It was a damp start to the day but after breakfast with Bill I knew I had to get going. As usual with my Warmshowers experiences I always wish I could stay a little longer with the interesting folks I have been so fortunate to meet.
I took the 955 to the bridge but it was really slow going with a strong headwind coming off the water. It seemed to take forever to make the 35km and Bob got a flat tire about 3km from the bridge but I just pumped it up and hoped to find somewhere more sheltered to replace it. Initially I had been disappointed to hear you could not ride the 12km long bridge but today I was grateful as I am sure I would have been blown right over the side!! There is a shuttle service for pedestrians and cyclists and lucky for me there was a guy waiting so we put Bob in the back of the truck and my bike beside the back seats. Unfortunately just as we were about to leave a pedestrian showed up so I had to squeeze in the back with my bike. It was hard to get any good pictures of the bridge as it was so grey and foggy.
I picked up a map from the Visitor Info centre where the shuttle dropped me off and set about replacing Bob's flat tire. On careful inspection I found a tiny piece of sharp metal sticking through and struggled to remove it before resorting to tweeers again!! I also discovered a broken spoke which I removed and will hopefully be able to replace on Monday.
There are no pictures from PEI because it took all my energy just to make it to Charlottetown. It was exceptionally windy and I took the main Trans Canada route across the island as it had a shoulder and was the most direct. My legs were completely spent, in hindsight I don't think I ate enough yesterday for the mileage I did and it didn't matter what I ate today I literally was running on empty. I also realised I have ridden for 10 days straight since leaving Quebec City. I was having to spin small gears just to get up shallow inclines and I cannot remember the last time I had to just stop on the side of the road to eat because I could not go any further.
I was due to be staying with Judy and Jim, a friends parents and I called them around 4:30pm to say I was on my way but slower than planned. Judy had just got in from riding and was incredibly sympathetic having had a horrible time in the wind herself and so offered to come and pick me up but I stubbornly said I would keep riding. It took me another 2 hours to make the final 27km to their place as the light was begining to fade. Yesterday I had averaged 24km/hr and today only 18km/hr.
Judy and Jim were so excited to see me and after a shower served up a delicious meal. They are keen to show me around Charlottetown and Prince Edward Island my penultimate province, so I will most likely stay 2 days here before riding to the ferry at Woods Island that will take me to Nova Scotia and only 2 days ride from Halifax.
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