Katy Trail Forum

Hey all,
I've been looking for an adventure for my week of layoff (June 7- 14) from work and this caught my attention right away.
Now, I have some concerns... I'm not an experienced biker, I'm not a fit athlete, and I'd be doing this alone. On the plus side... I'm ready for an adventure, I'm young (25 male), I've been backpacking (the real kind), I have the time, and I'm stubborn enough to do it!
Either way, I'm inexperienced and that could bring up problems. So, I'm looking for any and all help! I'd like to bike the entire Katy Trail. Can you help me?
Can you point me to resources on how to pack for a trip like this? What to pack? What to expect? Bike advice... I'd have to buy one this week (under 1k in price preferred, mountain bike) Where to drop off my vehicle and how to get back to it (shuttles sound like the way to go for this?)
I know this may sound naive but I have to start somewhere... Thank you for helping me figure out this adventure!

Too much to reply to here, but you can call me at The Rendleman Home (click Bluffton above) and I'll be glad to answer questions and offer some more resources for help setting up your ride and finding a good bike.

1. Don't buy a mountain bike, buy a light hybrid or a road bike that can run wider tires and has braze-ons for a rack.
2. Get a rack and panniers to put your stuff in. Pack what you need.
3. If you're camping, pack light. Don't camp on the trail.
4. Then just do it.

If you're going to do the Katy next week, you might want to pack a big inner tube -- for flotation purposes! Just kidding, I hope the flooding subsides. I agree that a mountain bike is a lot of extra work for the Katy; but you should buy for whatever purpose you are going to use it long-term, not just for one particular trail.

Thanks for all the advice guys/gals. I'd like to use the bike in the long term as a trail bike but you're right... a mountain bike isn't a good fit for the Katy Trail, maybe a compromise on hybrid to fit my other interests. I'm going to the local bike shop after I leave work to get some advice on that front.
Doug, thanks for offering to let me call. I'll take you up on that hopefully later this evening if I get back at a decent time.
I found the post on flooding and that's unfortunate. Maybe my trip being a week out will allow enough time for flooding to subside and I'll just have to worry about debris. My eyes will be open for more information on that!
Thanks to everyone that helps out on this site!

Sorry I didn't get a chance to call you yet Doug, busy bike/equipment hunt day.
Possibly found a bike. Test drove 3 of them
1) 2013 Giant Revel 0 29er
2) 2013 Rockhopper Specialized 17 29er
3) 2013 Cannondale Trail SL 4 29er
All seem to be nice bikes (many things I have yet to learn about) but the Rockhopper seemed to feel the best to me. I'm leaning towards that one when I go tomorrow to pay and pick out. I'll do some more researching tonight and let you guys influence my decision if you'd like :)
Do you guys have any suggestions on other equipment? I'll post what I find online after I look in a little while.

Do any of you have suggestions on places that I really should stop at?

Are you camping or staying in hotels / B-Bs?

I'm hoping to do half and half. The camping gear is coming along but I really want the experiences of a B&B... never been to one! Plus, since I'm doing the trip alone it'll be nice to see people.

To Dennis Weber






You'll get lots of advice but it seems to me if someone will take time to find out more about what you want to do would be the best one to listen to.

If your around the 100.8 marker; Mckittrick Mo.
you may want to take a peek at the town of Hermann. Filled with great architecture and character. Try to stay away from the grease fried food. They also having camping. I would rather camp in Blufton if it is available at Doug Rendletons place or nearby. Check out the Merck in Mckittrick and see the effort of the town to be a better place to live or visit.

Rich Lauer

It is 6/4/13, you are planning to start, 6/7/13, and the river is high. Read Dawn's comments about flooding, then plan around that. Hopefully the water will be down by then. But maybe not. In Rocheport I've stayed at the SchoolHouse B & B, and the Katy Trail B & B Bikefest. I recommend both. In Hartsburg I've stayed at the Globe, great place. The other B & B in Hartsburg also gets good reviews. I think they also have some camping in Hartsburg. For Jeff City, I live here. The Cliff Manor has just re-opened, and will be a great place to stay. The Briar Rose B & B has also gotten lots of good feedback on this forum. The bike/pedestrian bridge is not accessible now due to flooding. But if you could get close to Jefferson City both of those B & Bs and some of the motels may be willing to provide shuttle service. The Baymount Hotel, and Truman Hotel also have provided shuttle service in the past (before bike bridge was built) and the Doubletree. If you can get to Jefferson City, and due to flooding had to stay here an extra day or so, there's neat stuff to do. The capitol is incredible, there's tours of the old MSP (Missouri State Penitentiary), our downtown has interesting places to eat, it's very walkable and enjoyable, if you are ok with biking on hills, you could investigate the older part of town on your bike. And most importantly go to Central Dairy for ice cream. Call our CVB for info. Now, further down the trail, I've stayed at Rendleman's B & B, Doug is outstanding, cooks you dinner and breakfast. And he can give you a lot of information about biking the trail, as he cooks. Now, if water is high, he may have his hands full dealing with that. Water may not get in his house, but he helps his neighbors who do have water issues. I've stayed at the Little House B & B in Marthasville, it's great, but you get the whole house, which you may not need. I've stayed at Country Inn in St. Charles, it's a hotel right on the trail, I like it a lot. My best advise is call asap

Cathy,Jeff City
If your ever passing 100.8 Mckittrick stop by the Merck and see the renovation the got us on the National Register of Historical Places.
It would be nice to meet yet another informative rider.

Rich Lauer

My comments are based on several trips across the KATY from Clinton to St. Charles... Hope they're useful.

If you want a 29er for other uses...that's great. You can certainly ride a 29er on the KATY but those big nobby tires are total overkill on the KATY. You'll work harder than you need to in my opinion.

I've had nice stays and good service at:

Lococo House in St. Charles
Dollhouse B&B in Rhineland on more than one occasssion
Vinchester Inn in Hermann - more than one stay. Very basic, but clean and unless there is some festival going on...pretty cheap by Hermann standards
Globe in Hartsburg. Marvelous lady who owns it. Very, very gracious person. Stay was fine, but you should only stay there if you like cats. I don't, so won't return.
Casino in Boonville - probably going to smell like smoke even if you ask for non-smoking. Depending on the day you can sometimes get a decent rate. Can't beat the convenience.
Comfort Inn in Boonville. Long ride from the trail. Pretty rough condition compared to most Comfort Inn's that I've stayed in.
USA Motel in Clinton. Used it several times. Basic and a bit dated, but clean and I don't think you can beat the price. Also close to the trailhead.

Lots of great places to eat along the way. The only place I really don't like is the Trailside Cafe in Rocheport. I have been there several times and have had mediocre food and bad (even RUDE) service every time. After several attempts, I'm done stopping there even though it is right on the trail. There are just too many options to put up with bad/rude service in my opinion.

I don't camp at all on the KATY so I travel light. A change of clothes for the evening/restaurant that gets worn every night since I only have it on a couple hours. I wash out the bike clothes when I check in and they're fresh and clean and ready to go the next morning. A tooth brush/toothpaste. A jacket. A tire

Thanks Cathy. Water is down here and just a few muddy spots on the trail. 94 still under a few feet about 100 yards west of me. I haven't done much to help neighbors this time other than a parking lot and place for us all to visit. And have a fish fry. Just wade over and pick up the one you want to eat.

IL central, you're a young kid just wing it... but seriously Anon and Cathy's B&Bs are the best advice. Go light, no 29 unless you want to float off into a creek or the MO and hit the hotels and B&Bs and I guarantee, you will be KT hooked and back this summer again.

I think the 29er is a very versatile bike. Mine is full rigid and will take just about any tire made, you don't have to use wide nobby tires. I use 32c touring tires on mine for the Katy.

I agree with MidSouth. My touring bike has 29er wheels: I have 700c x 28, 37, 40's, and 1.9" knobbies that I can put on it for whatever suits my ride of the day. There REALLY isn't a lot of difference between a rigid 29er and a hybrid bike--not even weight if you buy a quality 29er. If it's comfortable, and allows you to bring what you want to bring, and do what you want to do, go for it.

Also, the bike style of choice for people who do things like The Tour Divide is a hardtail rigid 29er mountain bike with a straight bar and an aero bar bolted on. I prefer drop bars for all day riding, but many people who go a lot further/spend more time in the saddle than me prefer flat bars with/without aero bars.

Anyway, the point of this little blog is that you can put different tires on any bike and make it, in many ways, a totally different beast that fits your needs.

Come and try out the new historic Haysler House Bed and Breakfast Inn. We have had several Katy Trail bikers recently, and they have all enjoyed the experience. Check us out under the B and Bs on the Trail, or under the Towns and Services.

Three questions. Any problems from the flooding going from Boonville to Jefferson City? Is the pedestrian bridge to Jefferson City open or under water? Can you get across with a trailer?

Latest trail condition here: http://mostateparks.com/advisory/60601/flood-and-storm-damage-closures-katy-trail-state-park

Last weekend there was flooding at many points between Boonville and Jeff City, hopefully it has subsided

I have been trying to find out the exact same thing as it appears that the river is down and it has been a week since the flooding but still appears that the trails are closed in these areas. We are coming on Friday and really wanted to do this section but as backup will do the Boonville to Sedalia as it appears this may be clear. If anyone has confirmation that the section between Rocheport and Jeff City are open I would greatly appreciate the info.

Is the trail open and in decent shape between Clinton and Boonville?

Just did the sections of Sedalia to Clifton City and Pilot Grove to Boonville yesterday. Ther are a few rough spots but mostly covered with twigs and small branches from all the recent storms.

Gary,

Is Clifton City to Pilot Grove open. Earlier post from Dawn said there was a wash out in that section. Riding from Boonville to Sedalia on Friday.

Ron, I have not seen any posts from Dawn that said there was any washouts in that section of the trail - if she did, then I would follow her advice. The only reason I did not do that section was that the group I was leading wanted to ride the flat parts of the trail (east of Boonville) but since those were flooded at several places and they did not want to do any "hills" I skipped the Clifton to Pilot Grove section.

Just checked the state parks site, it list several downed trees and a washout but that the trail is open in that area. You will just have to slow down and maybe walk your bike around the washout and downed trees. It's possible they will have have the trail fixed in that area by the time you get there.

The number listed is disconnected. Anyone know if this place is still open?
Thanks!

yes it is open and the food is great there number is 573-676-3119

River's Edge Campground and Riverfront Bar & Grill are two different places.

I know it's off topic but does have anyone have a tip on lodging near the Tunnel Hill State Trail in Illinois? Would prefer to stay near trail but wouldn't mind biking a ways if the ride was decent. Not much info out there.
Thanks.

Vienna Illinois has motels only a few blocks from the trail with restaurant in those blocks. Also a really cool bar just east of the town square. Haven't been there in several years but I know the motel and restaurant are open. Harrisburg at north end has quite a few too. We stayed friday night there, rode to south end and back up to Vienna on Saturday then sunday back to Harrisburg. VERY scenic.

Where did you stay in Vienna? I can only find one, Limited Inn.

It's been several years ago when we rode the Tunnel Hill and as I recall, we stayed in a motel at the highway intersection just east of Vienna the first night. It was nothing fancy, but served its purpose. Probably was the Limited Inn but I don't recall that being the name at the time. It was under construction and kind of a mess. Parked the car at the trailhead and left it overnight without any problem.

From the trailhead in Vienna we rode south on the trail through Karnak and to the Cache River Wetlands Center and then back north to Harrisburg. There were several more options there and stayed at the Comfort Inn which sits right near the trail. Pondarosa restaurant was within walking distance and really hit the spot after riding.

As Doug said, it is very scenic. We've planned on going back in the fall and haven't made it yet but have it on the to do list.

Just did this trail for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Wow, the scenery, especially close to and south of the tunnel, cannot be beat. Vienna is a neat town to visit, but the lodging options are mostly in Harrisburg. If you like the Katy, you will love this trail.

Does anyone have an update on the trail closures between Rocheport and Herman? Also, need to transport 5 people and bikes back to Rocheport from Herman anyone know of a good reliable service?

Does anyone have any experience riding the trail on a recumbent? What are the uphills like?

Thanks.

There really aren't any uphills on the trail. I think the elevation changes a bit between Clinton and Booneville somewhere, but gradually. Once you go east of boonville, it stays the same elevation and even gradually drops just a hair. There are a couple of small "humps" in front of a few creek crossings. If you get stuck on a detour, then you will reach some severe uphill climbs. The trail is an old railroad path, so it is really flat. One of the BnB owners we stayed with on Friday night said she has been seeing more and more recumbents and trikes. One disclaimer....we only rode as far east as McKittrick.

I ride a short wheel base recumbent and have logged hundreds of miles on the Katy with no issues. I don't have any issues with climbing hills with my recumbent that are all that different from climbing hills with a diamond frame bike. The recumbent on the Katy is marvelous because you are in such a good riding position to view all the beauty that make the Katy such a great place to bike!

I have ridden a short wheel base 'bent before. I found it hard to ride when the trail is soft since the small front wheel had a tendency to sink more since you sit directly over it. Also I it seemed to me that the steady climbs into Pilot grove takes longer on a 'bent than on a regular bike.

Thanks for your comments.

Every year after our ride I put some of the photos in a blog post and like to share it here since I like to look at other's experiences as well. Hope you enjoy it.

http://www.houghfamilyblog.com/katy-trail-2013/

Awesome, thanks for sharing.

I never tire of looking at KT pics and reading about the rides. Great job and thanks!

Great pics + your captions were too funny! I like your sense of humor. Thanks for sharing.

How easy is it to get from McKittrick to Hermann? Is there a bicycle trail from the Katy trail in McKittrick to Hermann MO?

The shoulder along the highway is wide making an easy ride to Hermann. The bridge has a bike lane so there are no worries there. The village idiot in McKittrick may try to tell you that it's like riding in the Sahara ,Mojavi or some stupid line like that but it's an easy ride and worth the trip to Hermann.

VERY EASY!

Does anybody know if the State of Missouri or somebody has put a power sweeper on that wide berm so people can ride. Two years ago there was so much stone, pebbles and trash that my riding partner and I had to ride on the road the two miles in and out of Hermann back to the trail.

We just rode on the bridge yesterday from the trail. It was nice and clean. As a person who hates hills too, I can say it was an easy ride too. Just a slight hill.

It is a short hop for most; about 3 miles from campground with facilities. Last year with temperatures zooming around 120 degrees on the asphalt for quite a stretch; at the end of the day for weekend warriors I thought it was like the Mojave Desert. I have had the pleasure of meeting over 400 travelers from the U.S. and around the world in the last year. I have never known or met anyone with the name Anonymous. I guess it' French.

Rich Lauer
TheMerck.com