Accommodations in Boonville
- + We're looking for clean at a reasonable price. I see the bad comments about the Days Inn. How about the Comfort Inn or Super 8? How far are they from the trail?
Discussion started 06/11/2012 01:38 PM by careyr - 4 replies (last reply by ArkyKenny at 06/13/2012 12:57 PM)careyr from Nashville TN on 06/11/2012 01:38 PM
We're looking for clean at a reasonable price. I see the bad comments about the Days Inn. How about the Comfort Inn or Super 8? How far are they from the trail?
Anonymous on 06/11/2012 02:39 PM
The Comfort Inn is probably 1/8 mile or so to the east of the trail. Google maps may give you a better idea.....it's just a short ride through the moble home mfg's property. We've stayed there several times because of proximity to the trail.
sharonbikes from Kansas City on 06/11/2012 07:16 PM
I suggest the Holiday Inn Express - it is close to the Comfort Inn (take the same spur off the Trail) and it way nicer. I have stayed there many times and have always been pleased. I stayed at the Comfort Inn once ...then went back to the Holiday Inn Express.
Comfort Inn from Boonville on 06/13/2012 12:35 PM
We would like to welcome you to the Comfort Inn. The katy trail runs driectly behind our buildnig so you dont have to go far. We have guest laundry, indoor pool and hottub. We also have hose and faucet located on the front of the building for you to wash off your bikes. We do offer a full hot breakfast every morning and coffee 24/7. We look forward to seeing you! Please feel free to check us out on choicehotels.com Thanks!
ArkyKenny from Farmington, AR on 06/13/2012 12:57 PM
I have stayed at the Comfort Inn a couple times and recommend it. In addition to easy access from the trail via a spur on the west side of town, they have a "Handicap Suite" on the groud floor that makes it easy to bring your bikes inside. They also have a free shuttle to the casino (crab legs on the buffet for me, thank you), easy access to a nearby truckstop, and a hot tub. Good place if you're not going for a B&B type place.
Riding the State from KC to West Alton
- + After completing a ride of the entire trail, I am curious about riding the entire STATE. Seems like it would be about 75 miles of road riding from KC to Clinton. Has anyone done this, and is there a r...
Discussion started 06/12/2012 11:06 AM by Jimmy - 1 reply (last reply by Ray (webmaster) at 06/13/2012 05:54 AM)Jimmy from St Charles on 06/12/2012 11:06 AM
After completing a ride of the entire trail, I am curious about riding the entire STATE. Seems like it would be about 75 miles of road riding from KC to Clinton. Has anyone done this, and is there a relatively safe and or flat route from KC to Clinton? I'd like to avoid the major highways with no shoulders.
Ray (webmaster) on 06/13/2012 05:54 AM
I hope someone posts suggestions - there are no "perfect" ways to get there but there are options. This topic has come up several times. You can see past discussions by clicking "Use tags to filter" at the top of the forum page. Then click the Kansas City checkbox (second line from the bottom) and Apply Tags. Scan through these forum comments, and you'll find some discussions of routes to KC.
Mokane Market
- + I had a great experience at this store. My 7yr old son is a car nut and the owner invited us to his car show the following day. He took myself and my son to his house up the road and showed us his r...
Discussion started 06/12/2012 11:51 AM by Craig Parson - 0 repliesCraig Parson from Fort Madison Iowa on 06/12/2012 11:51 AM
I had a great experience at this store. My 7yr old son is a car nut and the owner invited us to his car show the following day. He took myself and my son to his house up the road and showed us his race car and horses. Rick is a great guy and he will get my business every trip whether I need something or not. If I would not have gotten stranded by Davidson Transportation I would have backtracked as planned to his car show.
Wineries
- + My sister and I are biking the trail this upcoming summer, and were going all the way to Kansas City. Any suggestions on a great winery/wineries that we should stop at?
Discussion started 05/08/2012 05:02 PM by Jenna W - 8 replies (last reply by rich lauer at 06/12/2012 10:03 AM)Jenna W from St.Louis on 05/08/2012 05:02 PM
My sister and I are biking the trail this upcoming summer, and were going all the way to Kansas City. Any suggestions on a great winery/wineries that we should stop at?
Trek on 05/08/2012 06:41 PM
In Augusta you should stop at Augusta and Montelle. They both have some very good award winning wines. In Hermann, Hermanoff, Adam Puchta, and Stone Hill....Puchta has the best wine, Hermannoff the best atmosphere on the patio, and Stone Hill has the best tour. Rocheport has a nice view from the A-frame at Les Bourgeois and their bistro is a good place to eat, with a view also. There is newer winery on Main Street in Boonville......nothing fancy, but if you can't make it on to KC and need to stop this is about the last one.
Jim from St. Thomas on 05/09/2012 07:55 AM
I'm a big fan of Motelle but there is really no good way to bike there. Most of that section of Hwy 94 is very curvy with no shoulder.
Trek on 05/09/2012 09:59 AM
Thats true Jim...maybe when the new building is built? Maybe it will be more accessable.
Jim from St. Thomas on 05/09/2012 04:08 PM
I wasn't aware that they were moving. Where will the new building be located?
Trek on 05/09/2012 04:44 PM
I stand corrected. Last summer when we were at one of the sunset dinners at Montell, we heard about their plans to build at 94 and T highways for their Augusta winery not Montelle.
rich lauer from mckittrick on 05/30/2012 08:09 PM
There are lots of wineries in Hermann, across the river from McKittrick. If you stay at Joey's Birdhouse in McKittrick she will either give you a ride into town or you can hire the limousine service to pick you up at the B&B take you around to all of the wineries and back to the B&B for only $15, an amazing bargain.
Anonymous on 05/30/2012 08:50 PM
Can you suggest some wineries rich or is this just free Birdhouse ad night? Maybe the free range eggs are just too intoxicating?
rich lauer from mckittrick on 06/12/2012 10:03 AM
I feel like Mr. annoy is stalking me. First one must decide how far to ride! If they decide to come to the winery country in Hermann thet must come within 500 feet of Mckittrick. We offer information to all travelers. My preference is Adam Pauchta for best all around wine. Just a note. We support the trail and you may view some of the ways at themerck.com Thanks Rich
lodging in St. Charles
- + Three of us guys need lodging close to the trail. Looking for something with three beds (a rollout would work). Just some place cheap to crash for a night. Any recomendations?
Discussion started 05/11/2012 05:19 PM - 6 replies (last reply by rich lauer at 06/12/2012 09:47 AM)Anonymous on 05/11/2012 05:19 PM
Three of us guys need lodging close to the trail. Looking for something with three beds (a rollout would work). Just some place cheap to crash for a night. Any recomendations?
Roughing It on 05/12/2012 08:13 PM
How about some sleeping bags in Frontier Park?
rich lauer from mckittrick on 05/30/2012 08:12 PM
We have a B&B in McKittrick, right on the Katy Trail, Joey's Birdhouse. Three people in the room, not a problem we have twin beds and a comfy Queen air mattress.
Tommy from St. Louis on 06/01/2012 09:12 AM
Rich Lauer, you are bordering on spamming with your posts about Joey's Birdhouse. C'mon, McKittrick is a 60-mile ride from St. Charles. I am pretty sure if people are looking to stay near St. Charles that they would rather stay in one of the hundreds of hotels in that area.
Anonymous on 06/01/2012 09:34 AM
Check out Lococo House or something like that. They worked something out for a group of us one time that was fair.
Anonymous on 06/01/2012 10:43 AM
It is rather annoying to see someone hawk stuff on every darn post like it's remotely related. That's enough to make me avoid the place.
I doubt that two "free range eggs" for breakfast after sleeping on a K-Mart air mattress (Queen size to boot) would be a life changer worth riding 60 miles for.
rich lauer from mckittrick on 06/12/2012 09:47 AM
While reading comments I missed the fact that the location was St Charles location only. For that i appologize. However mr. annoy ; when people ask for inexpensive housing along the trail, we are available. The k-mart air mattres is used for overflow. One room has a 4 thousand dollar murphy bed; the other twins; both have kitchenets and we have never given 2 freerange eggs The guest book has no record of you staying or visiting Mckittrick. We are new on the trail and the only investor in town. to see who we are visit the Merck.com My phone number for additional comments Thanks Rich
DNR Ride Size?
- + I'm going to be on a tour along the Katy at the same week as the Department of Natural Resources Ride. Although they ride East to West, I'll be coming from the West to East.Will I run into an overwhel...
Discussion started 06/10/2012 04:39 PM by Ben - 2 replies (last reply by Gary at 06/11/2012 08:43 PM)Ben from Hillsboro on 06/10/2012 04:39 PM
I'm going to be on a tour along the Katy at the same week as the Department of Natural Resources Ride.
Although they ride East to West, I'll be coming from the West to East.
Will I run into an overwhelming group of bikers?
SJK from Saint Louis, MO on 06/10/2012 09:26 PM
I have been on this ride and there will be around 300 riders, at most. However, I would not worry about them slowing you down significantly if you are coming from the opposite direction.
Gary from Near Tebbetts on 06/11/2012 08:43 PM
You will know when you meet them because you will see more than the normal occasional biker coming from the opposite direction but I wouldn't say it will be overwhelming.
Deon's Bar & Grill (Pilot Grove)
- + We were here on the 27th of Oct. Terry was great and the food was really good. Thanks for being so nice to us Terry, Mary and the girls from Hawaii, Ca. and Col.
Discussion started 12/06/2009 11:18 AM by Mary - 1 reply (last reply by Matt at 06/11/2012 06:30 PM)Mary from Wheatland Mo. on 12/06/2009 11:18 AM
We were here on the 27th of Oct. Terry was great and the food was really good. Thanks for being so nice to us Terry, Mary and the girls from Hawaii, Ca. and Col.
Mary from Wheatland Mo. on 12/06/2009 11:18 AM
We were here on the 27th of Oct. Terry was great and the food was really good. Thanks for being so nice to us Terry, Mary and the girls from Hawaii, Ca. and Col.
Matt from St. Charles on 06/11/2012 06:30 PM
We ate here on 6/8/2012 and had a great experience. They have an awesome shuffleboard table, good food, and reasonable prices. This is a great place to stop at!
Matt from St. Charles on 06/11/2012 06:30 PM
We ate here on 6/8/2012 and had a great experience. They have an awesome shuffleboard table, good food, and reasonable prices. This is a great place to stop at!
Road Bike Tires For the Trail
- + I have ridden the trail end to end several times on a hybrid with good comfort taking in all the sites with flora and fauna. I'm wondering about a little faster pace road bike with Specialized Roubaix...
Discussion started 06/06/2012 10:04 AM by DSD - 9 replies (last reply by DSD at 06/11/2012 11:45 AM)DSD on 06/06/2012 10:04 AM
I have ridden the trail end to end several times on a hybrid with good comfort taking in all the sites with flora and fauna. I'm wondering about a little faster pace road bike with Specialized Roubaix Armadillo Elite 700x23/25c tires this year. They do have kevlar lining. The bike is pretty high end carbon frame (may be too light for the rougher parts?). I have seen teams on the trail last year with road bikes. If you don't mind I would like to hear from those who have ridden the trail with road bikes comments primarily? Thanks.
Anonymous from St Louis on 06/06/2012 10:23 AM
My wife and I always ride the Katy on road bikes. However we are riding aluminum not carbon frames.
Anonymous on 06/06/2012 11:37 AM
Carbon fiber too light for the rough parts? If you think it is too light in weight for the rough parts of the Katy, you may want to just slow down a bit. I doubt that carbon fiber is too light in construction for the Katy. Isn' that the benefit of it? Very tough and durable, but light in weight?
Gary from Near Tebbetts on 06/06/2012 12:30 PM
Carbon fiber, aluminum, steel can all put you in position for serious injury if you are going so fast you can not stop for an automobile crossing the trail.
Now that the tree and brush cover is thick, it is diffifult for a driver to see you on a bike blazing down the trail. Please slow down and enjoy the scenery.
kevin from Jeff City on 06/06/2012 01:48 PM
Ditto Gary. Slow down for intersections and keep an eye out for maintenance vehicles.
Anonymous on 06/06/2012 02:34 PM
I've gone end-to-end on a carbon fiber bike and 25mm kevlar-belted, flat-resistant tires with no problems....not even a flat.
Obviously - common sense at intersections and common courtesy with other trail users is always important NO MATTER THE BIKE.
While there are rude "fast" riders....In my history, some of the slowest riders can be the most clueless in terms of trail etiquette.
Etiquette and common sense have very little to do with bike/tire choice.
Jim from St. Thomas on 06/06/2012 03:27 PM
I guess the key here is what DSD considers a faster pace. If you're looking at 14 - 16 mph there's no reason to switch from your hybrid - a hybrid will easily handle that pace. I get a little nervous over 16 because of the possibility of rocks, sticks, squirrels etc. on the trail. Also, trying to stop quickly on loose chat is always an adventure. On the other hand if you're just itching to ride your road bike on the trail, go for it.
Trek on 06/06/2012 06:41 PM
I'm not sure what you consider high end, but although we do ride it, I'm not really fond of riding the Santana on the Katy when it's been real dry and dusty. Limestone dust between rims and brake pads, and in the chain and gears can't be all good at any pace.
Billy from Mokane on 06/07/2012 03:55 PM
Ditto-Trek,
I hate the limestone build up and I can get a good build up in the dusty summer time. I would never take my high end road bike on the trail. Stick to my Trek 7.7fx Hybrid. I love this bike for the trail.
DSD on 06/11/2012 11:45 AM
I do appreciate your comments. I've ridden the trail with a Trek FX7.3 many times with very good results. No flats or problems at about a 14 mph pace. Just was wanting to kick it up a little with my Specialized Roubaix SL2 carbon Dura Ace at maybe 16-20 mph (on flat straight-aways)for a 2-3 day full trail ride. It's about 15-16 lbs an I'm a little larger so the "too light" comment was made. I do slow down for gates, crossings and any other trail traffic but you are correct about control on the loose chat. The dirt and dust comments are good too with build-up for gears and brakes. I may take both and alternate bikes. Thanks.
Katy Roundhouse
- + Our small group stayed at Katy Roundhouse on our MDA ride this week. I was so impressed with the site and the owner that I'm planning a short trip with my grandkids this summer. It's a nice facility a...
Discussion started 06/09/2012 08:49 PM by Dave - 0 repliesDave from Kansas City on 06/09/2012 08:49 PM
Our small group stayed at Katy Roundhouse on our MDA ride this week. I was so impressed with the site and the owner that I'm planning a short trip with my grandkids this summer. It's a nice facility and it is literally ON the trail. The owner is very accommodating.
Type of bike
- + We Are so confused as to which type of bike to ride the Katy trail with. Will be doing it at the end of this month and have had opposite opinions from a few people. Any recent experiences out there?
Discussion started 06/05/2012 09:03 AM by C-squared - 5 replies (last reply by Brett Dufur at 06/09/2012 09:20 AM)C-squared from Tucson on 06/05/2012 09:03 AM
We Are so confused as to which type of bike to ride the Katy trail with. Will be doing it at the end of this month and have had opposite opinions from a few people. Any recent experiences out there?
Billy from Mokane on 06/05/2012 09:27 AM
First, ride a bike that you have had for awhile and feel very comfortable on.Seen people borrow bikes and end up with a miserable experience. Second, highly recommend a higher end hybrid with 32 tires.
Anonymous on 06/05/2012 10:38 AM
Don't panic over it. After many miles on the KATY, I believe there are many, many, many options for bikes and tires...all of which could give you a wonderful experience.
The suggestion above about comfort is critical!
In my opinion - any tire from 28mm on up is just fine. I personally don't like anything over 32mm (as suggested above) because I find tires wider than that slow and cumbersome - and unnecessary - on the KATY.
So...that's my 2 cents.
But seriously....don't stress to much about it. The KATY is too fun to stress out about it.
Can't wait for my next trip end-to-end...coming up the end of the month!
Enjoy!
kevin from Jeff City on 06/05/2012 01:32 PM
What kind of bike do you have? That'll do. If you've got a mountain bike, tourer or hybrid you'll be fine. If you have a single-speed, you'll be fine. If you have a road bike, you'll be fine (just watch out for ruts, especially near driveways).
Wider tires are better at absorbing some of the roughness of the trail. Both of the previous suggestions on tire size are good!
Just make sure the bike feels comfortable. And remember to smile and have fun!
Anonymous on 06/07/2012 05:20 PM
I rode the Katy in Sept. of 2010 on my low end road bike and had no problem . I am planning to ride it again this summer on the same bike.I agree with the comment to just chill out and do not over think this and enjoy the ride.
Brett Dufur from Rocheport on 06/09/2012 09:20 AM
For end-to-end rides, I am all about the recumbent. I typically have to rent one, but it is worth it. I find it gives you a lot less pressure points compared to my mountain bike. I've ridden w/ people on hybrids, heck, even road bikes. All bikes are capable of doing it. Just give yourself the maximum number of riding positions (handle bar extensions) to mix it up and keep from getting sore from one riding position. If you're riding something unusual, bring a number of extra tubes. Have a great trip!
Looking to rent a recumbent trike?
- + I can find "BIKE" rentals, but I'm looking to rent a recumbent trike - any ideas?
Discussion started 06/07/2012 01:55 PM by Spinner - 3 replies (last reply by Brett Dufur at 06/09/2012 09:17 AM)Spinner from DFW on 06/07/2012 01:55 PM
I can find "BIKE" rentals, but I'm looking to rent a recumbent trike - any ideas?
Gary from Near Tebbetts on 06/07/2012 08:44 PM
Recumbent trikes are reletively expensive - similar in price to high-end road bikes so I doubt you will find anyone willing to rent one out. Good luck.
Michael Rodemeyer from Hartsburg, Missouri on 06/08/2012 10:52 AM
You might try the Cycle Depot in Jeff City. Mark and Pam might help you. They are great folks to know and are very friendly.
Brett Dufur from Rocheport on 06/09/2012 09:17 AM
The last 2 times I did the DNR Katy Ride, I rented a recumbent from Trailside Cafe & Bike Rental in Rocheport. 573-698-2702. At the end of the week, after riding the whole trail, I was amazed -- I had no neck pain, no wrist pain, and was still sitting down (no pressure points!)... That being said, I can't remember what it cost, but when you look at how it improved the quality of the experience it was worth its weight in gold. Future end-to-end trips will be on a recumbent for sure. My mountain bike end-to-end trips tend to turn into a painful last day or so! Just can't give you a thumbs up big enough on your idea. And P.S. I had ridden a recumbent for about half a block before trying the whole trail... no training needed! :) Good luck!
availability of water
- + A friend and I rode from St. Charles to Machens and back on a 95+ degree day. Be sure to take all the water you will need with you as there is nowhere to get water after you leave the St. Charles area...
Discussion started 06/08/2012 02:52 PM by Lisa M - 0 repliesLisa M from High Ridge on 06/08/2012 02:52 PM
A friend and I rode from St. Charles to Machens and back on a 95+ degree day. Be sure to take all the water you will need with you as there is nowhere to get water after you leave the St. Charles area.