bikeseattle.org

The best way to start a cross-country bicycle trip is to pretend you’re not doing it. Convince yourself you are embarking on a series of day trips. It will do no good to anticipate the Rockies while still smelling the salt air of the Atlantic, or to think about the East if leaving from the West.
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You don’t need to be Lance Armstrong. Although I commute regularly on a bicycle, 40 minutes or more a day, I hadn’t ridden more than 50 miles in a single day before I crossed the country last summer. Nor had I ever done two long rides back to back. Ideally, train beforehand and do some rides loaded down with everything you’ll take.

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