So excited for you my friend!! What a great thing to pursue. I fully believe you will make it to the Pacific.

What feelings do you have today? Is it all jumbled, or peaceful, or something else?

Jeff,
I have two friends that live in Henderson and I will be seeing them as I cross through western, KY. I may end up staying in Sebree for the night

Have a great trip! I live fairly close to the route, in Henderson, Kentucky. (I did the TransAm in 2006, when I lived somewhere else, and coincidentally ended up living near the route years later.)

I always recommend to TransAm riders that they stay at the First Baptist Church in Sebree, Kentucky. They have very nice cyclist-only lodging for bike tourists.

PS,
As you probably have heard, you will be chased by dogs in Kentucky. But it's not really that big of a deal :)

Go Dave! Best of luck!

Brian

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I have been working with several different prostate cancer specialists for the past 6 weeks and should have a treatment plan decided upon before my departure. Modern medical science is wonderful and there has been great advances in prostate cancer treatment in the last 10-15 years.

I know that the "C"word is frightening. I also know more than I'd like to about prostate cancer. You will be fine, and I'm happy that you are going to do the tour. Crazy though it may sound, cycling actually helps to slow down prostate cancer - no kidding. That's especially true with cycle touring, because you spend 5 - 8 hours each day exercising on the bike. It's a long convoluted explanation, but it's real - too much detail to get into here - I will either do a long post later or include it in the intro section of my next journal - suffice it to say that you are doing the right thing by training and then undertaking this tour!

One other source that may be even more valuable to you if you hadn't already discovered it; https://www.cycleblaze.com/forum/255/ has some stats and other info about the Transam route.

I'm with you on the lycra. I wear a padded liner under regular shorts, and the shirts you have pictured are similar to mine.

Have a great trip, and be sure to stay at the Spoken Hostel in Mitchell, Oregon. It's an amazing place, and you'll end up staying 2 nights.

Have a great ride! I'm from Central Illinois, lived in Carbondale 1973 to 1978. Rachel

I read all the intro material, will be interested in following along. You may benefit from reading parts of the epilog of my Transam journal (link provided in earlier comment), especially the statistics and advice to others sections. The Transam is a demanding route, but quite doable for a determined individual. Best of luck,

Just my opinion, but; you don't need the water purification tablets. In places where you might run short on water there is none water to purify. YMMV of course.

Looking forward to following along - the Transam was my first major tour and has been the highlight of my limited touring career to date (https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/buddy/) . Oh, FWIW, I managed to get lost several times despite having the maps and a smartphone gps system - but that's just part of the adventure!

Of all the rotten luck! Sorry to read the news Dave.

Heal fast and completely then have a great tour next year.

Happy Travels
Racpat