Katy Trail Forum

My husband and I are wanting to go for a ride on the Katy Trail. We are getting ready to purchase bikes, but not sure what to get. I really want to get a cruiser bike with the comfy seat and handlebars, as we will be riding around our little town with our children as well and these are more comfortable and eye appealing to me. But is a mountain bike better for the trail? Are there lots of hills or rough terrain? Plus, I am getting kinda worried about all the comments of changing tires and bike repair and such. Just wanted to go for a lovely ride on the trail as far as we could make it and then stop for a stay in a B&B for the night and probably head back the next day. Of course, we won't tackle this until we are in shape from riding locally. We owned mountain bikes in the past, but not sure what kind to get. Don't want to make a huge investment in bike riding because we have other hobbies like horseback riding and camping that takes up most of our time. Just wanted to give it a try. Any pointers or bike suggestions are highly welcomed! Thanks so much! Oh, also, is the trail good for children (on shorter rides of course)?

My suggestion on the bike itself is to try to have more of an open mind. The cruiser bikes are actually pretty uncomfortable in general (I'm told) if you take them beyond very small distances (3-5 miles), which you will likely do if you're going on the Katy. This is because of that seat, along with the style of handlebars, since you don't get very many possible positions to move in while riding. But if you plan on keeping to short distances, it might be a consideration.



Then I understand from the cruiser bikes I've seen, that the gearing options are pretty limited, and you wouldn't want that in most generic riding situations in MO (small steep rolling hills, some flats). This won't be an issue on the Katy since it is made from an old railroad bed. But I wouldn't make a bike purchase choice based simply on one possible ride you could take. I would consider something that will be useful for most purposes and will still be suitable when you grow in riding if you persist in it.



On changing tires and bike repair, we bring it up because it's a fact of life in cycling. If you ride long enough and far enough from home, you will get a flat tire while riding and will need to be able to fix it. You also might want to carry some tools for other minor maintenance like adjusting brakes. But changing tires is about 90% of the on-road maintenance and a necessity if you go anything beyond short distances.



As far as it being "good for children", it depends on how apt/willing they are. I would definitely suggest creating good incentive to make it enjoyable for them. But there's nothing that unsuitable on the Katy that a child couldn't ride it.



Hope that helps.

I would agree with the previous comment about the cruiser. Even though the grades are relatively low on the Katy, you need some gearing. I would reccomend that if you are opposed to a mountain bike that you consider a hybrid. To enjoy the Katy you need to ride in comfort. As to repairs, I have not done as many miles as others on this forum, but I have completed two end to ends and major portions on other rides without any flats or mishaps. But I always ride prepared and I know that I will eventually have a flat. It just comes with the fun. Luck.

Ok. Thanks guys. That helps. I wasn't thinking of the trail being an old railroad track bed, duh, so of course its pretty level and the grades are long and low. As far as the bike goes, I guess I'd be better off with a mountain bike with a bigger seat, (I just hate those skinny little seats that come on them LOL). My town is hilly as well and I do know it's hard to avoid hills in MO! Thanks again!

I would like to give my humble opinion here. I would only purchase a mountain bike if I intended to use it as a mountain bike. The wider tires, suspension, and added weight are not needed for the road or paved trails. It is amazing how much more work one has to do on a mountain bike compared to other types of bikes. I like the thought of a hybrid and one that is purchased from a bike store so the bike can be custom fitted to you and thus more comfortable. And, the key to a comfortable saddle is not in it being big and cushy, but the right size. A bike store can help you with that and maybe sell you some padded shorts as well.

On Mountain bikes, they're generally fine, I've found. The biggest issues with them, though, are the suspension (very hard to use, and unnecessary in most cases) and the added weight (because of durability to take it off-road).



If you consider touring beyond just a day where you need to carry things (water, food, clothes, and so on), you will want wider tires than the norm, because they will need to handle the weight you carry (your weight plus gear).



The bike store suggestion is great, they should be able to explain all the factors involved in selecting a bike and should help you be able to find something that fits well for you and will satisfy all the requirements you need.

Terry is right.. Recommend a hybrid..And spend a little money, you will get so much more in return. Would you buy a pair of cheap shoes that doesn't fit? Kind of the same. Whole point is give your self the experience of enjoying the trail. Go to a big city bike shop with a lot of choices. Listen to the guys there.

Undisputable facts about riding:



Seats: Virtually no one ends up with the seat that came on the bike. Do as others do, start with that one and adjust from there. You don't know until you have ridden it for a few hours



Flats: They happen and just as likely 10 feet from your driveway as 40 miles out on the trail. At least have spare tubes on every ride.

Another consideration is to rent a bike. I've seen rentals lately that are designed to accomodate average riders that have rear hubs like the old 3 speeds had. These bikes have 8 gear options.



Although they add weight, I use HD Slime tubes with vinyl liners b/c I hate flats. I often ditch off the trails onto dirt trails where briars easily cause flats. I DO always have a tube with me.



For newbies, ass pain is gonna happen with any seat until you build up some mashed meat muscle.That alone keeps me riding all winter. I hate to re-condition my butt. Do lunges!lol!

I totally disagree with the comment stay away from cruiser, I have a Electra townie ride the Katy quite a bit anywhere from 25-50 miles at a time and just love my cruiser as do others that I ride with. Its upright seating position and pedal forward design can't be beat as far as I'm concerned for riding and enjoying the trail.

Go to a big city bike store that has a wide selection. You will miss out on looking at many models in a small town shop. I always ride my Trek Hybrid on the trail. Get at least a middle grade bike.

My vote goes to the hybrid or comfort bike.

I have to agree with the folks advocating a hybrid or comfort bike --

the less weight the better. I've ridden parts of the Katy on a trial

bike (heavy) with fat tires and a cushy seat and on a true road bike

with 700x23C tires. The road bike with its racing saddle was far more

comfortable. But my dream bike for the Katy would be a hybrid with

700x28 tires to handle the crushed stone a bit better. Don't get one of

those huge seats. They look comfy, but aren't. Get a good saddle from

good shop, a pair of padded shorts and some chamois butter.

I've done the entire trail twice, once with a comfort bike, and once with a cross/hybrid without the high handlebars, wide padded seat and shocks.



The comfort bike trip was the LEAST comfortable. The high handlebars left my shoulders aching and the padded wide seat chafed horribly.



The narrow seat and lower handlebars on the cross/hybrid gave a MUCH more comfortable ride and was much easier on my back in the long run.



For my money, the comfort bike is NOT comfortable for more than short rides.

Does anyone know a route from St Charles to the Amtrak station in Kirkwood Missouri?

This topic has been discussed here on this website. Here is the link http://www.bikekatytrail.com/kirkwood.asp



Just so you know, St.Louis is not exactly a bike friendly city.

Lococo House III, Bed & Breakfast offers shuttles to Kirkwood station, call 636-946-0619 for info. The route by bike isnt very safe

I found the ride to be very doable. The only time I felt it wasn't safe was Marine Road when leaving Creve Coeur Park. It's a long steep uphill without a spot to, even, stop, let alone pull over to the side. There's too great a drop off.



Fortunately, there's an alternative that you can see on the above link. I didn't know about it at the time -- wish I had.



There are times you will have to be on the road with traffic, but I didn't find it too bad, but some may not feel comfortable.



John

I was very surprised to see Peers on this site considering it was so small but I loved it so much. I had a terrible time in Treloar (my Camelbak was empty, and I was thirsty) and I thought the next drinking fountain would be in Marthasville. I stopped by the Peers Grocery Store and was greeted by a very nice woman. She filled up my camelbak for free and I bought a gatorade. I am so impressed by the hospitality in this town that I'll be doing my next sportsdrink/snack stop on the Katy at Peer's Grocery store again!

Was very disappointed that after a very hot day they did not have drinking fountains. The bar and grill everyone is talking about is closed (It says under new management please come back soon.) The place was a ghost town beside one older woman. I asked a lady outside if she could break my $5 so I could get some water at the vending machine and she held her purse tight and ran away. Very disappointed by the hospitably and services.

Sad to see the Treloar B&G has closed. (7/11/2010) They had awesome cheeseburgers, fries and cold beer. When I was in there earlier this year the owner, Bill, said the place hadn't been doing very well since the 2008 recession hit.

I am sorry to hear the Treloar B & G is closed. We discovered it last year when biking the Katy and planned to stop there on our end of July 2010 trip.

DEFINITELY HATE to hear this.....any time I was even close to the area, I made it a point to stop & have at least one of their FABULOUS cheeseburgers & "ice cold" beer!!!

We regularly leave from the Treloar trailhead and enjoyed the activity of the place on weekends. Sad to see it closed. Another little bit of Americana is lost.

TRELOAR BAR&GRILL WILL REOPEN THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST

My husband and I, and our two boys, 7 and 8, cycled part of the Katy Trail (Jefferson City-

Sedalia) as a first family tour in June this year. It was a wonderful experience for all of us, and

this bed and breakfast was the best place we stayed the whole week. Dolores offered a lot of

nice touches like ice cream, cookies and lemonade there for us when we got to the place.

After riding in the heat all day with the boys, we were so pleased to find such a welcoming

B&B. We were able to do laundry here and just get some rest. And the boys enjoyed it too--

-she had games there for them to play. Breakfast was great and just what we needed to start

the day. This was a very kid-friendly place. I would definitely stay here again!

My husband and I, and our two boys, 7 and 8, cycled part of the Katy Trail (Jefferson City-

Sedalia) as a first family tour in June this year. It was a wonderful experience for all of us, and

this bed and breakfast was the best place we stayed the whole week. Dolores offered a lot of

nice touches like ice cream, cookies and lemonade there for us when we got to the place.

After riding in the heat all day with the boys, we were so pleased to find such a welcoming

B&B. We were able to do laundry here and just get some rest. And the boys enjoyed it too--

-she had games there for them to play. Breakfast was great and just what we needed to start

the day. This was a very kid-friendly place. I would definitely stay here again!

Callaway county law enforcement are searching for a man last seen near the Tebbetts post office on Saturday and he ran off into the woods. He is considered possibly armed and dangerous. His name is Shaun McGee, 31, white male, last seen wearing a light t-shirt and blue jeans, has tatoos - a dragon and the word destiny.



If seen, do not approach - call 911 to report his location.



Updates on the manhunt can be found on www.abc17news.com

The folks at Peers Store are so nice; they treated us like old friends. I took a spill and scraped my leg pretty bad while my wife and I were biking on the Katy Trail yesterday. They gave me band-aids and disinfectant. We stopped for a rest and really enjoyed hearing some local stories. I recommend to anyone to stop there for water or other refreshment while using the Katy Trail.

Peers store has excellent sandwiches, especially the chicken salad ones! Amy was great and even filled up our water bottles from her kitchen sink!

Recap from lost comment: Their breakfast sandwiches are fairly big as well. Unlike some of the bar-grills along the trail, this store and several other near-the-trail convenience stops and gas stations open early in the morning. For the early birds, that's good to have!

My wife and I rode the whole Katy Trail both direction in Aug/Sep 2009. We stayed with Deloris and Virgil on our way west to Clinton and again on our way back. You can't go wrong staying here. Great food, great accomodations and great company. They are truly good people who want to take care of you and help you have a good time. (I am a procrastinator. I waited nearly a year to write this, but I'm sure it is all still true here in Aug 2010.)

My wife and I rode the whole Katy Trail both direction in Aug/Sep 2009. We stayed with Deloris and Virgil on our way west to Clinton and again on our way back. You can't go wrong staying here. Great food, great accomodations and great company. They are truly good people who want to take care of you and help you have a good time. (I am a procrastinator. I waited nearly a year to write this, but I'm sure it is all still true here in Aug 2010.)

I recently posted on my stay with Bill this week and unfortunately the thread was lost and unfortunately it was the only place I know on the site that contained his contact information. His number is (573) 289-6782. We really enjoyed our stay and Bill is a friendly host.

just rode the entire trail west to east and wanted to share the info:

heres the report:



Friday: rode 111 miles from Clinton and camped in Hartsburg. Plenty of water at trailheads

and plenty of quick shops if you need a snack along the way. Hartsburg is the best town

on the trail. 104 people, 2 bars, a winery, and a diner. They even let me pitch my tent

inside the gazebo in the tiny park. this town rocks. Have a few drinks at the Big Muddy bar

and breakfast at Dotties.



Saturday 90 miles to klondike- easy riding from Hartsburg to Agusta just mind your water

as it becomes sparse in the middle. I gave about 10 bucks to a VFW hall for several bottles

when things started getting dangerous. Keeping 4 bottled topped up is not overkill is this

section. Again, the trail condition was great.



Sunday rode the last 20 or so into St Charles and went to the end of the trail for fun. Had

a nice lunch at the Trailhead brewery.



General info: I pulled a overloaded BOB trailer complete with all my food, tent, etc and the

trail was a bit soggy in places. This translated to a very casual 11 MPH average (including

water and lunch breaks of course) total ride time. It seems when I was going faster than

14 or 15 mph all I was seeing was the trail and I was missing the scenery. IMHO, the trail

rides great at this speed and it allows for full days of riding with perfect camping spots at

110 and 200 mile marks. You could do it faster but why.



Bike selection: I rode my CAAD 9 with 32 tires. The trail is in perfect shape and I would

have been fine on 25's. It was nice to have a little more tire to smooth the trail and it also

helped me float when it got squishy in spots.



Hope this helps anyone planning on riding the whole trail. I intend to do so again soon

Great update. I love me some Hartsburg. Cause.. In less than a 100 yards you can get great food, couple B&B's and be on the trail in the morning in about 30 seconds after leaving your room...

I called today Parks & Rec in Columbia today and they said the spur off Katy Trail to Columbia is open.

If you are planning on a bike trip in September, make sure that your plans include a stop in Boonville at The Historic Hotel Frederick. Located at High and Main Street across from the Trail where it crosses the Missouri River. There will be events in September that will make your trip memorable. September 11 will be the first annual KATY Bridge Wine Stroll featuring Missouri Wines. September 18 brings 3 time Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson and her quartet performing wonderful music. Want to see the world famous Clydesdales at their new home, Warm Springs Ranch? Check out the Frederick on line and see the associated specials. Find us on the web at HotelFrederick.com

The Clydesdales are fantastic but make arrangements BEFORE you get to Boonville as its my understanding that only tour busses can tour the place. It costs about $10 each and is well worth it. You get to see the horses, the babies and their stalls etc AND the Tractor trailer trucks and the beer wagon. Its a real coup for our state.

I am planning two day bike trip in Sept. Looking for camping options on or near trail from Washington up to Boonville. Thanks

Easiest way to plan for your trip is to use the "Plan a ride" button above. You can click on each town along the way to see what services are available and adjust your daily mileage accordingly.

First real food stop on the trail after leaving Hartsburg. The double cheeseburger and service was excellent.

A great stop on the Katy Trail with excellent food and service.

Anyone have contact info for the "Caboose Inn" as my friends and I like to call it (somewhere near the middle of the trail)

I just finished riding the entire trail on Sunday. I think you are looking for Hartsburg, MO. There is a guy there who owns a retired caboose, and rents it out as a place to spend the night (I didn't go inside, but one of my riding partners was talking to the owner.). Anyway, call any of the businesses in Hartsburg, and they will know the guy. It's a great little town with super-friendly people.

I rode the trail out and back June 19th - June 26th. Hartsburg was one of my favorite stops. The gentleman with the Caboose is Bill. He's a great artist and if you go to Dotty's Cafe....which you should she can hook you up or just knock on his door, he enjoys people!! Food at Dotty's is wonderful, Dotty and her family are wonderful and all of her regulars are wonderful! Don't forget to try the homemade peach cobbler! and then.....stop over to The Summit Lake Winery....say hello to Julie and Linda for me! More great people in Hartsburg! I'll return in the fall for another adventure.

You are always welcome to stop at the Katyrest Caboose. I love cycling and visiting with riders on the KATY. Call for reservations at 573-289-6782.

My wife and I took an unscheduled trip on the trail and stayed in the caboose last night. It was a unique experience and Bill is a friendly host. We returned back to the caboose after 2:00 p.m. on a very hot day and Bill let us back in the caboose to cool off and shower before heading home. We are looking forward to a return visit with out 12 year old daughter, she will love it.

We found a diabetic test kit in a 3" x 4" black nylon case on the trail between MO Research Park and Greens Bottom. Please email with your contact info. I will mail it to you. cyndy.moneymaker@gmail.com

Sadly it closed about the second week in July

WOW! CLOSED!!! MY husband and I were just saying we wanted to go there to try out the burgers. I heard they were pretty good and we dont live that far away from there but had never heard of the place until a few weeks ago. Now I wished we would have made the trip a few weeks ago!!

Sedalia Depot is awesome! Take a look around at the museum and pick up some sovenirs! We stayed at the Best Western which is on a busy highway. If you can, take the trail to 32nd street up to the hotel; otherwise, it is hard to get to on the highway. It has the nicest pool and hot tub and the BEST hot breakfast buffet of any hotel I have ever stayed at! If you need cab, call Bob at Dial-A-Ride 1-660-619-8078. The fare is $5 locally.

We also stayed at the Best Western in Sedalia. You are right about that breakfast being awesome!

We traveled on the trail for the first time today. Had a wonderful day. Stopped at the Claysville store. Made the mistake of not bringing much cash. They don't take debit cards. Ended up splitting a #2 (white meat chicken), mashed potatos and gravy, green beans, coleslaw, applesauce and two biscuts. It was wonderful and after dinner was over, we agreed, it was the perfect amount for two people. The food was wonderful and the folks there were very nice to two sweaty people off the trail. We'll be back!

My husband and I are considering riding Amtrak from Sedalia to Kirkwood. We will have 2 bikes and our camping gear. We are concerned that we will not have enough time to get everything on board in the 3 minutes we were told (by Amtrak) we would have at the station. If you have had experience getting on the train at Sedalia, please let me know how it went. Did the bikes go on the same car as you? How easy was it to get them on/off? Thanks for any info that would relieve our anxieties. The Amtrak agent I spoke to was grumpy and not very helpful.

We used the service in May. The Amtrak folks were great to work with. True, they do not have a lot of time but they work with you. Just be out there with everything ready to go when the train comes in. If you work with them, they will help you. The bikes actually go in the passenger car fully intact in an open area and your gear just overhead. Enjoy your trip. We are glad we elected to use Amtrak.

Not to worry! Having used Amtrak several times, I know they move fast in helping you and your bike get on the train, but they have been courteous in doing so. My suggestion, have everything ready to put on the train, wait off to the side of the others getting on because you will get on last. (Example: I picked up two panniers, trunk and handlebar bags, and they grab the bike and off we went, the train was moving before I found a seat.) Check the literature you get with your tickets or read online, for the particulars on what you can take on the train, weight, size, etc.. No fuel for a stove, get it after the train ride. I have made a point to have a bungie cord at the ready in case it is needed, have used it once. No worries, it's a fun way to see the country side. Enjoy your ride on the Katy.

It's my experience in taking bikes on Amtrak regularly between Seattle and Portland and once from St. Louis to Sedalia that the phone and ticket window agents are more surly than the personnel on the train. True, Sedalia was a quick stop for the train but the conductor knew we were getting off there and even helped us get the bikes down the narrow steps. I wouldn't worry.

Ditto, the conductors on the train are great and very helpful!

Conductors were great from Kirkwood to Sedalia. We had three bikes with 3 or 4 bags each. You will need to carry your bike up half dozen steps on to train and down off the train at departure but I also rode Amtrak again from Hermann to Kirkwood and also had the same good experience.they will assist in guiding you on to train and off train.

I had a great experience on the train from Kirkwood to Sedalia. I had 4 panniers, a trunk bag and a handlebar bag. I used industrial velcro strips ($8 at Home Depot) to attach the panniers to make the 4 bags 2, left the trunk bag on the back rack and used the strap on the handlebar bag as a carry on. It all went great. I had plenty of time.

Thanks to everyone and their positive comments. We booked our Amtrak tickets yesterday. Now we're just waiting 'til Sept rolls around. We are so stoked about this trip as it is our first attempt at multi-day biking. We bought one of the Burley Nomad trailers and were amazed at how much "stuff" we are able to pack into it. Happy Trails!

I have taken the Amtrak before as well. You will be rushed, so have everything ready. It was pouring rain when we loaded, and the conductors did not want to be out there any longer than necessary. We struggled to get our bikes aboard, so the conductors literally through our bags on behind us. I was pretty salty about it at first, but after inspection, nothing was broken. Just be ready, and don't be surprised at the rush.

We took the Amtrak from Sedalia to Kirkwood with our two bikes. We had no trouble at all getting the bikes on, and the conductors were very helpful.

I would call Boonville "hillsville"! We stayed at Comfort Inn. There was no sign on the Katy Trail for the hotel, but we figured it out by looking at the trail sign. We rode in a thunderstorm for about 6 miles and both our bikes and we were muddy. When we arrived at Comfort Inn, we were given towels to wipe off our bikes, and then they were allowed in our rooms. Nice whirlpool and pool area, laundry facilities, COMFY BEDS and good breakfast.

Great stay after a long day of biking. Very clean accommodations! Cath the Inn Keeper was fabulous as she even through our cloths in the dryer. I will be sure to return when I ride again next summer.

We stayed at Hartfsford Inn after a long day of riding. It is conveniently located on the trail. Cath was very friendly and the Inn was exceptionally clean. We appreciated the homemade chocolate chip cookies Must check out Muddy Tavern for the very best french fries and onion rings. The Inn had a very lovely garden in the back yard and we enjoyed relaxing and watching the birds.

Hermann is 2 miles off the Katy Trail. You go over a large bridge overlooking the Missouri River. Hermann is a very nice town. We rode in after biking 66 miles and stayed at Harbor House, a very clean bed and breakfast. The breakfast is served at 8:00 a.m., with no exceptions. This was dissapointing because we were leaving at 6:00 a.m. the next day. There is no coffee available at any other time. The bikes must be chained to the porch and not allowed in the rooms. It rained that night on our bikes. We ate at Simon's, which had excellent catfish. There is a nice city park along the river.