1. Finances
1.1. credit card in USD
1.2. how much cash
1.3. estimate total cost
1.4. save more money
1.5. use both Visa and Mastercard
2. Equipment
2.1. ultralight: http://ultralightcycling.blogspot.ro http://normallyaspiratedhuman.com/?p=1337
2.2. road bike
2.3. clothing
2.3.1. long pants that convert to short pants
2.3.2. rain jacket
2.3.3. wind stopper
2.3.4. 2 extra pair of socks, one warm
2.3.5. shorts without shoulder straps
2.3.6. light trail shoes
2.3.6.1. no cleats
2.3.7. leg warmers
2.3.8. light stretch gloves
2.3.9. bandanna
2.3.10. glasses
2.3.11. cycling jersey
2.3.11.1. with merino for extra warmth?
2.3.12. reflective belts
2.3.13. light fleece gloves
2.3.14. arm warmers
2.3.15. plastic gloves
2.3.16. overshoes
2.3.16.1. use existing
2.3.17. rain pants
2.4. tools
2.4.1. oil
2.4.2. pump
2.4.3. patch kit
2.4.4. 2 tire levers
2.4.5. allen keys
2.4.5.1. which ones?
2.4.6. chain tool
2.4.7. spoke key
2.4.8. spare tube
2.4.9. duct tape
2.4.10. screwdriver
2.4.11. small knife
2.4.12. Lezyne stick-on patches for punctures, and they did well. They come with a little tyre boot that I used to hold a tyre together when a two inch piece of metal went into it in Louisiana
2.5. bike components
2.5.1. light pedals
2.5.2. tires size 25-622
2.5.3. front/rear lights
2.5.3.1. Exposure Joystick Mk8 With Redeye and Handlebar Mount
2.5.4. 2 bottle cages
2.5.5. handlebar mirror
2.5.6. power supply
2.5.6.1. Plug 2 USB power supply
2.5.6.2. dynamo hub
2.5.6.2.1. Supernova Infinity S
2.5.7. touring wheels
2.5.7.1. bontrager
2.6. camping
2.6.1. tent
2.6.1.1. vaude bivi
2.6.2. sleeping bag
2.6.2.1. Cumulus x-lite 200
2.6.3. sleeping pad
2.6.3.1. thermarest pro-lite x-small - too expensive
2.6.3.2. nylon bubble wrap (optional)
2.6.3.3. izopren
2.6.3.3.1. can be reduced in length for better packing & lower weight
2.6.3.3.2. use in conjunction with bubble wrap
2.6.3.4. folding cell pad
2.7. cooking
2.7.1. plastic spoon
2.8. medical & hygiene
2.8.1. soap
2.8.1.1. take small one from motel
2.8.2. wiping cloth
2.8.3. toothbrush
2.8.4. razor
2.8.5. skin ointment
2.8.6. medical tape
2.8.7. needle+thread
2.9. other
2.9.1. lock
2.9.2. smartphone
2.9.3. phone handle bar mount
2.9.4. small headphone+mic
2.9.5. plastified note with stoic wisdom
2.9.6. plastic bags
2.9.6.1. for covering helmet in rain
2.9.6.2. garbage bags
2.9.7. notes, pencil
2.9.8. water filter or purification tablets
2.9.9. nylon fishing line
2.9.9.1. tie a fishing line from the bikes to the tent
2.9.10. some kind of rope for hanging luggage/food in trees
2.9.11. light helmet
2.10. tips
2.10.1. used the second bottle cage as a carrier of the rain jacket, arm warmers and gloves.
2.10.1.1. use drysack in bottle cage
2.10.2. use 1L PVC bottles instead of cycling bottles
2.10.3. Bungee cord for the main stuff sack
2.10.4. Strip of bubble wrap (sleeping pad)
2.10.5. Dish washing cloth used as a towel.
2.10.6. The little camera bag in front was excellent. I had camera, tools and skin cream in it. As a 40 g container carrying 340 g of content, it was the realization of the first axiom of ultralight cycling par excellence. It was simple to tie it to the handlebar with a nylon strip and once I tied it on, I never took it off. During the rain I'd just slip any plastic bag over it.
2.10.7. Instead of emergency camping, I'd say it would had been better just to continue cycling throughout the night
2.10.8. create business cards with your name, phone number, email address, and blog address
2.10.9. Consider taking a break from cycling about every 7-10 days. This will allow you to have some buffer in your schedule in case of bad weather or if you want to spend some time visiting the local area. It will also be good for your legs and butt
2.10.10. You will want to be prepared for bike sores. Being in the saddle 7-8 hours per day in hot wet conditions can play havoc on the butt. There are two prescription medications which I would strongly encourage you to take with you. I used these daily and never had a problem. Bactroban Cream and Silver Sulfidizine Cream. Make sure you get your doctor to include multiple refills in your prescription
2.10.11. book: The Essential Touring Cyclist, by Richard A. Lovett
2.10.12. We strap a waterproof compression sack to our rack top. But under it, we put a piece of ribbed rubber stair tread material which was zip-tied to the SS rack. So no wear on the sack or rack, and the ribbing kept it from sliding beautifully. The same material makes great mudflaps, too. For $10 you can get a life-time supply.
2.10.13. Don't take full rolls of toilet paper or duct tape - unwind them from the cores and rewind just what you think you'll need around a pencil (plus you can write with the pencil)
2.10.14. keep bike lock key around neck
2.11. carriers
2.11.1. handlebar
2.11.1.1. option 2: lighter stuff sack with nylon straps
2.11.1.2. 100 grams
2.11.2. toptube
2.11.3. light rack
2.11.4. drysack 22L
2.11.4.1. on amazon
2.11.5. smaller sacks
2.11.5.1. mesh sacks
2.11.6. bungee cord for securing bags
2.11.7. straps
2.11.7.1. side release buckle straps
2.11.7.2. adjuster straps
3. IXIA
3.1. negotiate time off
3.2. poster at my office with details of the trip
4. Route
4.1. ~6000km
4.2. New York to San Francisco
4.3. objectives
4.3.1. Grand Canyon
4.3.1.1. cross it north to south
4.3.1.1.1. camp in GC
4.3.1.1.2. invite US friends to join me
4.3.2. Yosemite
4.3.3. Washington
4.3.4. Boulder (CO)
4.3.5. Death Valley
4.3.6. The Great Plains
4.3.7. Antelope Canyon
4.3.8. Bryce canyon
4.4. navigation
4.4.1. smartphone + offline maps
4.5. reserve few days to bike New York
4.6. first half use TransAmerica Trail (from Washington DC to Pueblo, CO)
4.6.1. Andy across America
4.7. what routes other people have done
4.7.1. http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=301886&v=W
4.7.2. http://iikinamerica.blogspot.ro/
4.8. check photos layer in google maps for interesting places
4.9. detour through Mammoth Cave park only if time allows
5. Training
5.1. prepare to live several days on cold food only
5.2. few long rides in March-April
5.3. bike regularly in winter
5.4. one bike interval session / week
5.5. test equipment in long rides
5.6. bike repair
5.6.1. true wheel
5.6.2. replace spoke
5.6.2.1. FiberFix Emergency Spoke Replacement Kit
5.6.3. adjust derailleur
6. Research
6.1. best way to pack bike for plane
6.2. what are the possible bike malfunctions
6.3. things to see in the midwest
6.4. scenic routes along the way (see bikemap)
6.5. climate
6.6. rain protection
6.6.1. tyvec suit
6.6.1.1. amazon
6.7. test all clothing this winter
7. Flights
7.1. register to receive best offers
8. Schedule
8.1. start mid April
8.2. ~ 50 days including buffers and few visiting days in NY & SF
8.3. 150 km/day
8.4. Mr Iik did 37 days, which ment riding 150 km per day on average to cover the estimated distance of 5500 km
9. Communications
9.1. buy US sim
9.2. blog
9.3. document trip real-time
9.4. occasionally use internet cafes
10. Accomodation
10.1. mostly in tent
10.2. bad weather - motels
11. Wife
11.1. in final part of the trip
11.1.1. maybe shorten the trip by going directly to SF in the last part (skip death valley, yosemite), then rent a car to see visit together yosemite
11.1.2. try to finish bike < 40 days so we can spend 10 days renting a car and traveling
11.2. do the trip backwards from SF to NY
11.2.1. pro: we can visit NY in the end
11.2.2. con: need to delay start till may when it gets warmer
11.3. initial part of the trip
11.3.1. visit NY
12. Travel documents
12.1. http://www.h1base.com/content/b1b2visa
12.2. make photocopies of important documents
12.3. passport + visa
12.4. invitation letter Sergey/Brian
12.5. some hotel reservations that I can cancel later without penalty
13. Photography
13.1. film with gopro
13.1.1. find best bike mount
13.1.1.1. the standard GoPro handlebar mount broke (plastic failure)
13.1.1.2. this one looks promising