Originally Posted by skin flute

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.