, and coastal drives.
Gas stations: Fill up when you can. There are a number on the island, but only the larger towns will have 91 or 94 Octane, and the smaller ones have a tendency to roll up the pumps around 8 pm. On Sunday they may only open from 12 noon to 5 pm, so gas up Saturday night or in Charlottetown or Summerside before a big Sunday tour.
Tim Hortons: Tons in the two cities, and a gathering spot for cruisers and sport bikes. There are dual sports out here, but so few that we use the New Brunswick Dual Sport Club's forum to chat. The site PEISportbikes.ca is dying a slow death, with few regular posters, but will fill in gaps or provide information that I've ommitted. Regular meets are at any Tims on the island, although cruisers really dominate the scene out East.
If you want awesome pictures, all you would have to do is visit the costal provincial parks. In the off season its free, during regular season you pay for park admission.
Late September rain, and potato harvest will slow you down, with temperatures falling at night that would have you wearing cold weather riding gear. The peak season saw highs of 29 degrees without that sticky humid weather we're used to in Toronto. I was laughing when the locals complained about the heat wave, but when you find that few houses have air conditioning, I laughed a bit less and sought comfort with fans and open windows. On the bike, I was fine in a mesh jacket and jeans, although I was drinking lots of water for comfort.
Black flies are really busy in some areas, so if you plan on camping, you might want to consider a bug head net or strong DEET based repellents. They really aren't a problem in the built up areas like they are in the country.
They call it the "The Gentle Land", but perhaps "The Windy Land" might be more appropo. You'll ride up out of a valley and out of cover of the treeline across a vast stretch of farmland, and the side winds will toss a light bike like mine around. A windshield went a long way to making my ride more comfortable on the island. It's not desperate by any means, but something to watch out for on the TCH or exposed roads.
It's so rural and pastoral. There are white churches everywhere, and most of the locals belong to a church community group or go to them to attend music events, theatre, and bazaars.
Don't go to McDonalds until you've tried Boomburger on Capital Drive in Charlottetown near Cornwall. Fresh local beef and potato fries with optional toppings like sauteed onions and mushrooms. Very reminiscent of Smokes Poutinerie for portion size and quality.
Get a bed and breakfast, as they're all over the island and so quaint with lovely gardens and century old hospitality that will leave you feeling more like a distant relation come to visit.
If you are a hard core rider and enjoy 10 hour days in the saddle, then you can do the whole island in three days and still enjoy a lobster supper in New Glasgow, or stop for Cows ice cream in front of the Province House which hosts the Confederation Chamber. Basically I'd divide it up into three rides... East past Summerside, Central, and West. North and south Shores of the island have different characteristics such as coastline and beaches.
Riding the 1800 kilometres out from Toronto? I've done it three ways:
Through the states, and don't forget to visit Lake Placid NY, Stowe VT, and Mount Washington in New Hampshire along the way, or head over to Bar Harbor and follow coastal route 1 up through Maine and over the border into New Brunswick. Three days would be best for the scenery.
Two days for this route means no side trips, and 900km per day. A challenging ride, but not impossible, but the scenery is still worth it.
One day will get you an Iron Butt certification, so if interested, look into it online before you come out. I did it on a corbin seat on my KLR, but no way in hell will that happen on the stocker on my DR650.
Gaspe and Cabot Trail? Awesome! Gaspe first, PEI then on to the Cabot Trail or in reverse.
Have a look at my blog if you want to see more pictures of what you can expect when here next summer.
I'm working on a mini tourist guide for my blog, so if you have suggestions and pictures of places you think I should mention, I'd be grateful for the input.
P.S. If you do come out this way, be sure to let me know so I can buy you a coffee, kick tires and compare scars.
My best pictures are here:
http://rottenxxxronnie.blogspot.ca/2012/10/the-brackely-beach-ride.html
http://rottenxxxronnie.blogspot.ca/2012/10/the-cape-bear-ride.html
