I think the spill over the handle bars spooked him away (all bark and no bite) and luckily some neighbors came out to my aid with bandages and even drove me to the town's urgent care! The rest of the trip I bought a small pepper spray can and only used if a dog gave chase. It's an unfortunate part of route (and really only KY) but definitely manageable and shouldn't deter someone from getting out there!

I’m sure there’s ways around it but I think the path laid out by Adventure Cycling only leads to a ferry across the Ohio river. The trail also leads to a bridge over the Mississippi which is narrow, busy and full of potholes. However, you can call the local police to escort you over which made the crossing much more enjoyable and safe.

In my opinion, both have advantages and disadvantages. I found myself, mostly pedaling into the winds going east to west once I hit Kansas. But people going west to east have to start later in the season since many Oregon mountain roads are covered in snow when I was able to started in April. I think terrain should also play part in deciding your direction, east coast has the Appalachian mountains which were a rollercoaster of elevation changes vs the west coast having the Rockies which was a steep but smooth climb. I enjoyed cutting my teeth on the Appalachian's because I knew I could handle the rockies later.

@@squincee thanks... its my dream cycle. I'm hoping to hit the road in May. I'm from Scotland. training starts next month. I seen the difference in your physical appearance, before and after. Hopefully I can pick up a ride buddy.. thanks again....

It was a polygon heist x2, good sturdy bike with a bunch of features but not the bike I’d take if I did it again

Hi! The trail is 99% all road work, a couple loose gravels here and there when it's the only option; however, the nice thing is that you can modify your trip however you want. There were times when I wanted to avoid hilly roads and found detours or saved miles but cutting corners. For the tires, I don't pretend to know all about bike specs. I learned a lot about what both my bike and I were capable of doing while out there. I only had 2 shifting gears up front and greatly regretted not having a 3rd for the big hills but that also kind of made it more challenging and fun (in hindsight). I started my ride on cheap blackburn 700x35 tires (which got me at least 10 flats) then I switched to 700x35 schwable tires which were great. Both supported the weight fine and tubes were easy to find spare replacements at Walmarts or bike shops along the way. One thing I found (later than I would've like) was a thorn resistant 700c tubes that could've saved me a few early punctures. All-in-all I would say this is the number 1 area to not cheap out on. Pretty much any bike can handle the trip and your bags just need to not have holes in them but despite being paved roads there's a lot of junk and debris on the sides which can pop a cheap tire or tube which is the worst feeling while out there since it literally stops your trip. Hope this helps and enjoy your ride!!

@@squincee thank you for the explanation. This greatly helps. I have a 2x up front but it’s compact herring. As for here I’m looking at carting 5-8lbs total. So weight should not be an issue. However my bike can only take a 25mm tire so that is worrisome. I have a 1x bike but that limits my gearing which sounds like is much needed.

Good luck on your adventure next year! I wasn't physically prepared when I went either and I'm not sure you can totally mentally prepare for what you'll experience but you will surprise yourself once you get going.

I get it. I got lucky on the Pacific bike route a few months ago and only blew one tube and that's it. Nothing but super rad people the whole way down.

I posted my journey across America on my main channel Jarrrod D Florida to California and back. I posted all 270 gigs of footage 4500 in 40 days . I caught high speed front tire blowout, hit by bus ,hit by truck, 9 flats in one day , simi tire exploding beside me at speed . I posted everything 😊 Going again next year 😅 I added a motor to the bicycle because I found that all the peddling kept ruining my adventures 😮 I also talk in my videos

This is a great word of encouragement... not only to Emmett but also to others. I am 66 years old and planning to... at last... make the journey that I have wanted to do for 50 years. It is hard getting back into condition after being off my bike for over ten years. Some days I want to give up before I even start. But I won't. Your word of encouragement confirms that. Thank you!

Another C2Cer here, I also did the Bikecentennial trail, only unlike Kieth I went west to east in 1976 when I was 24. Myself and a small group of Aussies came over for it, it was my first overseas trip. What a grand adventure it was, and one of many more such adventures I did in the following years.