Katy Trail Forum

Hello,

I have done some research but I am looking for update information on getting from KC to Clinton as I will be flying in to MCI from San Diego on MArch 16 and planning on arriving to St. Louis by 22nd.

Option A: take train from KC to Warrensburg. Ride to Clinton via MO13 or county roads

Option B: There have been rumors of connectors from Lees Summit or Pleasant Hill but I can not find any up to date info. Is that a possibility? (I saw one route that connected to Windsor. Would I miss some of the majesty by starting from Windsor?)
I have the time to ride all the way from KC but don't necessarily want to be on super busy highways if I can help it.

Any suggestions? Thanks for all your help.

It's hard to imagine riding the trail now with 25 degrees and snow, but who knows we could have a heat wave in three weeks?

If you have reservations somewhere along the trail, you might check to see if they will shuttle you from the airport to where you want to start or you might contact one of the shuttle services listed in this site.

I'm nervous trust me. I'm praying for a heat wave. Maybe I should consider bringing my mountain bike instead of my touring bike. I have a feeling I will be the first one on the trail this year.
I will look into the shuttle but I am hoping to ride as much as possible. The Amtrak to Warrensburg is only $13. I don't think a shuttle could beat that price.

I will bumb this in search of more info about a connection from Lees Summit or Pleasant Hill.

KCMO has too many HIGH CRIME AREAS and you would ride right though them. DON'T DO IT.

I live in Windsor, right now the trail is covered in snow, impossible to ride on, but you have some time. The ride from Clinton is absolutely beautiful in the summer, because of the trees and pasture land, but during the winter and early spring, you really won't miss much. If you catch the train to Warrensburg, you can ride several ways to Windsor without a lot of traffic, but there will be virtually no shoulder to ride on, you'll have to watch carefully. If you have any questions about this area, you can email me at neumanns@embarqmail.com. I ride the trail between Clinton and Sedalia frequently. Was planning on riding 200 miles last week, but the snowstorm ended those hopes. I ride a cyclo-cross bike on the trail because the tires are a bit wider. The trail gets soggy when wet, and we've had about 14 inches of snow sitting on the trail for a week now.

I've been on the Katy in late winter/early spring. As mentioned above, the trail gets very soft when the ground starts to thaw. It makes for a tough, slow ride, especially if you are running narrower tires and are fully loaded. The connection from Plesant Hill (or Lees Summit) to Clinton via the Rock Island Corridor isn't complete. MO13 is pretty narrow, no shoulder, and high tractor trailer traffic. I've ridden it a couple of times. Doable but a little nerve racking. If you can get from the airport to South KC, Hyway350 is a good route that will take you to Sedalia where you can pick up the Katy. When I leave from home to ride the Katy, that's the route I take. Give me a shout if you would like to discuss it more.
Jharte

Luke: Rock Island Trail State Park (what you're referring to) isn't officially/fully open. The best bet you'll have until that happens is coming in via Amtrak to Sedalia and then riding down to Clinton and back (to see the whole trail).

Luke, I am checking with my boss (wife). IF, she doesn't mind me taking a riding day, I would like to ride the Clinton end of the trail (which I have not yet done). If this plan works out, I could meet you at KCI and transport you and bike to Clinton, then ride a bit of the way up the trail with ya (unless you're gonna go fast). Not sure this plan is going to work out for us, but if it does, what time will you be getting to KCI? It's almost exactly 100 miles from the airport to the trailhead in Clinton.

Luke, The Boss is working the morning of the 16th, so I am free to go riding.. assuming you are arriving at KCI at a relatively early time in the day. So, Send me an email if you wish and we will work on hooking you up with a ride to Clinton.

I was wondering how the trail conditions are from McBaine to Rocheport. Snow covered? My husband and I have to take our daughter to Columbia next Tuesday the 12th and thought about riding on Wednesday to kill time until we have to pick her up in the evening.

Maybe I will try back this weekend and someone will have some info.

I know its not too close, but I just rode a small junk from Weldon Spring to Matson and it was like riding in cement most of the way. My whole bike and shorts were covered in mud and there was some slushy spots where the snow was still on the trail. It may have dried up some though

Hello, my wife and I are planning on riding the Katy. She has a Trek Hybrid/comfort bike with 700x30 (close to that) tires that have smooth tread in the middle with the knobs on the outer edges. I have a mountain bike with 26x2 tires (specialized captain tires, not overly aggressive). Am I going to have issues with 26 in wheels as opposed to 700c or 29r, and is 2in to wide? Should I also think about putting a fully treaded tire on my wife's bike? We will be doing the section between Booneville and Hermann. I am wondering about keeping up with my wife and another rider who will both have 700c wheels. Thanks

When are you riding? Soon?

not until May sometime

I have ridden both 26 x 1.5 slicks and 700c x 37 wheels on the Katy. I think the 26 tires, for me anyway, are a mile or two an hour slower than the skinny tires on the hard surface. That surprised me because we were running fully loaded at 12-14 mph on a flat, hard surface, and at that speed, I didn't think the difference would be that great.

If you are a stronger rider than your wife, you can use that difference to make you the same speed, but if you are the same speed, you may want to get the same speed bikes.

I have a Trek hybrid and have ridden slicks for several years. Currently it has Michelins with an inverted tread. When they come off I'll put slicks back on. Our tandem also has slicks on it. I couldn't think of any reason that I'd want to put a tire on with more tread. The slicks have less rolling resistence and work well on pavement as well as railtrail surfaces like the Katy.

Based on my experience, I don't believe you will have troubles whatsoever with tire width.

I always have a better time on the KATY when I use tires with great flat protection. Frankly, I have found that to be more important than the width of the tires.

Just my 2 cents.

Enjoy!

Anon, you nailed it, People on this forum always seem to be asking some version of "How skinny can I go?" In regard to tires. I don't understand that. I usually ride multi-day trips on the Katy, (so I carry 40# of stuff), and my preferred ride is a drop bar steel 29er with 40mm kevlar touring tires (Schwalbe Marathon Mondial). I run them at around 60# of pressure.

Anyway, I like the big tires because they keep me on top of the surface, they keep me out of ruts, they allow me to not cringe every time I hit debris, they don't get pinch flats when I cross over an asphalt surface, they save me when I am not paying attention and run off the trail, they keep my butt and hands comfy, and they are plenty fast. For all those reasons, I previously rode on 26x 1.5 semi slicks. (I bought those 26" tires for $12 on eBay--thick rubber in the middle, lugs on the edge).

If I was trying to go for speed, or distance and unloaded, I might think about 700x 28s. But people on the Katy, including me, generally want to cover ground, but not as fast as they can. I say go big, semi-slick or smooth in the center, and go kevlar for maximum enjoyment.

That answers alot of questions, thanks. I seem to be a bit hung up on 700 vs 26 though. I am really wanting to ride my hard tail MTB as really enjoy riding it but I am riding with two other people that will be on 700c. I know we aren't going to be flying so any thoughts on wether I could just make up for the 26 in with gearing? I just don't want to have to work my tail off to keep up

I think you're splitting hairs. You've recognized that the 26 will be slower than the 700 bike. Can you make up the difference? Depends on you. If you're really like riding the mountain bike, ride it. Has the ability to keep up with your wife been an issue? If so, why do you ride a 26? If it has not been an issue, move on. Or perhaps you could consider a tandem.....ride as captain and you'll always be ahead of her regardless of tire size and gearing.

lol, I supposed you are right. I am going to start covering some longer miles on my MTB again soon and see how it goes.

Hi Jason,

I ride a Trek Hybrid. I did a 72 mile day on the KT back in October, and had no problems. My other bike is a mountain bike, and after riding the KT, I think I would prefer the narrower tire. KT is a gravel trail and therefor offers more rolling resistance. The added resistance of fatter tires would be more of a workout, which I need, but won't inflict upon myself.

I'm a little late to the discussion, but I would say that the difference between a 26" and 700C on the trail is negligible if you are on a recreational ride. The trail is flat, so you have to crank all the time no matter what. If your riding partner is going too fast, she just has to crank a little slower to let you catch up.

Since the trail is crushed limestone, there's squishy, gravelly parts here and there, along with ruts and cracks, so wider tires are more forgiving, but not necessary. As long as the tires are not worn out you won't have much of a problem.

I am a walker, but would like to ride the Katy Trail. Would a Mobo Triton 20" recumbent/trike (3 wheel) bike be a good bike to use for a trip like that? I am older and don't have alot to invest in a bike but thought this style would be comfortable and easy to handle. Tell me what you think because I need someone to tell me. Thanks J52

The Katy is an old railroad bed with very finely ground limestone as a surface, and occasionally crosses asphalt roads/highways that you might have to pick the bike up to deal with the height variances. I can't say I know the bike that well to tell you whether it'd work or not. Of course, YMMV depending on weather conditions and kind of tread on the tires. Your main concern will probably be more "flat protection" and issues regarding flats than whether the bike will work well.

Can you suggest a bike you are familiar with that would work well?

I looked up the Mobo Triton recumbent bicycle.

If it's the same model you have, it has only 1 speed. It looks like it was designed for just cruising around, not long trips. If you are comfortable with that, and aren't planning on many miles, then it would probably work.

I've seen people on recumbent trikes on the trail before. I don't recall ground clearance being an issue. If you see an irregular surface, just slow down and cross it at an easy pace. Of course those recumbent trikes had at least 24 speeds, which might make it easier to adjust to changing conditions.

So, if you want to ride on the Katy Trail for distances you know you can easily cover, then it the Mobo might work.

A multi-geared upright bicycle or recumbent of the 2 or 3 wheel variety would be better for long trips.

At least that's my opinion.

I also looked up the specs on the Mobo - besides the problem of only a single speed (whatever speed that happens to be) the drive wheel is in front, your body weight is on the back wheels, which I beleive will cause the front wheel to have a tendencty to slip on the gravel trail surface especially on inclines. Nice model in their add though. ;-)

Hello, I noticed some talk in other threads but just to be clear, what is the opinion on riding from Warrensburg to Clinton by bike and what is the preferred route?

Thanks

Think I've read where riders take Route-13 all the way from Warrensburg to Clinton. They might take Business-13 down to Bowmansville where it merges with State-13. Apparently, a nice 30-mile ride.

Eventually, I guess we are supposed to have a trail from Harrisonville to Clinton that will link with KT. Now if we can link Harrisonville with Johnson County KS, I can ride all the way to St Louie.

I am familiar with that section of hiway 13 and as a lifelong area resident, I would not attempt to bike from Warrensurg to Clinton. Not a safe stretch.

Agree with Tim, Raymore. I've ridden different segments of Hwy 13. No shoulder, high large truck traffic. Doable but not a very safe route.
Jharte

Thirded on the Warrensburg to Clinton via 13 with bike thing.

As far as Rock Island goes (what Figs is talking about), it's going to link in with Windsor. Coincidentally, once that's open, biking from Warrensburg down to the trail will be a snap.

2013 Katy Trail State Park (DNR) ride registration opened up yesterday! State park site has all the details. Such a great way to ride the length of the Katy with someone else carrying all your geat and SAGs along the way. Got my registration in yesterday morning! 107 days till the start :-)

Dawn and group do a great job. I rode it in 2010 but stayed in the selected hotels after a hot day of riding. The breakfast and dinners are good too plus the night time entertainment. They allow only 300 for registration so get signed up quickly.

If you're planning to participate in the 2013 Katy Trail Ride, we're fast approaching the 300 limit! We only have fifteen spots left and anticipate those will be filled by the end of the day. Register today to snag one of the remaining spots: http://mostateparks.com/2013-katy-trail-ride.

Registration has never filled this quickly before, which means there are quite a few cyclists more than ready to begin their Katy adventure this summer. We will be maintaining a waiting list for those folks registering after the 300 maximum limit is reached, in case of cancellations. For questions about the ride, you can email us at katyride@dnr.mo.gov.

Congratulations. That's very cool that its filled up so quickly.

My wife and I stayed at Harbor Haus during our Katy Trail ride in late May 2012. The location is very convenient, just off the bridge, next to downtown. The room was comfortable, and the breakfast was great.

I am planning to ride April 12-16 with one other person, and we are both first timers. Being unfamiliar and out of the area, the logistics are somewhat challenging, but I have made my plans based on what I have read on this website. I would love to get some constructive feedback from experienced riders who have first hand knowledge with the plans I describe. I have kept the daily mileages conservative, to accommodate an inexperienced rider, in case of inclement weather (you can stand anything for 35 miles, right?) and also to have a little time each day to enjoy the experience and not have to hurry through our days. We will be pulling a small bike trailer with food and water and a tent, and our first choice is to camp if weather will allow - but I have chosen a hotel back up plan on each location just in case. Ok, here is my plan: Start in Clinton, where I will arrange with the appropriate people to leave my car. First overnight stop will be Sedalia. We will camp at the Fairgrounds, or stay overnight at the Best Western. Next overnight stop will be New Franklin, where will will camp at the Katy Roundhouse, or go on to Rocheport and stay at the KT Bed & Bikefest. Next overnight will be either Hartsburg where we will camp at Volunteer Park, or go on to Jeff City and stay at the Baymont Inn. Last day is to ride to Hermann, where we will take the Amtrak back to Sedalia. I am fine with backtracking the trail to Clinton to get my car, and my companion may potentially take the trail all the way back to Independence MO, since that is where he lives and has someone to come pick him up at the station. That's the plan, so fire away! I do appreciate any guidance you can give. This is has been on my bucket list for a little while, and it is also kind of a bonding experience between me and one of my adult sons. I want us to have a great experience. Thank you.

My opinion: Clinton - Sedalia: no problem. Sedalia - New Franklin: your backup hotel should probably be Boonville, not Rocheport. New Frnklin - Hartsburg: backup hotel should be B&B in Hartsburg. There is so much to see on this day that you don't want to have to push another 10 miles to Jeff City. Then after Hartsburg, the last 2 days you have are pretty long rides, and the Augusta area is really pretty.

Thank you for your feedback, Don. I really appreciate it! I've noted your suggestions in my planning.

If you plan on ending up in Hermann on the 15th I think I would ride on in to JC on the 14th. Its around 55 miles from Hartsburg to Hermann by the time you cross the bridge.

You have a good plan Tania, complete with plan "B's" for lodging. All of these plans would work fine. I'm wondering if that last day mileage is plus the train ride back? Thinking about departure and arrival times for Herman to Sedalia. Worth double checking and making reservations (for bikes too) in advance, for sure. Good luck, it will be fun.

Thank you very much for all your comments everyone! I am thinking of tweaking things just a bit to make the riding days increasingly shorter on the way to Hermann, so that our last day riding isn't our longest day riding. I am going to work on that. Plus I wanted to say to Darrell's question, that on the train ride back, I was planning that we would take the 5:30 train out of Hermann (give us some time to spend in town before we have to head out), which would put me back in Sedalia around 7:30 and I will spend the night in a hotel. Then I will ride my bike back to Clinton the next morning. My riding partner will be taking the train all the way from Hermann back to Independence where he has confirmed that someone will pick him up at 9:30 pm or whenever the train gets in. At this point my only real concerns are trail conditions and weather that early in the season, but I see that people are riding now (!)so hopefully things will continue to improve between now and then. Thanks again for all your comments! You are all very kind!

Regarding food: one of my favorite stores on the Katy Trail is Snoody's. It is about 1/4 mile north of the Missouri River bridge at Boonville. Snoody's would be the perfect place to stop for food near the end of day two, and purchase food for day three. There are few if any places to buy groceries or prepared food between Rocheport and Hartsburg.

Ah, yes, Snoddy's -- where you can get a great deli sandwich, and buy a new toilet, some Roundup and some firewood at the same time. No place quite like it! (And you should have seen the old store -- even better).

We have a 41 ft Class A RV and I would like to find a place where we could camp and also ride the Katy Trail with our grandchildren. We have stayed at Katfish Katy Campgrounds outside of Rochport, which worked out fine, but would like to explore and find another location where we can camp and ride our bikes to get on the Katy trail. We live in the KC area and would like to find a nice place to camp closer to KC. We would like a campgrounds with water and electric utilities.
I appreciate any feedback as we have only riden the trail once.

You could try the Katy Roundhouse Campground at New Franklin. There is also the State Fair Campground, Sedalia.

Sedalia would be a good place to camp and they should have electric and water. The campground is a few hundred yards from the Katy Trail West entrance. Someone will come around and collect the campground fee.
Portland has a small campground above the trail for tents and a few places for trailers. You might have a problem getting a motor home in there