For the curious, here's some of the best long-distance cycling journals I've come across:
Chuck/Charlie, a 23ish year old IT consultant rides down the east coast, west to California, then north to wherever he ends up. I think he snapped something in his head a ways back.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/conq
Jamie, 25 year old line cook rides the TransAmerican route and down the Pacific Coast to San Francisco. He doesn't come off as real likable, but his skill at relating his trip improves drastically.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/jamie2006
Neil Gunton, founder of CrazyGuyOnABike. A really good journal.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/neil98
It's 1986 and Dave is 20, he's riding across the country, this is his journal and commentary from 20 years later. Excellent.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/Tuz1986
This one is by a middle-aged guy from France (one parent was British the other was French) who makes it to Kansas and has to pack it in due to an injury. It's one of the most charming and readable of the journals, and probably my favorite.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/2189