Have fun! I've never done a supported or a group tour, although sometimes while traveling solo I'd meet up with people and travel with them for a day or two. But I'd always extract myself quickly--I liked the freedom of going at my own pace and setting my own agenda for the day. I'm generally not a loner--I love my family and group of friends and enjoy traveling with them at other times. But on my bike, I'm happier alone!

You'll probably want to decide in advance if you want to just play things by ear each day or set up a schedule and determine where you're going to stay each night. I always liked to set my schedule a few days at a time and then call ahead for a bed (I was staying in hostels). If I didn't have a bed for the night I'd try to arrive at my destination by 3 p.m. in case I ran into problems finding someplace to stay. And of course you'll want to be pretty adept at fixing the most common mechanical problems with your bike if you aren't already.

Good luck!

Sarah