Looks like the Surly Long Haul Trucker will be the bike for our trip! It's seems to be the bike of choice for long loaded tours, and was recommended by almost everyone we talked to. We've been working with Clay at BayAreaBikes,  who has been really helpful in choosing the right bike and gear for the trip. Right now we're working on ordering the right size frames, and then we will fine tune the sizing when we get out to Oakland.
So the plan is to bike across the U.S. from San Francisco, CA to Fairfield, Ct. I (Joe Ruscito) will be riding as well as my friend Luc Gubinski, and we plan to start in California on the 6th of August. We are doing it as a great way to see the country as well as try our best to help Simply Similes, a Charity based out of CT. We are being supported by our main sponsor, a great bike shop, out of Oakland, CA, Bay Area Bikes. Check out their site www.bayareabikes.com. Attached is a map of our tentative route, mainly consisting of Route 50. More info to come soon. If you would like to help support Simply Smiles please visit our donation page at http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/080711/bikingacrosstheusa.