Help with my first journey
Hi guys.
First thing is I would like to introduce myself before I ask for any help. I am a 21 year old college student living in NYC. I don't have any cycling experience aside from joy riding my bicycle around town.
So my goal is simple to travel from east coast to west coast on a bicycle. It all started two years ago, when my friend suggested it. At first I thought it was impossible, but that was due to my limited experience and narrow understanding of reality. I want to do this for a few reasons, to have a true adventure and to see the country I live in.
I understand that this is not a simple journey and one just doesn't jump on a bike and ride away, there is a lot of planning that is involved. Since there are probably a lot of people who have done journeys like these on this forum they know more than me on the topic of preparing.
My question is this how is this journey prepared for?
What do I have to consider before I go on a trip like this?
What do I have to bring with me?
What kind of mods do I need for my bike?
How to I plan my route, are there any special maps for this type of stuff.?
Do I need cycling shoes the ones that clip on to the pedals?
Anything that would help me getting started in researching and accomplishing my goal would be greatly appreciated.