Intro - Besides informing our friends and family about our adventures and maybe inspiring others to do the same, we thought it might be helpful for others to see how we planned it, what equipment we used, and how our equipment performed in real life. To prepare and make our choices, we primarily searched the internet, watched youtube videos of people who had done this and even read a couple of books.
One series of youtube videos was especially interesting. It was of a couple from Iceland (Saemundur Valdimarsson and Monika), who excitedly danced at every state line and mostly kept their humor and excitement about what they had accomplished, even when it became really tough - thank you for sharing your story! 
The five topics below were the most time consuming and difficult ones around our planning, so we decided to share them with you.

Bikes

We usually ride mountain bikes. We both have Scott Spark full suspension bikes, wide tyres, and dropper seat posts to enjoy steep hills and rough single trails. We love those bikes, and they fit us and our riding perfectly. However, we decided early in the process that it just would not make sense to do the TransAmerica trail with these high-tech carbon full suspension mountainbikes.

​Erich Uebelhardt,  a former mountain bike champion, bike shop owner in Oensingen, Switzerland and a friend of 30 years, advised us to buy new lightweight and reliable gravel bikes when we approached him with our plan last year.
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The Awson Selva 03 bikes we ride for the TransAmerica are made by a small company in Nidau, Switzerland. They are reasonably priced and thanks to Erich, were customized to our needs. For example, we installed additional brake levers on top of the handlebar, got gel bar tape, a shorter stem and additional spacers to have a more upright and comfortable riding position to relieve our wrists, etc. ​​ They are very different from our Scott bikes, but they feel right, are lightweight and sturdy at the same time, and are perfect for backpacking trips like the TransAmerica Trail. They did really well during Phase 1! However, we had to replace the chains and the tires multiple times due to wear and tear, especially on the bike that was pulling the trailer.

Luggage

​When we decided to make this trip, Rolf agreed to take most of the luggage  and allow Cornelia to travel light. We also both didn't like the idea of heavily loaded, pannier-wide bikes fighting headwinds. We researched the options and were convinced that a single wheel trailer would work best for us. The single wheel trailer is really the only trailer option with the US rumble strips!
We purchased a Burley Coho XC. It is a bit on the heavy side, but it is made of aluminum, has a very convenient quick connect system and an adjustable kickstand.
​Cornelia carries her personal luggage in a Ortlieb Seat-Pack and additional small bags that fit onto her XS-size frame.
Of course, we try to keep our luggage at a minimum, but after all, we will have to carry bike clothes for different weather, some normal clothes, camping equipment, tools and some spare parts, toiletries, water and food. It just adds up!

Accomodations and Camping Gear

One question we originally had: 'Can you do this trip without camping (gear)?' And the unanimous response from our research was: 'No!'
While we still plan on many warm showers and comfortable motel beds and lodges, we also got camping equipment for all those days where camping will be the only or best option.
We have camping gear we got for camping with the family, but everything is way too heavy. We got new Spark and Flame Sea-to-Summit sleeping bags and light sleeping mats and we got a 3-person Salewa tent that might not be the very lightest there is, but should keep us well protected from wind and rain and provide us with enough space for our luggage as well.

Maps and Navigation

We often have fervid discussions about maps and navigation. Paper or Bytes? For the purpose of this trip we decided to do both. We got great maps with tons of extra information (riding conditions, weather/climate, topography, accomodations, etc.), and we got the GPS files for our Garmin Edge 1030 Plus.
We got the maps and the files from the Adventure​ Cycling Association. They are a not- for-profit organisation, headquartered in Missoula. They believe:
'... that adventure, whether small or large, can be transformative. To live a life of discovery, we must unplug, break from our routines, feel the wind on our brows, and welcome opportunities to feel awe and wonder. '
We could not have said it any better!

Air Travel

We have all heard stories or seen videos about how baggage handlers treat bikes, about broken frames, torn derailleurs and bent wheels. 
Yes, your bike and your plans and dreams are at the mercy of people you don't know and who don't know you. 
You can hope for the best and use old cardboard and bubble wrap, or you can do a bit more. We decided to invest a large part of our budget into two good bike bags. The Evoc Travel Bag Pro is not the cheapest bag, but it protects the break discs with separate compartments, the frame and rear derailleur with a base-rack and fiberglass rods, and it feels well cushioned against 'standard' bumps and hits. It can also be folded and shipped to the destination, while we are on the trail. 
We usde Icelandair for the Phase 1 destinations. They offer fair pricing on the extra luggage (€108 one-way Europe - Northamerica per bike) and their destinations include Portland OR (Astoria) and Denver CO (Beulah). For Phase 2 we will use Edelweiss with direct flights from Zürich to Denver (less probability to lose or damage the bikes, and bikes are free to transport!) and Lufthansa for the flight back (through Frankfurt).