Oh yes they did, especially the one about the guy who took a cross-Canada ride. The exact gear and meal plan are the most crucial things for the ride to work, then having a road plan and trip guidance help you get somewhere. I just started gearing up and I don't have my route in hand yet.

About the Borat thing ... I'm so going to be over careful about everything once I'm South of the border, I don't think I'll have the stones of that. I mean, people could sue me for pissing in their bushes, that's crazy. No regards for peeful people.

B, we gun people here in the US get very nervous about men on bikes near our stills. However, if you have big boobs, blonde hair and daisy dukes, then tubby may give u some luv.

there's a guy at work that attempted to bike accross the US and he made it to Iowa (west to east). He said that the worst part about it was not being able to share stuff with. He camped most days in a week and stayed at a hotel once or twice to have a shower and a nice bed to pass out in.

One guy told me of a very neat invention: chamois gel, kind of a butt grease for cycling lubrification. I really think it's awesome. You put that at the bottom of your compressor shorts and voilà, your butt is all greasy - a bit awkwards but certainly for the best.

I don't know about that. I am a straight guy and not really too keen on the idea of putting gel, lotion or anything else really on my butt.
See my earlier point about a sissy seat. "Gel padded=sissy seat"
Getting properly sized compression shorts is easy to do as well, and you can easily ride 50+ miles with no chaffing.

I decided to get a dog spray can for self-defence. I'm pretty sure that'll pass the border. Bear pepper spray would've been more tricky to explain, but stray dogs could be reasons enough to get these cans anyways.

My bike was supposed to arrive last wednesday but the shipment they got didn't include it. ETA tuesday. I had a mega binge booked on thursday and it's been raining here anyways so I might have just waited until tuesday.

I tried compressor shorts with and without butt gel, and there's a difference. On 150+ km days, it's way worth it.

So here's the final checklist:

Clothes

2 compressor shorts
2 bike shirts
swimsuit soap for the above
Riding gloves
2 t-shirts
1 bathing suit
1 short jeans
1 leg warmers
2 bike socks
1 socks pair
1 wool socks pair
1 contact lenses pair
1 sweat towel
pedal clamp sneakers
sandals
sunglasses
glasses

Bike stuff

helmet
1 handle-on mirror
2 wheel raincovers
1 spare tire
tire repair kit
duct tape
dirt towel
CO2 tire inflator
Rear rack and panniers

Sanity check

Isaac Asimov's Prelude to Tantor (#1 of the Robots series, I, Robot through to Under the Burning Sun)
Butt gel
Solar screen (15 body, 50 nose)
Tiger balm (muscle lotion)
Traumeel (joint lotion)
Flovent (in case my asthma comes out - it only does if I abuse of myself)
Allergy pills
toothbrush/paste/floss
MAPS
Body soap
Energy bars
2 water bottles
deodorant
ear plugs

Question marks

Extra spokes? I'll be pretty much urban all the way down, it shouldn't be a problem if I lose one temporarily.

Night lights? I won't ride at night, maybe in the rain.

GPS? I didn't write odometer above since I'm not sure wether to get a GPS altogether.

I still have about 48 hours to make my mind about it all. I'll probably drop it all though.

this might sound stupid but what about a camera, surely your gonna see some nice stuff along the way? plus we all want to see what happens! :D

I'm not a picture guy. I might carry a mp3 kind of voice recorder though. But I honestly never look at pictures, read my diaries or dwell in the past in any way ... so it's not really appealing.

About the route, I have it and had time to make my corrections to the plan they gave me ... basically:

From the border, 9 through NYS to the Cape May / Lewes ferry
13 from Salisbury MC to New Bern NC
17 from Jacksonville to Charleston SC
301 to Gainesville FL
19 to Mickey Mouse's backyard.

is that days? When do you plan on being in Charleston, SC? That's where I'm from.

Will you be travelling through VA? I wouldn't mind meeting up with you and springing for a meal if you're coming within a reasonable distance.