Originally Posted by
bikemig
I'd take the train out west and ride home if I lived on the east coast.
I agree that getting the public transit leg out of the way in the beginning is a good way to go. If you do that I recommend flying rather than the bus or train unless you don't care how long it takes and are comfortable on the bus or train. I find that if I shop ahead of time I can often go cheaper than Amtrak. I really want to like the train, but I did a 17 hour sting on Amtrak and was more tired from the train ride than from the tour. You can get a sleeper, but it is quite expensive IMO.
The biggest downside to flying IMO is that you have a set date and it is awkward and/or expensive to change. If you do the flying at the beginning of the tour you avoid that because it is easy to meet a set start date while a set finish date locks you into a schedule.
On the bus I always seem to wind up next to drunks, people just released from prison and on their way home, or crying babies. It is usually interesting, but not especially pleasant.
I have driven coast to coast a few times and actually enjoyed it. If you can find someone who wants a vehicle delivered to the other coast that would be a nice way to go.
If you decide to fly pick a bike friendly airline (Southwest is my fav).