Touring - Biking across the US

Hi everyone!
My name is Belda and right now I'm planning a bike trip for two people, set to take place in late August. The two cyclists plan to switch off on the riding and complete the trip in two weeks. There would be an RV following them with a bed to rest on, water, and supplies. However, I have some concerns that I hope someone could help me with:

- The first leg of the trip is from San Diego to Phoenix, continuing on through New Mexico and Texas. I am unfamiliar with the type of weather in the Western United States, but from what I hear, it will be extremely hot and dry, with long stretches of land without gas stations and stores nearby. Does anyone know what the best roads in Arizona and New Mexico would be? Also, what hours during the day should they avoid being in the sun? If they plan to ride during the night, should they worry about snakes being on the highway?

- How should an RV follow them? Should I plan for checkpoints along the way so that the cyclists could be assured of meeting up with the vehicle? I'm not sure how this is done, so any information would be much appreciated.

And these are the cities that we plan to go through, so if anyone knows some good routes, feel free to post them!

San Diego
Phoenix
Albuquerque
Santa Fe
Bentonville, AR
Atlanta
Raleigh
Alexandria
Charlottesville
Washington, D.C.
Baltimore
Philadelphia
Marlton, NJ
New Brunswick, NJ
Madison, NJ
Millburn, NJ

You're planning on riding 4,000 miles in 2 weeks? Is this a race? Is there some reason you're setting a death march pace?

I'm not attacking you, but how familar are you/them with long distance cycling? Those cities include some very large, urban areas--not the sort of places you would typically want to cycle through on a cross country trip.

Paul

One of the riders has rode across Canada and the other is the president of the local University's cycling club. They plan to trade off on the cycling so each person does 100-120 miles per day. Since there is an RV following the person not on the road would be able to rest. Since they are the founders and executives of a plant fertilizer company and also because school starts in September, there isn't much time to spend on the road. They've assured me that they should be able to do that much mileage a day, but I know they haven't been cycling in Mojave Desert-type conditions--will that significally affect performance?

Also, what should I consider when mapping the routes along the cities? (They are stopping along cities to promote their plant fertilizer.)

Thanks!

You would have to ride about 285 miles/day to do this trip (via those cities) in 2 weeks! Not to mention riding thru 100+F degree temps in the southwest in August...

Yeah, somethings gotta give, and I'm guessing it will be your bodies about 12 hours into this death race...err, ride. Start altering your itinerary.

I have lived in Central Arizona and have made the cyle trip from San diego thru Phoenix, New Mexico, Texas and on to Florida, but it was March and April and still plenty hot. I worked as a park ranger in NOrthern Az and our number one biggest problem was people having heat stroke and dehydration and they were not much more than 50 feet from there cars. You will need massive amounts of sunblock applied liberally and several times a day and at night too as the dryness of the air will still suck moisture from your body. Southern Arizona and New Mexicao and west Texas will be extremely hot and little opportunities to get out of the shade. a cell phone, for each rider would be, of course, a relly good idea to plan rendezvous. Having the RV keeping pace with the cyclist is dangerous for both cyclist, rv and other traffic. Normal temps can run upwards of 120 degrees and the pavement can add a lot more heat than that. The cyclists and the bike tires will be under treamendous temperatures. (the NOrthern route through montana is lovely this time of year!)

Expect many flat tires due to thorns and burrs. I assume these will be skinny tire road bikes and you will not have slimed them, so unless you get really tough tires, you will spend a lot of time changing flats.

One are to use caution, if you are using Adventure cycling route maps, is Superior, Az just east of Phoenix. That mountain road has areas with little or no shoulders and a long tunnel at superior that is death defying to go through. It is not lighted, no sidewalks or bike lanes, is an uphill climb and trucks coming down hill, even though it's illegal, pass other vehicles in the middle of the tunnel at great speed, putting you in there way, in a dark tunnel,(a shuttle would be advised here).

Hope some of this helps, good luck.

MJ