Katy Trail Forum

My wife and I are beginners at trail riding. Some friends want us to join them riding the Katy Trail for a couple of days. We are in our upper 50s. Neither of us has a true off-road bike.



My bike is an old Schwinn Traveler 12 speed road bike with very slim 100 psi untreaded road tires, racing handlebars, and no suspension. It has a softer than stock seat.



My wife's bike is an almost new 18 speed Specialized "comfort bike," upright riding position, medium-width treaded tires, fork suspension in front, and seat post suspension in rear.



Neither bike has fenders.



I'm guessing that her bike is probably going to be okay, and mine isn't going to work. Anyone have any comments on whether I can make the ride on mine, or that hers will have problems?



Terry

Although your bike is probably not the ideal trail bike...yes it should work. We ride our road tandem on the Katy at times and it works fine. Just make sure to watch for hazards that might effect your smaller tires.....rocks, ruts, loose chat, etc. that may not be an issue for larger tires.

Trek is right. But more important than the type of bike, is how you handle it. If you get too close to the soft edge on any bike, you may be in for a spill. But MOST of the trail is hard packed and fine for skinny, slick tires if you stay alert.

I agree with Trek's reply--you'll just have to be cautious with your Schwinn. There's quite a few leaves covering large walnuts on certain parts of the trail right now. So that could be an issue depending upon where you'll be riding. Also, depending upon how much you're accustomed to riding, don't let your friends schedule too many miles per day. That can put a damper on an otherwise great Katy experience.

I appreciate everyone's comments. Based on what I'm hearing, I may give it a try with my 12 speed. We should be traveling rather liesurely, especially with my wife along.



If you had not replied, I'd have been scrambling for another bike for the trip. Thanks.



Terry

I appreciate everyone's comments. Based on what I'm hearing, I may give it a try with my 12 speed. We should be traveling rather liesurely, especially with my wife along.



If you had not replied, I'd have been scrambling for another bike for the trip. Thanks.



Terry

Good idea to ride with other people. Bikes probably are OK but you might look into new tires

if you have old tires. Also, make sure the wife has a women's saddle. It will be more

comfortable for her.

I do not know where you plan on riding on the trail, but you can always try the road bike and if things do not work out all that well you can visit a bike rental shop and rent a bike for a day or two. I know the shops in Rocheport and Defiance offer very reasonable rates.

We have a 100km limestone trail in Michigan and I've seen many road bikes on that trail. Most road bikes can fit 700x28 tires instead of the skinnier 700x23 standard tire. If you were to fit the 28's on your bike, I think it would do just fine.



John

I plan on riding the whole trail in early April, 2010. I have two bikes to choose from. I have a cyclocross with moustache handle bars and skinny knobby tires and I have a rigid frame mountain bike with fat knobby tires. The cyclocross is just a little lighter and is luggage friendly however I can with some effort put luggage on the mountain bike as well. Which one will serve me best on this particular trail during this time of season?

I'd go with the cross bike, drop bars and 32's with lightly treaded tires. In April, flooding might be a concern but that's not going to affect bike choice. If there is a washout, the cross bike is much easier to hike-a-bike. Many ride road bikes with 25-28's. The Katy is smooth, an interstate compared to some other rails to trails.

I have to agree. The cross bike is the perfect bike for the trail. I have completed 2 rides the length of the trail on mine and had zero problems.

I totally agree with the CROSS BIKE recommendations. Lots of miles on the KATY (including end-to-end) with my cross bike and I think it's the perfect choice. I run 30-32 tires with good luck.

I agree, a cross bike is probably the best bike for the Katy Trail followed maybe by a Hybrid. I rode my Fuji Cross Comp with knobby 32's from Sedalia to St. Charles never felt the need for suspension. A mountain bike is just not as efficient for the type of distances you want to cover.

A group of 8 of us rode the KATY trail from Clinton to St. Charles Sept 20-26. 7 of us were riding mountain bikes or hybrids; 1 was riding a road bike. The road bike had 4 flat tires:o( We encountered rain throughout the week and the mountain bike and hybrids were most suitable for the varied conditions of the trail once wet. We ride road bikes throughout the year and also questioned which type bike to ride on the trail. We were very happy with our decision to take our mountain bikes.

I, too, am planning to ride the KATY the first week in April, 2010. I've got two bikes, on "fitness style" bike with 700x35 with nobbies and a road bike. I've chosen the fitness bike as I think it will handle the limestone better, is more pannier friendly and is a bit more stout. With the tires I have on it, it's pretty much like a cross bike, so it should be the right choice.



John

Hello everyone.... I'm in cloud 9..I completed entire Katy trail last

weekend... hurray! Of course, this is not a very big accomplishment

for people over here.. but is a big one for me due to my history.. 2

years back I could hardly walk 3 miles ... Poor stamina, unfit body...

but the beauty of Katy Trail inspired me.. So this year I set a goal

to complete the entire Katy in parts even though I didn't have company

or training. initially even I thought it is unrealistic, even my

friends laughed at me, but here I'm :) Thanks a million to my fiance

to kept motivating me.. I love you dear!

"Nothing is impossible if you have will power/determination"

Well.....Congratulations! I'd hope that you've become an inspiration to the nay sayers.



See ya on the trail!

Way to go! Now that the Katy has gotten in your blood, I'm sure you'll be back for LOTS more. Hoping for a mild winter (although most likely not), so we won't have to stay away from the Katy for too long! Congrats!

High fives to you Jiji! Way to go!

Excellent!!! What a great story. The beauty of the trail is enchanting. I hope you'll be back over and over. And tell all your friends. That really is amazing.

Great post!

To work hard to reach a personal goal is a great experience, congratulations.

Jiji,

I have a similar story as yours and did my end-to-end a couple years back. I won't bore you with all the details, but I just wanted to say Congrats!

GC

Thanks everyone. Hope to see you all in Katy soon.... :)

Good job!! Thanks for adding to the number of thru hikers. Urge others so the list continue to grow.

you kicked butt gurl!!!!!!! congrats. good job to your finance to for the support. way to go dude. glad to hear you made it. great job.

Jim made us a great cheeseburger and entertained us with his unique music abilities. Come prepared to sing!

Jim made us a great cheeseburger and entertained us with his unique music abilities. Come prepared to sing!

Who is Jimmy, and is he wanted some where?

Who is Jimmy, and is he wanted some where?

We spent two nights in Boonville. Our host at the B&B recommended Glen's on Friday night. The experience was so good there was no question that we would return on Saturday. They gave us a coupon for a reduced rate room in the hotel during the off season - I think we'll make the trip just for the food.......

We spent two nights in Boonville. Our host at the B&B recommended Glen's on Friday night. The experience was so good there was no question that we would return on Saturday. They gave us a coupon for a reduced rate room in the hotel during the off season - I think we'll make the trip just for the food.......

Stayed at the Hotel Frederick Labor Day Weekend........Super place unfortunately Glenn's is

closed on Sundays but from what I gather it is a great place. A beautiful restoration with a

great staff and located right on the trail at the Bridge. I rode in from Sedalia then on to Jeff

City.

Stayed at the Hotel Frederick Labor Day Weekend........Super place unfortunately Glenn's is

closed on Sundays but from what I gather it is a great place. A beautiful restoration with a

great staff and located right on the trail at the Bridge. I rode in from Sedalia then on to Jeff

City.

Glenn's isn't closed on Sundays. We had wonderful meals on two separate Sundays at Glenn's back in June. Perhaps closed just that Labor Day weekend Sunday?

Glenn's isn't closed on Sundays. We had wonderful meals on two separate Sundays at Glenn's back in June. Perhaps closed just that Labor Day weekend Sunday?

I want to concur. Glenn's is open on Sunday afternoons. The deal on Sunday is family-style dining on that day. Great food!

I want to concur. Glenn's is open on Sunday afternoons. The deal on Sunday is family-style dining on that day. Great food!

BEFORE you leave your hometown to cycle the Katy Trail, get in touch with Todd and Robin at Katy Bike Rental. We brought our own bikes so we didn't think we would need much help. Hah! Todd met us at the airport, and Lynn met us the next day AGAIN because our bikes hadn't arrived with us. She drove us to Sedalia, stayed close until she was sure we had the bikes assembled, and we ended up keeping in touch by phone, "rain shuttle" and emergency shuttle through the whole trip. When we finally got to their store in Defiance, we were surprised to see their prices are competitive with big city prices. These are the people to contact if you are nervous about taking the leap and going on your first long bike trip far away from home.

BEFORE you leave your hometown to cycle the Katy Trail, get in touch with Todd and Robin at Katy Bike Rental. We brought our own bikes so we didn't think we would need much help. Hah! Todd met us at the airport, and Lynn met us the next day AGAIN because our bikes hadn't arrived with us. She drove us to Sedalia, stayed close until she was sure we had the bikes assembled, and we ended up keeping in touch by phone, "rain shuttle" and emergency shuttle through the whole trip. When we finally got to their store in Defiance, we were surprised to see their prices are competitive with big city prices. These are the people to contact if you are nervous about taking the leap and going on your first long bike trip far away from home.

Hands down they are my favorite stop on the trail.

Hands down they are my favorite stop on the trail.

We loved our stay in Augusta last weekend. It was our last stop as we rode the Katy Trail from Sedalia to St. Charles, and everyone in the town was so friendly and welcoming. We spent the night at the Applegate Inn, which turned out to be our favorite inn along the trail. Lynne, the proprietor, went way beyond the usual attentiveness we had gotten used to on our journey, even calling in the evening to offer us a ride to the restaurant of our choice. The breakfast the next morning turned out to also be our lunch that day, all carefully packed by Lynne into a cute little gift bag. We will definitely return!

Oct. 06-09 Our stay @ the Globe was a very positive experience. We enjoyed the famous lemonade after eating at the bar next door. Jeanette was spot on with helpfulness. Each room had a sink in it(-: Even though the shower and tub were shared the lines were not long at all for thier use. Jeanette is continuously improving this jewel. The breakfast was very "healthy" and tasty. The hot hard boiled egg was very good. (nothing fried) We got warm muffins to go as we headed out. Thank you again!

As far as the cat issue: Denise is highly sensitive to dander and she had no problem during our stay. No hair floating around. Watch out for Frank the cat. He has his mug shot on the front door so you can recoginze him and keep him out of the house.

Oct. 06-09 Our stay @ the Globe was a very positive experience. We enjoyed the famous lemonade after eating at the bar next door. Jeanette was spot on with helpfulness. Each room had a sink in it(-: Even though the shower and tub were shared the lines were not long at all for thier use. Jeanette is continuously improving this jewel. The breakfast was very "healthy" and tasty. The hot hard boiled egg was very good. (nothing fried) We got warm muffins to go as we headed out. Thank you again!

As far as the cat issue: Denise is highly sensitive to dander and she had no problem during our stay. No hair floating around. Watch out for Frank the cat. He has his mug shot on the front door so you can recoginze him and keep him out of the house.

A friend and I rode from St. Charles to Sedalia September 6-10. This direction worked well for us and we had good weather the entire time. Both of us are leisure riders, with the longest training ride of only 40 miles. We rode alternative days of long, short, long, short, long (23-54 miles). Some other notes:



Great B&Bs:

o The Little House B&B, Marthasville - Had the entire house, 2 Bdrm, 1 bath, big kitchen & Living room. Great place. Secure shed for bikes.

o Meyers Hilltop Farm, McKittrick. Maggie & Eldon are wonderful hosts and Maggie makes a fantastic breakfast for riders. It carried us 54 miles! Hosts also drove us into Hermann for the afternoon and picked us up in the evening.

o The Globe B&B in Hartsburg was very comfortable. Nice place.

o School House B&B, Rocheport. Excellent, self-serve everything. Secure place for bikes. Flat-screen TV. Easy, continental breakfast.



Be careful when planning Monday & Tuesday meals as some restaurants, wineries and grocery stores are closed. We lucked out coming from the east by stopping near Hermann on a Monday. Those we talked to traveling West did not have such luck. We stopped our ride in Sedalia to take the train back to Kirkwood (St. Louis) but heard of poor trail conditions between Sedalia and Clinton and were glad we'd decided to stop in Sedalia.



Someone did unzip our bike bags during a downpour while we were at one of the wineries. Nothing stolen, but some wet stuff. Also saw some questionable riders around Clifton City. I recommend carrying pepper spray.



Met many, many nice bikers (of all levels) along the trail. All-in-all was a great trip!!

I believe we met Cindy in Hartsburg as we were riding west to east and stayed at the Globe. I am glad your trip was a success. We enjoyed ours very much and we have recommended the ride to friends.

We finally managed to get our photos from our ride from Clinton to St. Charles. Have a look at http://www.CTinsley.com



Cheers!



Carl & Linda

Good pictures. Thanks for sharing..

Those are great pictures. I'm hoping to plan a ride for my sisters, sister-in-laws and others next summer. I'm going to bookmark your pictures for them to look at to convince them to come to Missouri and ride the Katy Trail. Thanks so much.

Hi Cindy, I visited with you at the N. Jeff Trailhead.....How bout them Cyclones? Sorry UNI

has lost a couple but sure they will get back on track this week. Hope you had a great

ride...wasn't Hermann neat?