Originally Posted by qqy
Provided that you don't get lonely easily, it's really the best way to go. When I toured through Eastern Europe on <$20/day, I often met up with other riders (mostly German, curiously) and while I enjoyed the company, I found riding with them fairly frustrating. Most went very slowly and only wanted to cover 40km MAX per day, and usually weren't very adventurous about staying in cheaper places off the beaten path. They also weren't very spontaneous, as I liked to simply get into a town and find a hostel on the internet that looked fun, while they'd usually want to stay in the city center. Many also liked getting smashed each night (beer was often like $.50/half liter), which makes the next day a waste. More than anything, I found I blew my budget hanging out with other people, and was very bad with my time. If you want to do it your way, the only way to go is to do it yourself.
QQY is dead on. I rode across Canada last summer alone because all of my friends are layabouts. Being alone can be gruelling after a while—I had a 2 week stint from western Alberta to Winnipeg where I was pretty much alone all day everyday—but the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks. I blew the most cash when hanging out with other cyclists, most of which went towards beer and motels. The guys I spent the most time with were booze hounds that would drop $60 bucks at the bar, then sleep in until 2pm the next day. Although stupid fun, this resulted in 40km days which can become really frustrating if you have limited cash flow and dates to meet.
You'll run into loads of people on the way across. I envy you; I'd love to tour again this summer.
Oh, and a word of advice: Stay the hell off of the Trans Canada in Manitoba. It has ZERO shoulder. You're basically riding in the lane with highway traffic.