Katy Trail Forum

Hi there.

I'm a relative novice to cycling but trying to learn.

I need your input.

I have a bike that I really fit well on and love to ride, but I don't think it's a Katy Trail bike. It's a 2008 Specialized Sequoia Elite. The bike has 700x25 tires, too narrow for Katy. Sadly, there doesn't look to be enough clearance to mount anything beefier on there at all. Not a lateral space issue, but the brakes sit so close to the contact surface of the tire up top that there isn't room for anything else, I don't believe.

So, what I'd like to do is get another bike that is more versatile on trails. The key is, though, I'd like its geometry to be as close to the Sequoia as I can get. Basically duplicate the Sequoia in a more trail friendly version.

Specs on my current bike, 56cm or L size:

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/archive/2009/sequoia/sequoiaelite#geometry

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/archive/2008/sequoia/sequoiaelite#specs

The reason I'd like to stick close to this feel is that I've never had a bike this nice or that I fit as well before. I know it's a fairly low end bike in the big picture, but from what I'm used to, it's a Mercedes. lol.



I'm not super well versed in bike geometry to where I can look at specs like some of you and get an instant idea of how the bike is set up.

Input appreciated. My initial thoughts are something along the lines of a Spec AWOL or Salsa Vaya. Those get a tad pricey, though, but could stretch.

Thank you. Thoughts appreciated.

Matt

I have the Salsa Vaya and love it. The Kona Jake is a nice gravel bike at about $1200.

Believe it or not (and I'm a bike guy), the bike is not that important. Almost any bike that is comfortable and you like to ride will do, even a road bike. What you have will work. Admittedly, the 25's are a little skinny for my taste. Others would say the 25's are great. Bicycle demands of the Katy are nominal.

If you want to go cheap, find a 10 year old rigid mountain bike for $200, get it tuned up, put 1 1/2" or 2" wide slicks on it, a comfy seat and grips, and have at it.

I have a Vaya, and I love it. As it sits, I have $2000 in it: It is no faster (or even better....ouch)than a decent hybrid--at least as far as using it on the Katy goes (Touring--that is another story). There is a long thread on this website where I sing the praises of my Vaya. But a good hybrid will do everything you need it to on the Katy. Look at getting something like a $600 Kona Dew Plus for 1/2 the price of the Vaya, and spend the remaining $ elsewhere.

I also recommend you stay fully rigid (no need for suspension, and if you get disc brakes, stay mechanical (not hydraulic).

MidSouth,
When did you get a Vaya? I thought you were a Niner guy?

If brake clearance is the only issue, you may also consider getting some long reach brakes. Tektro make some nice dual pivots, and you could get a set for $60 on eBay.

Or, you could get a Vaya, or a hybrid, or an old mountain bike (and put some drop bars on it???), or a Long Haul Trucker, or a touring bike, or...........

Arky is right. How often will you ride the KT 2-3, or 20-30 times a year.
How many miles on the Sequoia, 200-500-1000-3000? Where do you ride it, road, trail, off road? Don't need a "mercedes" if you are just going to look at it. Vaya, hybrid, walmart special are all good for the good ole KT.

Thanks for the replies.

I ride my Sequoia as a fitness bike. I try to ride it 10 miles every morning. I plan on increasing this distance as time goes on. Compared to what I came from, it feels super efficient.

I own an old Spec Hardrock Sport mountain bike. I bought it new in the late 90's. It's a steel nonsuspension mountain bike. Right now I have it set up for trailer hauling duty to pull my daughter to and from preschool. I'm running Michelin Pilot Sport 26x2.0 tires because I've found they are real comfy on broken pavement. I never sold this bike because it's steel, in good shape, and is a good urban bomber bike when supplied with fat tires. Can pull the kiddo, my Burley Nomad, etc, for relatively short distance hauls. Not super comfy long distance, and kinda slow. It's getting dated (threaded headset, etc), so I'm hesitant to sink money into it.

When I decided to get in shape, I was riding the Hardrock on bike paths around here and some street. It's a flat bar bike, and my right wrist was giving me pain. I started riding the Sequoia and the pain disappeared. Additionally, the Sequoia feels like a Ferrari compared to the Hardrock, which feels like a truck. Most of my daily riding is on city streets in suburban Kansas City.

I could ride the old Hardrock ( in real nice shape ) for a Katy trip I suppose, but after being spoiled by the efficiency level of the Sequoia, that sounds like less fun. Not to mention, limited hand positions compared to a drop bar bike.

I guess my thinking was that over a long distance, I'd way rather be on something more on the efficiency end of the spectrum toward the Sequoia than the 'Rock. Just feels like you're getting a lot more distance for the effort level.

I live 60 or 70 miles from Sedalia or Clinton, MO, in the KC suburbs. So not real convenient to Katy it very often. But there are other crushed limestone trails around here, i.e. Little Blue Trace

You could do a lot worse than that "old Hardrock Sport" for the Katy Trail, it is not a race track anyway. That bike has a lot going for it, especially if it is in good shape. Long wheel base, steel frame, will take racks and fenders if you want, wish I had one in my small collection. If that baby fits, no doubt that I would go with it. But hey, new bikes are nice.

I'm curious, have you tried the Sequoia Elite on the Katy? Those 25's may work out fine.

Our tandem has 700x28's on it...a bit wider than your 25's. Stay in the track and out of the loose stuff and you should be fine.

Arky, yes I'm a Niner guy but bought the Vaya as a retirement present to myself last July. Now I can leave my Niner setup for dirt!

My first "Katy bike" was a 1990ish aluminum rigid 26 hardtail that I put drop bars, road shifters, and slicks on. It was great. My fancy Vaya scratched an itch for me (and I love it), but I don't know that the Vaya is any better than that old aluminum hardtail.

What makes a bike "good" in my opinion is that it is efficient and doesn't need to be constantly adjusted. Bikes from good manufactures have been that way since the 1980s. The new stuff is great, but the old stuff was pretty good too, as far as for riding on something like the Katy goes. An 8 speed rear end, a good saddle (which, for me means a Brooks), double wrapping the bars ( if the bars are drops) or Ergon grips ( if they are mountain bars), clipless pedals, etc. can make an old bike a great joy to ride, especially on a low demand path like the Katy

Then again, the new style hybrids are great, fast, efficient, fun, etc. Get what you want, but know that the one you like riding is likely to be a great one to have on the Katy..

Great feedback and food for thought from everyone. Thank you!

Any update on this issue? Read lots about it in 2012. Any problem these days?

We plan on leaving our car at the St Charles Trailhead and riding the train to Jeff City in Sept 2014. Our bikes will not be with us and we need a ride/shuttle/taxi from the trailhead to the train station. Any ideas? How far is it?

Google Maps shows it as 19 miles to the Kirkwood Amtrak station. St. Charles has a cab company.

What?? You can find distances on Google maps?

Hello! A friend and I are planning to go backpacking for a week on the Katy Trail this summer. We're thinking we'll get dropped off at Weldon Spring, head west, and see how far we get in 7 days before being picked up. Open to suggestions if anyone knows a better place to start.

Does anyone know what camping is like along the trail? Will we be able to stop every night in a campground, or could we just find somewhere off the trail in some trees to camp?

We're planning to bring 3-4 days of food and restock at either Marthasville or McKittrick, depending on how fast we hike. Any suggestions would be wonderful.

Am I correct in assuming that water is reliably available along the whole trail?

Finally, we're open to suggestions as far as points of interest or things we should try to see along the way--parks, restaurants, etc. Thanks!

Sounds like a fun adventure. First off, I wouldn't assume anything will be available during your trip. You should use this webpage (and Google) to research each of the towns you'll hike through during your trip. There are some significant stretches where nothing's available trailside. Read people's comments and even call ahead to local businesses to see if they'll be open on the day you'll be there (some businesses are closed on odd days).

I don't know what your intended pace is, but I'd probably plan for about 20 miles per day (~3 mph over 7 hours of walking each day). If you know how many miles you plan to walk each day, that'll make planning way easier.

This home page has a heading, journals and trip reports that gives accounts for thru hikers adventures. Just curious, how old are you Jacob under 30?

We stopped here for a late lunch and enjoyed the A/C and FoodTV while eating very good pork tenderloin sandwiches. The bathroom was a nice respite as it had a fully locking door so I could clean up a bit using the sink and some towels. The locals were friendly and asked questions about the trail, and the owner brought us a full pitcher of ice cold water: very nice on a hot humid day. Get the German potato salad... was killer. The gentleman running the place said the owner's daughter has a culinary degree and came up with the recipe. The place is also a convenience store so we were able to stock up on Gatorade.

Would this place happen to have a name?

Was it in Sedalia? Give us a clue.

My friend and I are planning our first Katy Trail ride next weekend and the forecast is RAIN. Can anyone give advice on how the trail holds up in wet conditions? We are riding Hermann to St. Joe over a 2-day period. Trying to decide if it's worth it or if we should postpone. Thanks!

I would never put off a ride because of the chance of weather.... The trail will get softer during the rain and for just a few hours afterwards but then it normally dries up pretty quick.

I'm assuming you mean St Charles and not St Joe. Hermann to St Joe is a pretty good trek for 2 days........

I would rather ride the eastern end of the trail after a rain than I would the western end. I find it to be firmer (I assume because of significantly more use) and I think it "holds up better" after rain. Just my 2 cents.

I agree with others - I would let a forecast keep me away. They're just wrong too often.

On the 'Chance of Rain', I'm with DC & El Toro. The rain and thunderstorms that have been forecast for the past week didn't happen here or anyplace I was. Maybe someplace there was a shower or two, but we can all live with spotty showers and some of us like to ride in it, it changes up the day.

Just "be prepared", and "go for it"! "Throw caution to the wind" and "enjoy the ride".

We rode in light rain for some 30 miles last weekend. The riding was really not bad at all and actually quite fun, but just make sure you have sufficient dry clothes so you can dry out. You will also get dirty, gritty and such. The trail generally holds up quite well though will get soft in spots.
I agree, never let a weather forecast stop you.

Agree with others above that rain is not that bad. Consider fenders, a shower cap on you helmet, plastic bags over your socks and under our shoes, and a garbage bag with a hole cut for your head (to make a bike poncho) for wet weather gear. Put dry clothiers and important items in a plastic bag before you pack them, and you should do fine.

Thanks for all the encouragement. We are going to GO for it, rain or shine. And I did mean Jeff City, not St. Joe. That would be one hell of a ride in 2 days!

Also, anyone ever camped in Hermann? The hotels/B&B are outrageous there!

Hermann has a nice campground with showers in the city park, for $15.00 I had a covered picnic table with a overhead light, electric and water. It located next to highway 19 so will have some traffic noise.

If you don't want to camp in Hermann you might look at Joey's in McKittrick. Just a suggestion. Have a very blessed day! Enjoy your ride!!

Hermann to St. Charles is not a big distance even if it does rain. There are plenty of temp cover areas, trailheads, businesses and the trail is pretty hard and drainable in that part. Like the experts Arky and Hank say just take some protective cover and dry clothes wrapped up and it will be good.
Rain is part of the trail. If it is hot and humid you will welcome it. Happy Trails!!

The bar and grill up the hill from the trail at first appeared closed but the side door had an open sign. The burgers were good and they have a little refrigerator filled with soda, Gatorade, and energy drinks. Very glad we stopped! The staff was friendly; the locals looked a little bewildered by us.

The grocery/general store was a great find, even if the staff seemed a little, hm, I guess the best word is standoffish, about cyclists. It was great to get a refill on Gatorade, and the place still had some breakfast sandwiches which appeared to be made on premises. Just east was a shelter run by, I think the VFW; an older gentleman who was measuring for the construction of a VFW memorial monument was very friendly and said, "be sure to tell cyclists coming through they're always welcome on my property!" We used the shade of the shelter to repair the rear wheel of my buddy's bike. He said that cyclists would be welcome to set up a tent in the shelter if the weather was bad, and that later in the day his place, a raised trailer converted to a restaurant, served food (we came through at about 9AM). Great stop.

My husband and I are casual riders (and I mean CASUAL) of a tandem bike. We love it! We are out of shape (actually we have never been in shape) but have a few days alone this July and would like to ride some of the Katy Trail one way, staying at overnight accommodations along the way. We have been training and are planning to also train for this by riding our tandem bike fully packed several times a week, and one (for us) long ride per week. We will have four days on the trail. I hope for us to start each day at dawn (literally) and knock off when it gets hot (by ten or eleven am) and then have a long lunch and bum around town in air conditioned places until we can check into our room. Which section of the trail has the best combination of the following factors: ease, beauty, shaded trail, and short distance between towns with overnight accommodations? We are absolute beginners, middle aged, not in very good shape, and hope to arrive at our room feeling good enough for some ROMANCE. Which section of the trail would you do? Please help!

From St Charles to Hermann and Jeff City to Boonville has the most "riding action" for your post trail "riding action".

I want to ride from St Louis to Downtown KC for a company meeting. For you Kansas City riders, what is the best route from the Katy Trail to downtown KCMO? Leave at Boonville and take state roads west? Or ride to Clinton and take state highways north?

Company won't reimburse a flight, rental car, or train, Woodrow?

I haven't done it yet, but I'd be apt to ride the shoulder of US-50 from Sedalia. I have ridden as far as Warrensburg on US-50.

We'll, I could drive, but riding a bike wins for me the admiration of young children and REI sales clerks. Thanks for the info about highway 50; i will give it a try.

Good luck and let us know your experience. If I ride to Sedalia before you, I'll let you know mine.

P.S. Don't feed the trolls (or use an apostrophe inappropriately).

REI sales clerks, sounds motivating.

Ride the Katy Trail to Sedalia and hop on Amtrak into downtown KCMO!

"...riding a bike wins for me the admiration of young children and REI sales clerks..." -- Woodrow
That there made me smile & LOL! :-)

I rode from Kansas City to the Pedaler's Jamboree and back this year. From Lone Jack to Sedalia, I rode on US-50. Eastbound, 95% of the way, the shoulder was wide and rumble strips provided comfort that the cages stayed to the left of the white line. Westbound, it was more than 99%. The worst of the ride was MO-150 East of Greenwood. There were several trucks passing us on this twisty, hilly, 2-lane, no shoulder stretch of road. I recommend the use of a mirror for this type of riding. My current favorite is the Take A Look Cycling Eyeglass Mirror.

So Paul the single day KT ride time record was broken last fall. I believe under 14 hrs? Are you up for the challenge this summer?

WOW,,, under 14 hours, that is averaging 20+ mph. I will be happy to go 10 mph next week on my trip on the Katy...

I planning to take the train from Kirkwood to Sedalia on 9 June, but I read on Amtrak's website, due to construction on the tracks, that they will be transferring everyone to buses at Jeff City. Has anyone experience this with Amtrak? I'm worried about my bike being shoved into the bottom of a bus. thanks in advance.

If you read carefully, you'll note that this schedule change does not apply to your proposed travel date. Furthermore, only the morning trains are impacted.

"Effective on Friday, May 16 through Tuesday, May 20, 2014; Sunday, June 1 through Sunday, June 8, 2014; and Monday, June 16 through Saturday, June 21, 2014"

My wife and I completed our first Katy Trail trip last week. We're recreational cyclists and made it a leisurely trip, with 38 miles as our longest day. This website was a tremendous help. Here are some of the highlights and recommendations:

1. Rendleman Home B&B in Blufton. Doug was a great host, a good cook, and just a blast to talk to.
2. Katy Junction B&B in Pilot Grove. Jerry is the new owner. He was very friendly and made us a cook-to-order breakfast. He has plans to improve the home and make it even better.
3. Katy Trail B&B in Rocheport. The Jefferson room was very comfortable. The do-it-yourself continental breakfast had a very big selection. This is a great location and Tawnee was very nice. We walked to the A-Frame at Les Bourgeois for a bottle of wine and a some food. This was a good option for a Monday when most restaurants are closed.
4. Mokane Bar and Grill. Terrific burgers for lunch.
5. Cooper's Landing. They put together a beef brisket sandwich for us that was huge and delicious. Friendly people there too.
6. Bike Stop Cafe in St. Charles. Tony hooked us up with rental bikes which were perfect for the trail. We had a couple of flats but had everything we needed to fix them.

A couple of tips to share with others planning their first trip:
--Don't run over large stick on the trail if possible. There are 3-foot snakes that look like sticks. One poor man dislocated his shoulder when he ran over a real stick, got it lodged between his spokes and his fender, and wiped out.
--The views are wonderful, but be careful not to drift off the side of the trail while looking around If you have panniers with 20 - 30 pounds of gear, it would be easy to lose control if you drift toward the bank at the edge of the trail.
--Stand up for a few seconds as you reach each mile marker. It feel good to stretch your legs and gives your butt a break. Doug Rendleman gets credit fo

Bruce, I could tell you are a newbie to this trail ride stuff. But enjoyed your travel log. No snakes in Gilbert my man? Got to keep your head down on the trail to avoid moving sticks. Your butt must be pretty soft to stand up at each mile marker. Thanks for your comments. Come back ya hear!

Way to go Bruce! Sounds like you and your wife enjoyed your trip on the Katy. And, thanks for your input, it's helpful to all of us.

But man, I gotta ask, what does Doug get credit fo ???

I really appreciated the ccomments by Bruce from Gilbert. I'm headed that direction on a road trip back to Illinois. I rode the Katy Trail from Sedalia to St. Charles in late September 1997 with my daughter who was 11 months old at the time. She was in the Burley bike trailer. We stayed at the B & B's that would allow a kid. Doug Rendleman's was one of them back then, Also stayed at the Globe Hotel in Hartsburg which was still recuperating from the 500 year flood on the MIssouri River. Camped out one night in Frankline at the Katy Roadhouse campground. We didn't have a tent or even sleeping bags but they rounded up enough stuff for us. Hottest, muggiest night ever in late September with no breeze. Glad when the humidity subsided We had a good trip. This time I'll just be parking my SUV in one town, probably Franklin and camping and doing day rides for a couple days. This trail is a treasure. If I lived in the Midwest I'd be on this all the time. Hey, and I've eaten at the Mokane Market. There was a lady who was 92 when we went there and she made us the sandwiches on the day they were closed. She was a real sweetie, but obviously has passed away by now. My folks grew up in Missouri and I was born in Springfield, though our farm was in Republic. I appreciate the folks along the trail. And all this wining about water. OMG. Some of these riders need to be better prepared and get a life. You'd never survive a mountain bike ride in Idaho, that's for sure.