Like other authors, I must tell you that if this trip is a success, it will be due to the enormous contributions of many important advisors. If it is a failure, it will no doubt be due to my own incompetence. (Many authors say this, but of course if their book is a success, they seem more than willing to bask in the fame and fortune that follows.)

Following is a partial list of folks who have helped launch this odyssey. Thanks so much to all these advisors for their patience, kindness, and generosity.

I met with my friend Jim a few weeks back and he lent me his rear pannier bags and gave me lots of good advice. Jim is a cross-country biking veteran. Here are Jim and his wife Lucy:

My friends Leo and Myron were with Jim on several biking adventures. They also had some great advice, and their ongoing active biking is a continuing source of admiration and inspiration.

Last summer, I met with my friend Brian at a League of American Orchestras conference in Los Angeles and learned quite by accident that he had crossed the country on a bike over 20 years ago, when he was in his twenties. Brian wrote an excellent book about the adventure, which is as much about what was going on in his head as it was about the biking itself. Brian was kind enough to meet over lunch and talk about his trip and what he learned along the way, and also to share this “drowned rat” photo of himself.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Tom at Freewheel Bikes. Tom is an amazing bike adventurer who has many stories of extraordinary bike journeys around the globe–across the U.S., Canada to Costa Rica, and down the length of the African continent–to name just a few. Tom retired as an international corporate finance guy and now pursues his passion–helping people enjoy life from the seat of a bicycle. He’s tackled just about any kind of bike adventure you could imagine, and undoubtedly a few you could not possibly dream up on your own. Tom was helpful not only with lots of biking wisdom, but also with the practical realities of properly equipping my bike and getting it shipped off to Bar Harbor, Maine. He was also kind enough to lend me his tent and Garmin Edge 1000 tracking advice in case I get hopelessly lost in a cellular desert.

This blog you are reading right now would not be here were it not for the computer expertise of our son Joe. His problem-solving skills have been indispensable, and I appreciate his calm, methodical presence in helping to get this launched. Thanks, Joe!

Last but certainly not least is Trudi, my Chief Navigator in life and in plotting my course across the country. Her patience is as legendary as my impatience, but somehow, we’ve agreed on a route and departure date. Words can’t convey how grateful I am for her support and tolerance. I hope to see her a few times along the route!