The Biking for Breakfast Challenge is the only road cycling charity event in North America that travels across a complete province in one single day. This unique and exciting event is fully supported on rural country roads, some near traffic-free, alongside gently touched landscape, farmer’s fields, and always within minutes of one of PEI’s five dozen sandy beaches.

Prince Edward Island is Canada’s smallest province with a population of 134,000. Our country landscape is the background for many paintings, dreams, and vacations. The pace is slow; the people are friendly; the atmosphere is welcoming. The bicycle fits well within our recreational pace of life here on the Island where people lending a helping hand to one another is commonplace. 

But don't let the beauty of our province fool you.  To bicycle 284 km in one day is a CHALLENGE.   Use the picturesque background to take your mind away from the physical pain that you will feel during the day.  Take advantage of the rolling hills to look to your side to view the pastures, rivers, and land.  Cherish the moments where you are riding in a group to chat about the scenery, the turnout of cyclists, and the over one thousand kids who have been helped since the inception of BFBC.   Take a extra five minutes at a Refueling Station to hear a story of what it means to be an Islander from a local resident who is volunteering at the event.

This as much a physical challenge as a mental challenge.  Below you will find some general information.

Your Pre-Event Preparation

The first thing you need to do is make sure you are registered.  There are benefits for the riders who register early but the largest benefit is for the organizers.  There are a number of tasks that require work prior to the event that involve listing of riders who are registered; the sooner a rider is registered the easier you are making the event for the volunteer team of volunteers.  All of the information you need for Registration is located in the Rider's Handbook. 

Aside from pledging to register early, I hope you will consider developing some type of training routine in order that you will enjoy this experience as much as I know you want to.    We are providing information on training for BFBC that may provide some assistance. 

What do I take with me?

In addition to the training, take some extra time to focus on your equipment you will need for the day.  Before beginning this discussion, it is important to highlight that what you take with you is your decision.  You can visit the Rider Handbook Bicycle Equipment section for detailed information.  You will also want to understand the various support that is available during the day of your ride as this will help you guage any additional requirements you may have.  Keep in mind however that YOU are your best support: be prepared for the unpredictable.  Take extra tubes and a pump with you on your frame.  It is a luxury to be able to change your own flat tire on the road and not have to wait for a support vehicle.  Lastly, for information on the food and drink supplied during the event, or how to take your own specialized  food with you without carrying it on your bike, you can visit the Food section in the Rider Handbook.  I recommend you taking items with you on your bike and also items in the support.  You can buy a rack for your back of your road bike and have a bag to store some items.  Imagine a thunderstorm that comes out of nowhere or your fifth flat in a row.  Having a rear rack and bag can make your day much better (the above image shows Ted Reynolds and Dave Ross of NS Randonneurs Cycling Club particiapting in the 2007 version of BFBC sporting two different rear bags). 

Transportation / Shuttle

BFBC provides shuttle service for a small cost per trip for riders starting at North Cape and / or ending at East Point.  Please follow this link for details on our transportation / shuttle service.  Please remember to have your travel request to us as well as the fee per trip two weeks before the event.  I hope you can understand the logistics that go into the organization of this event and that by making sure you have your transportation figured out in advance it gives us more time to spend on the event itself.  Lastly, please make sure that you update your transportation request as soon as you are aware of your plans.   Transportation requests are on a first-come first-served basis so get your request in today!

Riding Etiquette

One of the highlights of the BFBC is the fact that you will be bicycling in a group of over 100 cyclists.  With so many cyclists, and each cyclist having different abilities and inspiration, it is important that everyone understands the riding etiquette that is needed for this event.  We will also be using pace groups, which will help riders self-identify what is their pace-goal for the day and match them with others who share that same goal.  We have three pace groups with the following average speeds as well as riders who register three weeks before the event, their bib number will be colored to match their pace group: 22 - 25 kph (Red); 25 - 28 kph (Blue); and 29 - 34 kph (Green). 

The Day of the Event Agenda 

For Full Course riders, your Challenge begins at the Northern tip of Prince Edward Island, North Cape, where the Gulf of St. Lawrence crosses with the Northumberland Strait. North Cape is in one of the windiest areas in Canada. The Atlantic Wind Test Site & Wind Farm was established in 1980 and has been dedicated to the development of wind energy research. The North Cape Wind Farm, Atlantic Canada’s first “Wind Farm” consists of eight gigantic windmills and produces 6% of Prince Edward Island’s energy.  

North Cape is also the location of much-sought after lost treasure as well as the location that the Phantom Ship has been sighted most often in the Northumberland Strait

Benefits all P.E.I. Children

Although the Biking for Breakfast Challenge is an extraordinary event from a cycling perspective, the event’s focus is to increase awareness that more and more Island children arrive to school without breakfast.   In Canada, 31% of elementary and 62% of secondary students do not eat a daily breakfast. In PEI, educators relate that the percentages are higher.  Breakfast Programs originally began as a response to child poverty. However, the result of offering the program only to children who lived in poverty further stigmatized these children. Soon a change in program philosophy was born as the program became open to all children and free of charge. 

Four years ago, two breakfast programs on P.E.I. were contiplating changes that would have resulted in one program closure and the other program charging children who could afford to pay. Viewing the universality of the program as paramount, a community response was initiated to help raise much-needed dollars to support breakfast programs . . . the Biking for Breakfast Challenge was born. 

The goal of BFBC is for all Island schools to have a free and universal breakfast program by the year 2020.

Rider Handbook FAQ

We have produced a BFBC Rider Handbook that outlines in detail any questions you should have.  If we've overlooked a question, please drop us an email. 

Still Have Questions

If you still have questions, suggestions, wish to volunteer, or anything else, feel free to drop Ken an emaill or phone his home at 902.888.3878.