1. New York City to Richmond, VA

From our journey's start in New York City we will head out through the suburbs of eastern New Jersey. As we head towards Norristown, we will ride on the Schuylkill Trail and pass nearby Philadelphia. The route then continues south on to Washington, D.C. and then Richmond where we will be riding on Virginia's network of county roads. Here the terrain is rolling, with a few steep hills.

2. Richmond, VA to Berea, KY

Flat riding, through lush plantations and farmlands, turns into rolling hills and then the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachians may not be as tall as the Rockies but they are rumoured to be harder to cross than the big mountains of the West. Apparently the gentle inclines of the Rockies are not nearly as tiring as the steep climbs and descents in the Appalachians.

3. Berea, KY to Murphysboro, IL

After leaving Berea we will cycle rolling terrain, travelling through horse country in Central and Western Kentucky, past farms with grazing thoroughbreds. We'll take a ferry across the Ohio River into Illinois. In southern Illinois the route winds through the ridges and valleys of the Little Ozarks. This small mountain range is unique in the United States as it runs on an east-west axis.

4. Murphysboro, IL to Girard, KS

Through the Ozarks Mountain Range the route contains many steep climbs. Apparently this section of the journey is like one long self propelled roller-coaster ride. We'll cross the Mississippi River at Chester, IL. Through Western Missouri we will ride across gently rolling terrain. This section ends in flat Kansas.

5. Girard, KS to Alexander, KS

Across Kansas we will cover three hundred miles with no up-hills, no down-hills and few turns. We may have to cycle in the early morning and early evening to escape the midday heat.

6. Alexander, KS to Pueblo, CO

Leaving behind hot and barren Kansas we will cross into Colorado. We will cycle through the agricultural heartland of America, across the High Plains of Eastern Colorado. Right around the town of Haswell we will see our first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains as the route takes us up into the foothills.

7. Pueblo, CO to Dolores, CO

From Pueblo the route winds through quiet wooded foot-hills until reaching U.S. Highway 50. From Cotopaxi we will follow the narrow valley of the Arkansas River to Salida where scenery changes to forested mountains. We will be crossing a pass almost every day with several passes over 9,000 feet. The route swings west and then south through the small tourist communities of the Rockies. The section draws to an end in the bean-growing capital of the nation in South West Colorado.

8. Dolores, CO to Cedar City, UT

This section of the route is anticipated to be the most challenging as it passes through some of the nation's most isolated communities. It is considered very difficult due not only to the terrain which has many ascents with gradients between 6% and 14%, but also due to lack of water, temperature extremes and long mileages without services. However, it does pass by some of the most spectacular scenic wonders in America such as Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks.

9. Cedar City, UT to Fallon, NV

The climate in this section is much the same as the previous. Nevada is extremely dry. It is again considered very difficult due to lack of water, no shade, temperature extremes and long mileages without services. Still cycling on U.S. Highway 50 we expect to see only the occasional vehicles each day. We understand that in most cases there are no homes or ranches between services and that there are two 80+ mile stretches without any services at all.

10. Fallon, NV to San Francisco, CA

The route heads west out of Fallon, NV on U.S. Highway 50, the "Loneliest Road in America." through Carson City, NV and the historic mining region. It climbs up and across the timbered passes of the Sierra Nevada along the Mormon Emigrant Trail and then descends into Folsom,CA. From there we will head on to Sacramento, CA and then to Davis, CA. Urban riding conditions prevail along the section from Pollock Pines, CA to Davis. We finish our journey by taking a ferry across the bay from Vallejo to the Golden Gate Bridge.