Katy Trail Forum

Someone from out of state sent me this note. Anyone who has taken a tandem or recumbent on Amtrak, please correct any misunderstanding (if any):



We were planning a trip next spring to do a good section of the Katy Trail. Things look promising when we saw that Amtrak went along the route and you could take your bike. What a cool trip take the train out from St Louis and ride the Katy trail back. Also from the prices it looked very economical. But as we dug into the details that was when things did fare well. Although we don''t think tandems are uncommon, we see three or four at least on every trail ride we have been on, Amtrak does''t consider them a "Normal" bicycle. Oh, but look you can check it as baggage if properly boxed. Great we said, we can do that. But wait a moment no checked baggage at the Kirkwood station. No problem, St Louis station allows checked baggage. No, no, no - stll have a problem because in Sedalia you can''t get check baggage off the train. Also it appears there might not be anny checked baggage allowed on the River Runner. Now we realize "speciality" bikes maybe are not the majority, but the make up a good portion. Recumbents, Tandems, Trikes, etc... appear to left out of this great opportunity. We may or may not actually come and do the Katy trail - we were planning on at least 5 days in the area, but perhaps another spot will be more to our liking. Pass on to people who have the power to change policy; Amtrak who claim to be a vital part of the Katy trail need to work a little more with the ability to bring all types of bicyles onto the train.

No misunderstandings....just a comment or two.



It would probably be most effective for the dismayed tandem riders to contact Amtrak themselves. Third hand information in an effort to get someone to correct a problem is often not real effective. If it's that important to you.....then you need to go to the source.



It's kind of like complaining on this forum about the cost of Coke and poor ambiance in Clinton.

Oh I don't know Trek. That wasn't nearly as bad as the doofus from Sedalia whining about his fried chicken order every time they go. My first question would be Why is there and "every time?"

We just had a wonderful week long trip on the KATY trail, taking the train from Washington to Sedalia. We took 4 bikes on the train, one of them being a recumbent. It is not a matter of Amtrak excluding tandems, but a tandem simply will not make the sharp narrow turn necessary to bring the bike aboard the train, nor will a tandem fit in the place where the bikes are stored for the trip. It is the length of the bike that prevents it from boarding the train. Additionally, the train only stops for a couple minutes and is boarded quickly at the stop.

I have been trying to get a grip on the Amtrak situation in regard to the Katy Trail. Can someone tell me in what towns the amtrak actually stops and if you can board with a bike or take a bike off at all or only some. I am talking about a regular bike for this instance. I tried to look at the rates on the Amtrak site...but it seemed as though I could only get on in KC, Sedalia, and a couple of other major towns along the trail. Any help on this topic would be appreciated.

I think there are maps/info on the Amtrak website to let you know station locations. I've had some of my best luck calling and getting info direct from Amtrak...on the phone while navigating their site.



There is an interesting article on crazyguyonabike.com by Dale Oswald titled "Rail Transport Using Amtrak" that may be of interest to some following this thread. At the CGOB site, click on the Articles tab and go to page 5 to find the Amtrak article.



Cindy from IN is correct about the length of a tandem being the prohibitor on Amtrak....for an assembled tandem. Most tandem riders are quite aware of the length of their machine and the limitations that may create when their bike is at length. S&S couplers were a great invention for longbike riders to take their bike with them in limited space situations.

2010 is the 20th anniversary of the Katy Trail. A week long celebration is in the works for June 2010 to celebrate! The communities along the trail are being encouraged to get involved and host events that would make the treasure that the Katy already is even better! If anyone has any suggestions that we could do to make this event a success I would love to hear them.

We can hope that St Charles to Machens is completed in time to celebrate the 20th anniversary.

Right....we can also hope that the Grand Opening of the KC to Windsor leg is part of that 20th anniversary celebration.

Does the week you are referencing coincide with the week of the annual DNR ride?

The 20th anniversary actually encompasses from May 28 to June 20. This would incorporate

towns along the entire Katy trail to participate with an existing event or one they just do for

2010. This all leads up to the Katy Trail Ride which starts on June 21st. It would be art,

music, cultural or anything a community would like to do become part of this event. We are

hoping that a lot of riders would plan a trip during this time frame to come to Missouri and

the trail.

Linda

The Event committee of the Katy Trails Merchants and Communities organization is trying to come up with a name for the 20th anniversary of the Katy Trail celebration. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm thinking out loud here, but I was thinking of the y2k thing several years back, and came up with KT2X.

How about "Katy Trail 20th Anniversary"

How about naming it 20th Anniversary of the Katy Trail Celebration?

How about 2010-MKTXX

I spoke with Eddie a week prior to our bike trip from Rocheport to arrange a shuttle. We were biking east and wanted to be transported back to Rocheport at the end of the day. He quoted us a price of $1 a mile with a maximum of $35. I told him we would have 4 bikes and 4 people and he said the price would oover everyone and just to call on a cell when we needed to be picked up. When we called from the trail he wanted to know how many bikes we had and when I told him we had 4 bikes, 2 recumbents and 2 regular bikes, he said he had no way to haul recumbents. He said he would see "what he could find" and would call us back. He located a truck and a van and called us back and said that he would be there in 45 minutes. It took him an hour and a half and he piled our bikes into the back of a truck (no racks) and we rode in his van (very dirty, old and no seat belts). When we all got back to Rocheport he told us it would be $48 and I told him about the maximum $35 he had quoted. He argued with me and finally just accepted the $35. I felt this service was very unprofessional and was definitley the "low point" of our otherwise wonderful weekend.

I spoke with Eddie a week prior to our bike trip from Rocheport to arrange a shuttle. We were biking east and wanted to be transported back to Rocheport at the end of the day. He quoted us a price of $1 a mile with a maximum of $35. I told him we would have 4 bikes and 4 people and he said the price would oover everyone and just to call on a cell when we needed to be picked up. When we called from the trail he wanted to know how many bikes we had and when I told him we had 4 bikes, 2 recumbents and 2 regular bikes, he said he had no way to haul recumbents. He said he would see "what he could find" and would call us back. He located a truck and a van and called us back and said that he would be there in 45 minutes. It took him an hour and a half and he piled our bikes into the back of a truck (no racks) and we rode in his van (very dirty, old and no seat belts). When we all got back to Rocheport he told us it would be $48 and I told him about the maximum $35 he had quoted. He argued with me and finally just accepted the $35. I felt this service was very unprofessional and was definitley the "low point" of our otherwise wonderful weekend.

That sure doesn't sound like a highlight....but just reading your post, you pulled a change-up on the guy telling him after the fact that you had special or differing circumstances.



It seems that to the layman a bike is a two wheeler, upright, conventional system. Amtrak seems to have the same idea. You can haul a "bike" on the train, but not a tandem or a recumbent. When you ride a tandem or recumbent, I think the burden is on us to explain how it differs from a regular bike when we wish to transport, ship, etc. as they do have different requirements. Or at least let the carrier know ahead of time what you want hauled. I sure can't haul our tandem the same way as the half bikes.

That sure doesn't sound like a highlight....but just reading your post, you pulled a change-up on the guy telling him after the fact that you had special or differing circumstances.



It seems that to the layman a bike is a two wheeler, upright, conventional system. Amtrak seems to have the same idea. You can haul a "bike" on the train, but not a tandem or a recumbent. When you ride a tandem or recumbent, I think the burden is on us to explain how it differs from a regular bike when we wish to transport, ship, etc. as they do have different requirements. Or at least let the carrier know ahead of time what you want hauled. I sure can't haul our tandem the same way as the half bikes.

Sounds like you owe O'Bryans the $13 to me. Not fully disclosing the special requirements of you transportation needs was not proper Katy Trail etiquette.

Sounds like you owe O'Bryans the $13 to me. Not fully disclosing the special requirements of you transportation needs was not proper Katy Trail etiquette.

FWIW - I agree with the other posters

FWIW - I agree with the other posters

Sounds like Eddie lost money on you, went out of his way to help in special circumstances, and to top it off you diss him here. Hope you didn't give him your name.

Sounds like Eddie lost money on you, went out of his way to help in special circumstances, and to top it off you diss him here. Hope you didn't give him your name.

He took a truck AND a van to get you and the bikes to Rocheport? I think Eddie should have told you it would be $48 before you got into the vehicles, not after he dropped you off, but for $35 you got a pretty good deal.

He took a truck AND a van to get you and the bikes to Rocheport? I think Eddie should have told you it would be $48 before you got into the vehicles, not after he dropped you off, but for $35 you got a pretty good deal.

Wow, guess I stirred up a storm. My purpose in telling my experience is so that anyone else who may be needing a shuttle will understand what they need to do perhaps and avoid possibly being stranded on the trail as I thought we were. It is difficult to explain without writing a "book" all the conversation that took place with this shuttle experience. Suffice it to say that I DID tell him or one of his employees before the trip what kind of bicycles we would be riding. After he picked us up, he said that the bikes we had would have been no problem with his regular van, he thought we had "tandems" or one of "those really long bikes" in his words. After riding 20 miles and being on the trail for 6 hours, our first conversation with him through the cell call seemed to us would result in us having to pedal all the way back to Rocheport and not get there before dark. I just think that a business that advertises a bike shuttle service would be more prepared, professional, and timely.

Wow, guess I stirred up a storm. My purpose in telling my experience is so that anyone else who may be needing a shuttle will understand what they need to do perhaps and avoid possibly being stranded on the trail as I thought we were. It is difficult to explain without writing a "book" all the conversation that took place with this shuttle experience. Suffice it to say that I DID tell him or one of his employees before the trip what kind of bicycles we would be riding. After he picked us up, he said that the bikes we had would have been no problem with his regular van, he thought we had "tandems" or one of "those really long bikes" in his words. After riding 20 miles and being on the trail for 6 hours, our first conversation with him through the cell call seemed to us would result in us having to pedal all the way back to Rocheport and not get there before dark. I just think that a business that advertises a bike shuttle service would be more prepared, professional, and timely.

Your "purpose in telling" your "experience is so that anyone else who may be needing a shuttle will understand what they need to do perhaps and avoid possibly being stranded on the trail as I thought we were."



For real now? That was your purpose, but yet you did not provide any sage advice to help anyone understand what they needed to do. I offered advice, not you. You thought you were stranded, but you weren't? I thought I had hit a deer north of Pilot Grove a couple of years ago and visions of me all skinned up, bloody, with a bike I couldn't ride flashed through my head. But actually, I jammed on the brakes and missed hitting her hind quarter by inches. Darn...good story gone bad there.



And all in all, each person in your group paid $8.75 to be shuttled 20 miles with their bike. Maybe they could be more prepaired, more professional, or faster on the draw....but it only cost you the price of a burger and some greasy fries!

Your "purpose in telling" your "experience is so that anyone else who may be needing a shuttle will understand what they need to do perhaps and avoid possibly being stranded on the trail as I thought we were."



For real now? That was your purpose, but yet you did not provide any sage advice to help anyone understand what they needed to do. I offered advice, not you. You thought you were stranded, but you weren't? I thought I had hit a deer north of Pilot Grove a couple of years ago and visions of me all skinned up, bloody, with a bike I couldn't ride flashed through my head. But actually, I jammed on the brakes and missed hitting her hind quarter by inches. Darn...good story gone bad there.



And all in all, each person in your group paid $8.75 to be shuttled 20 miles with their bike. Maybe they could be more prepaired, more professional, or faster on the draw....but it only cost you the price of a burger and some greasy fries!

Hey Trek! Have you noticed he never has used a name or hometown? Must not be TOO proud of his "advice" of which I didn't see any, just whining. Or maybe he DID give Eddie his name and doesn't want it spread around. Or maybe he'll Man Up and call Eddie to apologize and pay his due.

Hey Trek! Have you noticed he never has used a name or hometown? Must not be TOO proud of his "advice" of which I didn't see any, just whining. Or maybe he DID give Eddie his name and doesn't want it spread around. Or maybe he'll Man Up and call Eddie to apologize and pay his due.

I guess I just don't understand some people. It cost less than 9 bucks a person with their bike and there has to be something wrong?



Someone wasn't as professional, as fast, or as prepaired as they should have been for only 9 bucks?



How do folks afford to ride a bent who quibble over pocket change? What on earth do people expect for only 9 bucks?

I guess I just don't understand some people. It cost less than 9 bucks a person with their bike and there has to be something wrong?



Someone wasn't as professional, as fast, or as prepaired as they should have been for only 9 bucks?



How do folks afford to ride a bent who quibble over pocket change? What on earth do people expect for only 9 bucks?

Geez, these people jump through hoops for you and all you have to do is complain and stiff them? Sounds like next time they just need to leave you on the trail and tell you to find your own transport.



You don't ride the trail and expect a butler and chauffer waiting for you at every waypoint.

Geez, these people jump through hoops for you and all you have to do is complain and stiff them? Sounds like next time they just need to leave you on the trail and tell you to find your own transport.



You don't ride the trail and expect a butler and chauffer waiting for you at every waypoint.

I stranded myself on the trail last year- exhausted. I called the guy out of Rocheport (I don't think he is still there). He came and got me took me back to Rocheport, helped me find a room, and checked on me later to see if I was okay. He couldn't have been nicer but his service was expensive. But, he was well worth every dollar. He went thru a lot of difficulty getting me back to safty. I think you owe more than $13. Next time make sure your daddy knows where you are.

I stranded myself on the trail last year- exhausted. I called the guy out of Rocheport (I don't think he is still there). He came and got me took me back to Rocheport, helped me find a room, and checked on me later to see if I was okay. He couldn't have been nicer but his service was expensive. But, he was well worth every dollar. He went thru a lot of difficulty getting me back to safty. I think you owe more than $13. Next time make sure your daddy knows where you are.

Being in the transportation business myself, i realized all to well how hard it is to be equipped for every situation. I rely on my customers to fully apprise me of their transportation needs. I also will say that 1 dollar per mile is cheap as most companies who carry bikes charge 1.50 to 2.00 plus hauling fees for bicycles. Any taxicab may be found dirty at given points in time (they are public transportation), however state inspections dictate that the seat belts are installed in these vehicles. I have used O'Bryan's Taxi service on several occasions when visiting Boonville and have always found them to be courteous and helpful.

Being in the transportation business myself, i realized all to well how hard it is to be equipped for every situation. I rely on my customers to fully apprise me of their transportation needs. I also will say that 1 dollar per mile is cheap as most companies who carry bikes charge 1.50 to 2.00 plus hauling fees for bicycles. Any taxicab may be found dirty at given points in time (they are public transportation), however state inspections dictate that the seat belts are installed in these vehicles. I have used O'Bryan's Taxi service on several occasions when visiting Boonville and have always found them to be courteous and helpful.

I am very grateful to the transportation offered me and my four freinds and our bikes (regular) from Rocheport to Boonville. It wasn't O'Bryans, but Brett from Mighty Mo Canoe Rental picked us up at the General Store and packed our bikes for us and was very nice and accomadating. I don't think shuttling is his business necessarily. But we were very glad he was willing to help. My friend had hurt her knee and couldn't ride back the 13 miles to Boonville, beside the fact it had gotten quite cool by 4:30. I think the lesson here is make sure you tell the service what you have before you ask for a price. And as far as the dirty van...if it was late in the day at all....dirty bikes and bikers can do that.Kudos to the owner of the General Store and Brett at Mighty MO for all their help!!! Four Stranded Cyclists

I am very grateful to the transportation offered me and my four freinds and our bikes (regular) from Rocheport to Boonville. It wasn't O'Bryans, but Brett from Mighty Mo Canoe Rental picked us up at the General Store and packed our bikes for us and was very nice and accomadating. I don't think shuttling is his business necessarily. But we were very glad he was willing to help. My friend had hurt her knee and couldn't ride back the 13 miles to Boonville, beside the fact it had gotten quite cool by 4:30. I think the lesson here is make sure you tell the service what you have before you ask for a price. And as far as the dirty van...if it was late in the day at all....dirty bikes and bikers can do that.Kudos to the owner of the General Store and Brett at Mighty MO for all their help!!! Four Stranded Cyclists

Bed and Breakfast is off the beaten path and away from town. You have to drive through an asphalt plant to get there. The mansion is beautiful, but in need of repairs and upkeep, but the rooms were fine.



Stayed in the Scarlett O'Hara suite, which is overpriced, but the room and jacuzzi tub were a nice retreat after a day of riding.



Staff was friendly and attentive.

Bed and Breakfast is off the beaten path and away from town. You have to drive through an asphalt plant to get there. The mansion is beautiful, but in need of repairs and upkeep, but the rooms were fine.



Stayed in the Scarlett O'Hara suite, which is overpriced, but the room and jacuzzi tub were a nice retreat after a day of riding.



Staff was friendly and attentive.

We almost left before ordering, because it took so long just to get water. But, we are glad we stayed, our lunch was Turkey on Pretzel Roll with Avacado and Quesidillas were both excellent.



Will definitely return.

We almost left before ordering, because it took so long just to get water. But, we are glad we stayed, our lunch was Turkey on Pretzel Roll with Avacado and Quesidillas were both excellent.



Will definitely return.