Katy Trail Forum

Looking to purchase a new e-bike in the early Spring. I've not owned one previously. I'm not interested in an on-line purchase. I've done quite a bit of research. I have a shop in mind. Models I've researched are: Denago; Specialized; Giant; and Aventon. I ride quite a bit. I'm looking for a pedal-assist. I ride the KATY mostly and I've seen all of the aforementioned models on my rides. Anyone have any first-hand knowledge? Mid-drive vs. hub-drive seems to be the wild card. Thank you.

I bought a Trek ebike last year and love it. I live in the St Louis area and bought and had it shipped from a shop in Ashville NC because they had the one I wanted. The dealer said you can't go wrong with a bike from what he called the big three, Trek, Specialized and Giant. I have a Bosch hub motor which would always be my choice over a hub drive. But I'm not sure it matters that much. FWIW, Yamaha is getting out of ebikes in the US and has some great deals right now. I was very close to buying a Yamaha but backed off because their dealer network is weak to non-existent for ebikes. But they make great bikes with good components. You might want to look into those and maybe talk to a LBS about taking care of it when needed.

We purchased Specialized Vado 4.0 bikes and love them. They have enough oomph to pull my 260 lb. body and full paniers up the nastier parts of Jeff City with only a small effort. We've never pulled the battery down too far, but we feel we could get an honest 80 miles out of a charge (my wife could probably get 90),

But, they have a pedal assist up to 28 mph and that makes them Class 3. I have read that some trails are outlawing Class 3 E-Bikes so you may want to check up on where you like to ride. I'm not sure what kind of enforcement may be out there, but I'd hate to have my trip cancelled part of the way through.

We reached out to the shop we bought them from and they did a firmware patch that limits the pedal assist to 20 mph and Specialized is sending us stickers that proclaim them to be Class 1 E-bikes. Honestly, I'm not going to go above 20 mph on gravel so it's no great loss.

Go with one of the big three so that you can find a bike shop dealer that HAS to work on it. Lots of shops are refusing e-bikes.

Bought one a month ago from a local shop. Service after the sale is part of the deal. Thanks everyone for your input.

What is the typical weather like in April for the state of Missouri? Plan on riding during the 3rd week of April.
Thanks in advance!

It's Missouri. There is no "typical" weather. It has snowed in April. It has rained in April. It has been hot in April. It has been cold in April. We have a saying here: "If you don't like the weather, wait a few hours. It will change." I'd look at the weather 10 days in advance.

Be ready for some rain. Be ready for some cold. Be ready for some heat. Be ready for a dusty trail. :)

I'd be pretty surprised if you didn't get some rain.

I have had the pleasure of staying here multiple times, and each experience has been outstanding, thanks to the welcoming town. During softball nights, concessions are available, and the nearby bar/steakhouse and convenience store, situated just south of the ballfields, offer alternative options. The facilities are well-appointed with showers, numerous AC outlets, picnic tables, and a large carport, seems like last time I was their a firepit was handy, When arriving at the Marthasville trailhead, the ballfield and carport are visible to the south. In contrast, the caboose camp, located just down the trail, has left me with an unfavorable impression. Don used to be the man to call for the stay, he has retired good news you now can still call the friendly volunteer staff, the phone number is posted on the bathroom doors at the pavilion, or ask around in town. September 2024 (5.00 a person)

Thanks for your suggestions, Gary. We are staying the night in St Charles, then finishing out to Machens and back to Black Walnut TH the next day before heading back to NE Iowa with the KATY experience under out belts! We will probably take your suggestion to get off at the TH in St Charles and work our way back to the hotel.
Ann

Thanks for that information! My bigger concern is there a spur/sidewalk that leads off the trail to the streets to get to that hotel area? In a lot of places the view from Google Maps looks like there is construction, private property, weedy ditches, etc. Has St Charles, or the KATY trail management made an access point in that area?
Thanks
Ann

I was just figuring you were ending your ride at the St Charles Trailhead and it’s a small town vibe in that area and taking Main Street from the trailhead area would be less traffic and straight forward ride. Have you tried doing a navigation from the trailhead to your hotel using the bicycle mode of transportation selected and see what it shows you?

Hi,
Wondering how difficult it is to get from the KATY to either the Comfort Inn or Hampton Inn on S 5th? Our 1st Choice, Country Inn right in Old Town does not have rooms for our night. Some Google Street Views seem to show an access from the trail to Main Street, near where the trail goes under I-70. Others, do not. So, I am not sure what I am seeing. There will be riders, two of whom are not comfortable with street riding, so I am hoping we can get to the hotels by walking our bikes on sidewalks to one of these hotels.
Thanks,
AB from NE Iowa

I would use Main Street to go to your lodging, 5th street is the main entrance and exit for I70 and can get congested depending on when you go through there.

I would like to ride the Katy Trail in September. Will my road bike with 28mm tires work on the trail?

They should, but the type of tread is important. Katy is made up of packed chat that can become muddy and slick in places after a rain, which can happen in September. I would recommend tires with good overall traction. Good luck and have fun.

I rode just fine all December on my 28 slicks. That said, when it was wet after 4 days of snowmelt, trail was slimy and my narrow tires sunk in and became quite slow, but totally doable. So I would say 28 is fine, but minimal. It might also help that I don't weigh barely a buck and a half..

Your 28 tires might be doable but sink in the trail. People that follow you when the trail dries out will curse you for creating ruts. Bad karma will follow you. But hey, it’s your choice.

If you weigh 300lbs, then 28mm tires won't be too great. If you weigh 85lbs, you're good to go.

Planning our first trip. Initial thought is to go round trip. Retired so time is flexible. Any suggestions we should include as we plan?

We've done numerous out and back trips on the Katy.

It seems to be a completely different ride on the return trip seeing the landscape from the opposite direction.

Round trip or out and back eliminates the need for transportation back to the start point.

Time is in your favor....relax and enjoy the ride without having rigid deadlines to meet for transportation, etc.

Would recommend starting in Clinton and going west and returning to Clinton via Sedalia. A few reasons: 1) the only real elevation change is from Pilot Grove to Boonville; west to east it's downhill. 2) During baseball season, room rates go up in St Charles, and are pretty high as far west as Chesterfield. 3) You can catch the Amtrak going back east from Washington, Hermann, or Jefferson City, so you can skip riding a lot of miles going back to Clinton. Just have to time your route. You will want to leave the train in Sedalia, and then ride back to Clinton, about 35 miles, but that is a nice ride east to west; you can always stop again in Windsor. Good accommodations (going west to east) in Clinton, Windsor, Sedalia, Pilot Grove, Boonville, Jeff City, Rocheport, McKittrick, Hermann, Washington,... well, lots more: this web site will answer most of your questions with some research. You can get car shuttles back to Clinton as well. Can't comment on camping, but there are some options. The Clinton Community Center offers parking and camping, and you can check in there and leave an itinerary. It's about 1/2 mile from the trail beginning (or end) via separate bike path. Would agree that a rigid schedule won't work too well, especially if using Amtrak. By the way, forget about weather forecasts; I've never done a trip where the weather was as predicted. You'll need raingear.

Not sure how this works: Would recommend starting in Clinton and going west and returning to Clinton via Sedalia.

Leave Clinton and go west.....trail ends in Clinton, but anyway go west and then somehow go to Sedalia and back to Clinton??

I rode East from Clinton all the way to St Charles. Then took the Amtrak train from Kirkwood, MO back to Sedalia then rode back to Clinton.

I don't know the terrain of this trail. What type of tires would be best?

The fattest tires that your bike can handle with a lot of tread or even some knobbies. I've done the trail with tires as small as 700x25s and as large as 650bx47s. The small tires were too small, and the large tires were overkill but still better than the 700x25s. I found 700x32s were adequate.

Dear Anonymous Einstein: Thanks for the communications critique, but Billy from Yukon OK figured it out. FYI: Studies have shown that 99% of forum users that use "Anonymous" are creepy uncles (or aunts as the case may be). Happy trails and good riding.

My first time was with 25mm..not a great result. I have been happy with 28s in good weather, but would prefer wider.

Hi,

My wife and I are planning to ride from Clinton to St Charles in early April - with flexible start date April 5th to the 15th. Leaning on starting early to be home by Easter.

I have all the stops and BnBs planned and will make reservations in the next few days.

I saw some posts about weather, etc from 2019. We know it will likely be cold and maybe some rain - we did the GAP last year same timeframe and survived the cold and rain and had a very good trip.

Can someone give us an update/advice about the trail in early April, including weather, trail conditions, possible trail closures, floods, businesses/restaurants closed, and any other helpful info?

Thanks!!

April is probably the worst month to travel the trail. You will likely be fine if the weather cooperates. Otherwise, deep ruts can form and freeze. I would be prepared with 50 mm wide tires. The state does an excellent job of maintaining a smooth trail but I’m unable to tell you what month the work actually starts.
You can generally navigate anything you come across, except for a flood.

If you rode the GAP in April you should be fine on the Katy. A lot of the businesses in the small towns close on Mondays so sometimes it can be hard to find a place to eat if you're picky. There is usually something like a Casey's convenience store or a bar where you can get pizza etc.

Agree with what Jim's post.

Weather info, trail conditions, closures (trail or business) is hard to predict in mid January for 3 months out. You can keep an eye on those as your ride date approaches both here and on Missouri DNR Katy Trail website. Trail conditions and closures are often posted in both places and on this forum. We tend to contact places we'd like to visit either on their website or by phone to ensure they are open and can accommodate us.

Missouri DNR does a great job of maintaining the trail. Keep in mind it is a chat covered trail across rural Missouri...a wilderness adventure if you will with small towns dotted along the path.

Happy Trails!

The GAP has a somewhat better surface than the Katy Trail. Between Boonville and Clinton there can be some large cracks usually in the middle of the trail. I recommend the largest tires that your bike can comfortably handle with tread or even knobbies. I also recommend fenders.

On the flip side, the Katy's surface is much, much better than the C&O!

Very good Mexican restaurant with large portions and fair prices. The carnitas platter and guacamole were excellent!

Agreed 100%, delicious dinner, and last June there was a great selection of cold beers, too. A pleasant walk from Kim's Cabins for us.

I also agree. I'll add that Kim's Cabins are great.

Hello,
Can anyone give me info on what effects the wet or dry lime trail had on their chain? Did you get a buildup? Did you have any problems? I’m guessing it’s a good idea to clean your chain every day. Thx!

Both are rough on a chain. If it's wet, cleaning and lubing daily might help. If dry, I'd just clean and lube it once halfway through if you're doing the entire trail.

I recommend putting on a cheaper new chain shortly before the trip. Then just replacing the chain shortly after the end. That's what I've done a few times including twice on a tandem. The tandem is like changing three chains.

If it's dusty you will get limestone dust on your chain. Probably not much of a problem this time of year. I've never bothered to clean my chain on a Katy ride, with no problems. But others might feel differently.

We ride a million billion miles on the trail and I have not noticed any crazy wear. I'd take some lube in case of rain, but otherwise, it's no biggie.

I think that the carbonates in the limestone are much softer than the silicates in sand.

Do whatever makes you the most comfortable!

I agree if you're only going to ride a million billion miles you will probably not have problems. If you ride a billion billion miles I would look at investing in one of those titanium chains.

I'd only go Ti if I thought I might hit a bajillion miles. ;)

Especially when it's wet I notice grit buildup on my chain and have had it get to the point my gears aren't meshing and things start clicking. I've tried all the major chain lubes and have found that RockNRoll extreme keeps the chain cleanest the longest. I am not the best with cleaning/maintenance so others who are more diligent probably have a better time. I use a flashlight to look over the chain after every ride. Since the lube has wax in it the chain will look almost like it has a matte finish and if it starts to look shiny or gritty/dirty I know it's time to relube.

We are looking for accommodations in August 2025. Hoping to ride part of the Katy Trail I’m looking for something quaint and very close to the trail. We may want to bike along the trail and then stay at another section of the Katy Trail. Does anyone have any information on Accommodations besides hotels?

Thanks!!

Kim's Cabins in Windsor are very cool and super clean. Walking distance to the trail. The proprietor couldn't be any more friendly and helpful. Rocheport has lodging very close to the trail, also.

This website has a lot of information on accommodations.

Have a look at the trip planner and search for lodging at the towns you wish to stay in.

White Wolf Inn
MM 105 Rhineland Mo.
contact mark at 636-359-0852

Joe's Birdhouse in McKittrick, trial side.
Happy Apples Bicycle Bunkhouse in Marthasville, very near trail.

Go to the "Trip Planner" tab, and select Lodging only. You'll get lots of choices. Drop back in if you have a question about a particular place.

Planning a trip to ride from Clinton to Machens but looking for optional routes to get me back to Clinton....any ideas welcome.

I biked into St Louis (crossing the river at Alton) from Machens and took Amtrak to Sedalia and biking back to Clinton. You can also take the train from Kirkwood.

Is sweet expressions still open. I meed to stop in on Tuesday the q7th of December

12/12/2024

I contacted one of two part-time City of Chillhowee employees for info about the Chilhowee City Park. Their phone number is 660-678-2081. I was informed that camping is free. Drinking water and Porta-Potties are available. There is a "cafe" in the city (population of about 300) with a limited breakfast, lunch items, and sandwiches,the latter of which are available in a cooler. I also was informed that there has been a dispute between the "corp", which I guess is the entity reponsible for the Katy Trail, and a private individual whose land the Katy Trail allegedly crosses over. The dispute is reportedly nearing resolution and, if so, the corp has proposed installing showers and toilets at some time in the future. I intend on camping there sometime in March, 2024 so things might have changed by then. Good luck.

Is the dispute about the KATY Trail or the Rock Island Trail? The KATY is 20 miles east of Chilhowee running through Windsor and to the southwest. I believe the RI intersects the KATY just a little northeast of Windsor. I'm not aware of a land use issue there.

You'd be referring to Chilhowee on the Rock Island Trail State Park between Pleasant Hill and Windsor. For anyone looking for the "cafe" there's a FB page Hometown Convenience Store. It would be Missouri State Parks who maintains that. Hmm haven't heard anything about improvements there but maybe we'll hear more