Katy Trail Forum

Anyone do this ride before? Sounds like a fun Memorial Day weekend ride.

My husband and 13 year old son are currently riding from St. Charles to Sedalia, MO on the Katy Trail. The biggest complaint is that not much (eating facilities) are open yet for the season. They have been camping along the way with a couple stops at B&B's like every other night.

Luckily, they can tank-up at the B&B's since it's hard to know ahead of time what is open or not on the trail. A real adventure for sure!

You might also check an Internet artilce at the following site: http://www.chickenup.com/gumbo-soup/cajun-okra/bicycling-how-and-where-to-chow-down-along-the-missouri-katy-trail.htm

I did not do the organized Peddlers Jamboree ride from Columbia to Booneville but did happen upon the group last year on a ride from my house to Rocheport and rode on in to Booneville to see what is was like. The park in Booneville has places for people to set up their tents and there are hotels close to the park. They have a band playing in the evening (this year it will be the Ozark Mountain Daredevils) and, of course, they have drinks, food and souvenirs for sale in the park.

I like "interpretive displays" because I don't have all the names memorized. I was told that there was a "prairie" exhibit near the Klondike Campground or Dutzow. The countryside transitions to prairie west of Boonville, and I have seen a few "prairie conservation areas" south of the trail near Cole Camp.

I bought the Katy Trail Nature Guide from Pebble Publishing.

I plan to tour the whole trail in May. I would expect that there is dazzling nature on display all through the route at the many wetlands and woodlots. I rented a bicycle and rode the trail for two days ten years ago. Thanks

Best prairie examples are western end of trail, from Sedalia to Clinton. As I recall, some of the RR rights of ways were the only bits of prairie preserved when the land was plowed up for agriculture, and has been restored with fire to many of the native plants. It's been a while, but I believe there are some interpretive signs along that section. Every trailhead has a nice display board put up by DNR with info about interesting natural or historical features on the next section.

If you are really interested in seeing the natural areas, you might want to take a detour to the Eagle Bluffs nature area near McBaine. There are lots of gravel roads there, so it wouldn't be easy on a road bike, but I think a hybrid or mtn bike would be okay.

Hope this helps. The trail will be beautiful in May, and you should see plenty of wildflowers and bird life, if nothing else (oh, and probably lots of snakes and lizards sunning themselves in the trail!)

A few years ago the state was working on a "prairie" just south of Sedalia off Hwy 63. Its not the KATY trail but it is a little bit left from the "old days".

In response to the Sedalia area it is called "Paint Brush Prairie" it is 74 acres of natural wildflowers , etc.. It is 10 miles south of Sedalia on 65 highway on the east side of the road. It is marked with signage

Railroad corridors were never plowed so they remainded as prairies. The railroad would burn the grass so that it did not grow trees. Or so I read. Thanks, Michael, Linda, and eht.

I am planning a mid june trip from. Clinton to Machens, and wondering how long I should plan to take? I saw one reference for six days, and another round trip in eight days. How long do other riders take?
Thanks to all responses.

Depends entirely on your fitness. Keep in mind that Mother Nature enjoys mixing it up which means you may find yourself riding through driving rain on a water-logged, achingly slow trail. That can add hours to your overall time. I am a fit female rider, mid-40s. I rode Clinton to St. Charles in four days then came back the next year and did it in three. The four-day trip was definitely more enjoyable as there are interesting towns and Lewis & Clark markers scattered all along the trail. Trying to get in 75+ miles AND take in the sites is pretty damn hard. I would recommend four or more days and if you're going through to Machens you'll have to double back the 13 miles to St. Charles as there are no services in Machens.

Join us on the DNR ride June 20 - 24 Very well organized! Meals, camping, SHOWERS, sag stops, etc. Plus bus transportion back is available.
Longest day this year is Thursday with 68 miles

hi i rode to sedala and back to clinton, a nice 69 mile trip. trail in good condition.

Jules - tell me more about Machens. I plan to ride from there to a bike shop to get my bike boxed and shipped. Feasible, or will I still have to go back to St. Charles ?

David, there is absolutely zip in Machens. Just a trailhead and the trail ends in the middle of farmland. If you didn't want to double back the 13 miles to St. Charles you could make your way by country roads a few miles to Portage Des Sioux which does have a post office but I'm not sure if they have a bike shop. I would recommend you call ahead to make sure they have the proper shipping supplies you will need. Use google maps and you should be able to get directions. Good lick!

I should add if you're planning to eat ice cream, then good lick. Otherwise, good LUCK. Ha!

Jules - thanks so much for your info. I'm going from end-to-end. I'm pretty fit for a 50-year old guy (ha), but 3-days is hardcore! I'm going to pace myself for 5-days, travel light, and enjoy the trip. thanks again.

Sounds like you have a good plan. A friend and I rode it last year in 3 days. No time for siteseeing and parts of the trail were closed and/or rough due to recent high water. We still had a GREAT time. Enjoy!

My wife and I rode Clinton to St. Charles at a leisurely 6 day pace last June, also rode various sections again during the summer and fall. Leaving solo Apr 30th and plan to ride Clinton to St. Charles in 3 days. Ride St. Charles to Machens and back on the 4th day. Then ride St. Charles back to Clinton in 3 days. My wife thinks I'm nuts!

I've called Steamboat Junction's campground number several times now, on different days. I don't get an answering machine or anything, it just keeps ringing. Does anyone know what their hours and days for answering the phones are? I can't remember that. Or are they out of business? Please Help!

My friend emailed them and finally heard back from them as she is planning our trip in May. They are still in business. You can email them - steamboatcamp@att.net

Hope this helps.

I emailed them around the time you posted this. Just got a response back this morning, so apparently they are just opening for the season. You may want to call on a weekend since they're most likely open then.

I also got an email reply from Sandra at Steamboat Junction within an hour today.

I am a local, and my wife and I often go to Cafe Bella for a treat. The cafe is run by a mother/daughter team, who serve the most delightful and delicious food. The menu is usually limited, but the items on the menu are excellent. The atmosphere is quaint, and you feel like aristocracy from the 1800's when sitting inside, or like a tourist in Italy when on the patio. There is a good choice of wines to choose from, and the desserts are just as good as the appetizers and main courses. Highly recommended. 5 stars!

Did our firt ridw across the new bike/pedestrian bridge yesterday. It is pretty narrow and has a lot of pedestrian traffic ie; families with small children on it now so be prepared for sudden stops to avoid the little ones. Hopefully they will put signs up at both ends with the "rules of the road". The ramp on the north end is pretty easy to come up but it does have square turns. I don't know if you could make the turns with a tandem - someone will have to try it. All in all a big improvement over what was there.

I read in the paper that they made the ramp square, instead of rounded, so bikers wouldn't race up or down and run over walkers. I guess from your comments it works as planned.

Big improvement over what we had before, but I agree that people need to do a better job keeping their kids reeled in.

I love this bridge.

Sorry if this is an old topic, went through ~100 subjects without seeing any similar topic. Couple of us will make the Clinton to St. Charles ride the first week in May, taking 5 days, ~ 50 miles/day. I'm no stranger to long rides, have done RAGBRAI and other long rides but always on pavement. First time on the KATY surface although I've done several 35 mile training rides. My local bike shop has two opinions on tires, both riders/advisors have done the entire cross state ride multiple times. One says keep my 35MM knobby tires, the other says change out to 28mm slick tires and the ride will be far less effort. Any advice out there? Lets assume decent weather with only one wet day. Thanks in advance

Knobbies aren't necessary on the Katy. I've ridden slicks for several years on my hybrid and they work fine. The tandem has 28's on it and they work well...as always, watch for the track and stay in it. I'd go for the 28 slicks over knobbies anyday.

Full knobbies not needed as Trek says, they would be slow rollers for sure. Have Hutchinson Acrobats 700x37 on the Hybrid, they work well. Have Vittoria Adventure Touring 700x32 on the touring bike, they work even better. Neither of these tires are slicks but are fairly low resistance tires. I furnished the names of the tires for reference to see what they look like, other brands have similar tires.

The Katy is for the most part hard packed, but softer in the center and to the outer edges.

Great feedback, thanks Trek and Darrell. Bobbee

Time Saver Tip of the Day:

If you are looking for a specific topic - go to the Katy Trail Home page, click on the Search the web site link, type in your topic in the google search box, click the BikeKatyTrail.com button and then click the search button.

It's a lot quicker than paging through all the comments looking for what you want.

Are pets allowed to accompany a walker/runner as long as they are on a leash and their waste is cleaned up?

Yes,exactly as you said--on leash, and cleaned up after!

I have been a spinning instructor for the past 8 years and am finally

taking the plunge to get legit with a "real" bike. My goal is to ride

the entire Katy Trail in the fall 2011. Please advise on best bike, and

gear to bring along. I plan on trying to bike it in 2 or 3 days at

most-and to stay either motels or b&b's on the way. Will be with a

seasoned biker friend. And advise on how to train would be great too.

Thanks.

You have plenty of time to gather complete info needed. This site has most of it; study well. Read the FAQ and Ride/Run/Hike reports for details, also the safety and weather issues.



Cyclocross, hybrid, or MB w/quality cruising tires and extras tubes work well. Midweek (Tues-Thurs) is very good for lodging and food then. Build yourself up to century riding. Carry energy food, extra water, camera.



The whole trail can be done in 3-days easily, 2-days with extra effort if in shape.

The best bike type would be either a hybrid or a road bike with at least 700 x 28 tires on it.



Travel light with a multi-tool, a couple of spare tubes, and a patch kit just in case. Carry a couple of water bottles and top them off at every opportunity so you don't run out. Not all trailheads have running water.



Depending on how you break the trip up, I'd do a less expensive motel stay instead of the B&B. You probably won't be at the nights destination long enough to warrant the extra dollars just to sleep. I'd want to leave early in the morning too, which would eliminate an important element of the B&B. Treat yourself at the back end of your trip when you have time to relax and reflect on the good times you had.



Train by riding the bike with the saddle that you are going to ride the 200 plus miles on. Legs and lungs are important, but if you can't stay in the saddle you won't put too many miles behind you.

Everything said above and maybe think about utilizing Amtrak for your transportation. Only takes you as far as Sedalia, but if you want to ride all the way to the end of the trail(from Sedalia) it can be done as extra 35x2 mile out-in-back. Personaly, I'd not even do that section unless you just feel the need to ride the entire trail.



And Monday is a bad on the Katy if you need supplies. I've found many businesses are closed.



Happy Trails, Paulie

You have the biggest thing about riding down. Many "legit" cyclists take spinning classes to try to improve themselves (specifically speed/cadence), and if you've been teaching it for 8 years, you're way ahead of the curve.



The best bike for the Katy is as the others say, a hybrid or road bike, but consider the other riding you wish to do (road, harder trails - the Katy is basically flat, cyclocross?) as well as the kind and weight of the gear you wish to carry. Different terrain has different demands on gear, as well as whether you plan to camp or just light travel. My suggestion is to also get a professional bike fitting if possible (i'll explain why later).



As I see it for other issues, Trek hints well at one of them. Learn basic maintenance well (fixing flats, adjusting brakes, and your handlebars and seat), and carry the necessary tools you need to do these things on your rides. Nothing sucks more than to be 5 or 10 miles (more on other rides besides the Katy) away from civilization and have no way to get help other than to hike the rest of your day out. It's just a fact of life - it will happen and eventually you will need to deal with it. You need to learn how.



The only other factor that will concern you is the long ride times. You are like already ahead of the curve *somewhat* in conditioning, but a long ride is more like a marathon than a sprint and you will need to learn how to deal with those. This will include seat time of those long durations to condition your muscles and backside to be used to it. As well, you will learn whether the fit of your bike is good or not (see above). Your bike may be fine in the first 30 minutes, but even a small error in fit will show up in 4-5 hours and can be very painful.

(continued)



The other conditioning thing to learn for long rides is nutrition, both during the ride and after. You can be physically fit and able to handle a long ride, but kill your chance of success by poor nutritional choices during the course of the ride. This will take some experience to work out your needs, but generally it involves getting the right amounts of food and water at the right times.



If you can get hold of a MS-150 ride prep guide, it will give you more information on long distance riding as well as some training tips. Also, read up a little bit on logistics and planning for long rides (in general). This site will be a useful resource on the specifics of the Katy.



Also, feel free to ask if you want to know anything else. There are plenty of folks here with the kinds of experience that will be helpful in making your "transition" a success.

Wow! These guys know what they're talking about.



Let me say each section of the trail has its own select quality or voice, all worth experiencing at one time or another. Recommend doing the whole trail that time of year (autumn).



Also, consider taking athletic powder, repellent, emergency numbers ranger, sheriff) with your cell, and a personal safety device, like pepper spray, although you won’t need the latter one. Most dogs and users on the trail are friendly. You'll also learn about dust, heat, and mud as you study up on the trail.



If desired, bring along a non-biking driver for your vehicle, which will fix any transportation issues. But it can also cut into the adventurous fun of being on the trail with nothing but bikes and a few supplies. Good luck.

I would go with a hybrid bike. Mine has 700 x 38C tires, and it has worked very well on trails like Katy, Allegheny Passage, C&O Canal, Ohio & Erie Towpath, and other gravel trails. Just make sure to get a comfortable seat for your bike - nothing ruins a trip like a sore butt.



As for stuff to take with you - you obviously need an extra tube, tire pump, tire tools, multi-purpose tool, and at least 2 water bottles. And I've found a handful of cable tires are extremely useful for a variety of trail repairs. Also - pack your stuff in waterproof bags.

There is a lot of good advice in some of the previous posts. Whether you go with a hybrid bike, a cyclocross or something else, I'd strongly consider drop down handlebars if the model you choose doesn't come with those. You'll likely be on the bike for quite a few hours every day (don't know how many days you're planning on) and there is a lot of value in being able to vary your position. Drop downs allow you to bike leaning forward as well as ride more upright. You can also have a second set of brake levers mounted above which allows you to brake without changing your position if you're riding upright.

Another consideration is to make certain that the type of bike you buy accomodates panniers or other type of bags if you intend to carry a fair amount of gear with you. Not all bikes have the attachment points on their frames to mount bags. You will need to consider just how you plan to travel on your bike. Hope this helps.

You recieved some advice about panniers and I wanted to present another option for a long KATY trip which is a bike trailer. I've had several cargo trailers and the one that I am absolutely sold on is made by Burley. They have either their Flatbed which is totally open or the Nomad which is covered. These are not day trip kid hauling trailers but very serious well engineered pieces of equipment that will allow you to not load all your stuff on your bike. I use the Nomad. It will carry 100 lbs of stuff which is almost ridiculous for primitive+ camping and when well loaded with balance over the wheels is done, is almost invisible to the biker. Do not commit to panniers until you have a chance to check this out. Even if I was going to stay in B&B's and do a credit card ride I would still use the trailer because you can so easily take along simple things that could make all the difference on a great trip such as what you are planning: tripod for the camera, a rain shelter, extra whatevers that don't fit into bags on the bike easily such as kites or fishing poles....and if you B&B your tow weight will be so slight on your bike that you really truly won't know that the trailer is there. With a Burley Nomad you won't be pulling along a liability but rather being able to take solutions to other possible problems with you on the trail. And no, I don't work for Burley, I just have owned one for 4 years. By the way, if your budget can handle it, get the optional cargo rack too and also put some Schwalbe Big Apple tires on the trailer. This is a serious recommendation from someone who has been both routes and knows what works.

The Burley works great for hauling wine on trips to Hermann. Panniers just won't hold enough to make the trip cost effective. If you're runnin wine, go for a trailer. A BOB would trump panniers too.



This too is a serious recommendation from someone who has been both routes and knows what works.



I'm Trek, and I approved this message.

If "fall" means after October 31 be aware all of the trail facilities with running water will be shut off, except the Rocheport one. Also, restaurants are mostly closed on Monday.

A luxury, but to me a necessity, is be sure to take a camera along, especially if you will be doing the trail during fall color season.

I found that frequent trail mix snacks and plenty water is helpful.

Wow---thanks for all the great info! I will probably print out everything and go from there. I have bought several training videos--including a century ride to simply put miles in the saddle. Now that the weather is nice, I can put those miles on my "real" bike!

While construction is going on with the bridge near the tunnel on the Katy Trail, the Katy Trail Bed & Bikefest will be offering a temporary shuttle service from Rocheport to Diana Bend Conservation Area off of Hwy 40 and the Katy Trail. We will not be providing shuttle services to other locations, this is purely to assist thru cyclists in getting around the construction without having to bike on Hwy 40. Our phone number is 573-698-2453, and will charge $.75 a mile. Thanks!

How long will the bridge be out?

Web site says May.... But with the way construction goes.... I'd be happy with the middle of June & the DNR ride! :)