Katy Trail Forum

Some friends and I just rode from Clinton to StCharles this weekend, and started discussing the possibility of doing the entire trail in one 24 hour period (next year).
We are thinking that by riding Does anyone on this board have experience with riding on the KATY at night?on a clear night with a full or nearly full moon, and having some good lights, we should be able to keep moving all night long (albeit a little more slowly than in the daytime), and complete the whole ride in one 24 hour period.

You are a younger rider than many on this board I am assuming. Just a guess.

Possibly - I was born in the '60's.

Isn't the park closed at sundown?

It sure is.

It is very posible. Just bring your own water and food. Nothing is open.

Katy Trail State Park is a sunrise to sunset park, which means it closes at sunset. We ask that you do not ride at night, since it is considered trespassing. Thanks.

I'm in the process of a cross country trip and was interested in the base way by BICYLE to get to Clinton from Kansas City?

If you are camping, the campsite in Clinton is on the fairgrounds property behind the Clinton Community Center which is near the trailhead.

Sounds like you're taking a northern cross-country route. If so, you'll need to study the maps closely to get around or thru KC. Some riders want to spend time in KC (entertainment district; plaza, BBQ, 18th & Vine Jazz, art museusms etc), while others want to get to Clinton as soon as possible. Either way, one idea is to get to MO-7 on the south side of Harrisonville (south of KC) which goes directly to the Clinton trailhead by Hwy-52. That can be achieved by dropping south on either side of KC, or by gradually making your way thru the city. Good luck. Many cross-country riders enjoy the off-road Katy Trail ride.

Hey, y'all! Remember that Trailside, both the Cafe *and* the Bike Shop, are closed on WED! I noted that a number of folks were "surprised" by this fact on WED (I sat at one of their tables waiting for my ride). Just a heads up.....

But if is not Wed, a good place to stop. Good food, friendly folks, full bike shop and right on the trail. We stopped in May after trudging through rain long enough and it was a welcome respite.

...and today (22JUL) being THU, my wife and I stopped at Trailside for burgers after riding near Tebbets earlier in the day. Beef with regular fries for her, and a buffalo burger with sweet 'tater fries for me. Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, dill pickles, and onion complimented both. A wonderful way to end several days of riding on the KATY.

The Trailside Cafe is great. On Wednesdays, however, aren't the other ones on the old downtown strip two-or-so blocks up the trail from it open then?

Took a nice ride up the trail near Green Ridge and ended the day at Burf's Bar & Grill. Friendly crowd and Michelob on tab! Our waitress, Sheila, never let our frosty mugs go warm or empty. Best tenderloin I've ever had. Excellent Reuben sandwich. Burf's will be a frequent stop for my friends and me.

We tried to eat here at the end of June and upon arrival they are closed on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Not sure if this is a temporary thing so I would reccomend calling, especially since there is not another eating establishment within ten miles. There is however a man at the bed and breakfast in Bluffton who has frozen pizza's for $10, and Steamboat Junction's snack stand was a blessing on this day.

A couple of earlier but recent posts indicate the Riverfront Bar in Portland has been auctioned off by its owner of the last 19-years. Maybe somebody will take it over? Typically tho, these kind of places do not open early in the morning or early in the week.

LOVE this town. Camped in the park (under the gazebo as it looked like rain). Everyone was

super friendly and the BIg Muddy was a fun bar to spend a few hours "rehydrating" in. Many

thanks to the locals for the hospitality. Cant wait to visit again soon.

Has anyone ever heard of someone riding a single speed 29er thru the whole trail? If so when and how long did it take them? The trail is wonderful, I was surprised not more people are using it..

I remember Patti telling us at one of our Penney High Reunions that she and her husband had bought two cabooses and were going to turn them into Bed and Breakfasts. I would love more info and wonder if I just missed availability and prices? Thank you for more into. Barb

BARB, GO TO OUR WEB PAGE AT WWW.CRUCESCABOOSES.COM AND THERE IS LOTS OF INFO AND PRICES.

THANKS,

DAMON & PATTI

BARB, GO TO OUR WEB PAGE AT WWW.CRUCESCABOOSES.COM AND THERE IS LOTS OF INFO AND PRICES.

THANKS,

DAMON & PATTI

The link in the Events search leads to the following on the DNR website about the 20th Anniversary of the Katy Trail:



20th Anniversary Event



An event will be held on Saturday, May 8, 2010, in Rocheport to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the April 28, 1990, official opening of the trail. A ceremony will be held to recognize Pat Jones and other founders who helped make the trail a reality. The event will also feature a walk to the Ted Jones Memorial and a commemorative bike ride.



With just a couple of weeks away.....does anyone know where more specific details are published. Such as....What time is the ceremony...is it at the trailhead...the memorial...When is the walk and the bike ride?? How long is the bike ride? What is the fee to ride the ride???

I have it on my calendar that it goes from 2 to 6 pm.

Thanks Gary. Anyone else know more??

The kick-off event at Rocheport for the 20th anniversary celebration is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. There will be an official ceremony at 2 p.m., after which there will be an unveiling of a special anniversary panel for the info depot, a cake cutting ceremony, a walk to the Jones Memorial and a bike ride to McBaine. The community of Rocheport is also hosting a Blues Festival and Cruising Classic Cars in conjunction with the event. The cars will be on display 12:00-4:00 p.m. along the streets of Rocheport and Central Street will be blocked off with live music beginning at 12 p.m. and going until 10:00 pm.

From Kansas City InfoZine yesterday:



The 20th anniversary of the nation's longest rail-trail conversion project will be celebrated May 8 at the Katy Trail State Park trailhead at Rocheport. The festivities will begin at 1 p.m. with the anniversary ceremony at 2 p.m.



Gov. Jay Nixon will be the keynote speaker for the event. A special honoree will be Pat Jones, who along with her late husband, Ted, gave the initial donation to make Katy Trail State Park possible. Other speakers will include Darwin Hindman, chairman of the Katy Trail Coalition; Norman Eaker, representing Edward Jones, the financial services firm that is the official sponsor of the 20th anniversary events; and Rep. Chris Kelly of Columbia. Bill Bryan, director of the Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks, will be the master of ceremonies.



The exhibit area opens at 1 p.m. with special displays from the communities along the 225-mile corridor of the trail from St. Charles to Clinton . Katy Trail merchandise will be on sale. A presentation on the history of Katy Trail State Park will be available in the Rocheport depot at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.



Following the ceremony at 2 p.m., participants are invited to walk to the Ted Jones Memorial on the trail. Darwin Hindman will lead a commemorative ride to Hindman Junction.



Music and refreshments will be available during the event. In conjunction with the ceremony, the community of Rocheport is planning musical entertainment and a car show.



Katy Trail State Park is built on the railbed of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, which ceased operations in 1986. The first section of Katy Trail was dedicated on April 28, 1990 at Rocheport. This summer, work will begin on extending the trail approximately 12 miles from St. Charles to Machens. Plans are also in progress to connect the Katy Trail at Windsor into Pleasant Hill using the Rock Island Railroad corridor.

Dawn and Trek, thanks for all of the info, it sounds like a fun and interesting time to be had. I hope to see some of you there, I'll be the guy on the bicycle.

The 20th celebration was quite an event! Several guys on bikes.....we figured they were all Darrell.....and his other brothers, Darrell.

Getting excited about this event as while I've been riding the Katy for the past few years I've never participated in any of their organized events! Anyone else getting on at the Columbia location???

I know Amtrak says they have space for 4 bikes. I need to get 5 bikes on. Are they flexible on that? I was thinking if they would not allow it I would buy another ticket or take a bike apart and strap pieces to the other bikes and claim they are spares. That's a spare frame just in case, that's a spare rim. Any thoughts, I spoke with Amtrak people but they are of no help and can't do anything but tell me what I already know. Has anyone put more than 4 bikes on a train? It's probably a call only the conductor could make, there is nobody manning a phone at the Sedalia station to answer this.



Thanks in advance,



Kwog

Have you considered one of the shuttle services? It might be less expensive for five people with bikes than the train depending on the distance. It will definitely be more convenient with door to door or trailhead to trailhead service. There are several of us along the trail that could take care of your needs.

When we got on in Hermann a couple of years ago with our tickets, and tickets for two bikes, there were already five bikes on the train (they had given away our spots in St. Louis). We managed by strapping the bikes to a door handle in the back of the car.



So, the story you get when you call & reserve is different than if you just get on without reservations. The price is alot more too, from what I've heard. I would imagine that if you have the 4 bike spots reserved (and they haven't given them away), you would be able to strap an extra bike to them and pay (probably alot more) for that extra bike when getting on... that being said, with Amtrak there are NO GUARANTEES, not even when you have bike tickets!

I am in the process of making some modifications to a road bike that I would like to use for trail riding. I have added MTB handlebars and fitted it with new levers and cables. The problem that I am running into is that I can not find a tire with the correct height clearance. I have plenty of width. Any advice on a pair of tires that will not break the bank that have a low height? I'm looking for something in the $20-$30 range.

Do 700 X 28mm's fit on your bike as they do with most other road bikes? If so, consider Hutchinson Pythons. The tread and belts are ideal for the trails but they are heavier than pure road tires. They have these in 32's also but I'm guessing those won't fit.



Check their website. The companies don't tend to list the cross-sectional height of the tires but they may respond to an email.

Thanks MLH.

Erik I made a mistake in my post. The Hutchinson model that I meant for you is the ACROBAT 700 X 28, not the Python. Sorry about that.

Used the Acrobats on a ride from Clinton to St. Charles in May and really liked them.

I used Continental Ultra Gatorskins size 700 X 28 for entire trail without flattening and even after a severe downpour it didn't sink into the crushed limestone.

I rode the trail on 700x25 bontrager slicks once. The ony flat I got was on the paved road in Sedalia. Ironic?



Like the others mentioned, I would go with a 700x28 tire with a slight knobbie tread. The 28s should fit any road bike.

A gem on the downtown Clinton Square. It is beautifully decorated with antiques in the original Ben Franklin Five and Dime building.

The food was delicious and the service excellent.

Tell us about your Katy trail bike ride experience!