Katy Trail Forum

My husband and I are planning a ride this summer and would like to find others to share the cost of a shuttle starting at St. Louis and dropping us off in Clinton. We have not decided on the actual dates but we are looking at sometime in July. This can be changed. Is anyone interested?

We are Lococo House ll B&B, we shuttle to Clinton ------ you can call 636-946-0619 or e-mail us a Rhonaloc@charter.net for prices and availabity

You might also want to add yourself to the Share a Shuttle web page.

Hey Janet-- Why not do the DNR ride? It's sag-supported, includes shuttle, and is a great way to meet other riders...It's June 21-26, if your dates are more flexible...

How much does the DNR ride cost? How do I get more info on the ride?

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Subject: 2009 DNR Ride?

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.....check out the MO Dept. of Natural Resources site at:



www.mostateparks.com/katytrail/2009ride.htm

- posted 1/3/2009 11:10:19 AM by Trek

Hi, Janet. I wish I could remember how much, exactly, my husband and I paid for last year's total trip. We paid more, because we stayed in hotels, and took advantage of the DNR shuttle from the trailhead/camping area to those hotels.



I want to say it was around $1,200 for both of us for the whole, well-choreographed shebang-- shuttle to the starting/ending place, T-shirt, water bottle, gift bags, orientation, hotel shuttles, bike/luggage/camping gear shuttles, sag stops every 10 miles or so (peanut butter, bananas, water, powerade), roving bike mechanics, breakfasts, dinners, evening entertainment, katy trail map/guidebook and ride info, trivia game, poker run-- there's a lot to it.



You might have to pay for lunches and evening entertainment away from the camp siteif you choose to do so, but really, you can even skate by just eating at the SAG areas and taking advantage of the post-dinner entertainment the DNR provides.



It's really special, and would provide a great overview of the trail for you in terms of terrain, history, amenities along the way, etc. Not to mention the fabulous people you can meet.

Thanks Biker for all the info. I'll have to check it out. I'm not sure if we will be able to get off work in June but we will look into it. Thanks again, Janet

FORGET THE SHUTTLE--TAKE AMTRAK TO SEDALIA NAD PEDAL TO CLINTON. TRUTHFULLY, THE SECTION FROM CLINTON TO SEDALIA IS UNREMARKABLE...YOU WILL MISS NOTHING IF YOU EXCLUDE IT. IF THE SCHEDULE IS THE SAME AS 2005 AMTRAK WILL HAVE YOU IN SEDALIA SOMETIME AROUND NOON...AN EASY DISTANCE TO BOONEVILLE FROM THERE.

Thanks for the suggestion, but we cannot take Amtrak with a tandem bike because you have to box it up and check it. The Sedalia stop does not have a check baggage station so we wouldn't be able to get our bike off the train.

The in store amount due for a U-Haul in Clinton is approx. $90 for a one way to St. Charles.....of course you'd have gas expense on top of that. Shuttleing yourself would let you move at you're own pace and check out things along the way. Sometimes it's nice to know the lay of the land before you get there by bike. Although hills are not as much an issue as they are on a half bike, the U-Haul would let you check out the highway leading up to the bistro in Rocheport, the ferry ride across the Gasconade River south west of Hermann to eat at the River's Edge restaurant, Hermann Hill B&B, etc. I don't know how this stacks up pricewise here in MO with the shuttle folks, but it is an option that lets you move at your own pace and make a few discoveries that are worth a short diversion off I-70 and the trail.

Yippeee! DNR just posted the info for the June 21-26 ride. JANET-- I was wrong, I think it's much cheaper than the $1,200 I estimated earlier. To participate and camp, it's only $250 per adult rider (that includes meals except lunch).

to Janet in Columbia ---- call me at 636-946-0619 ---- we can shuttle a tandem ----- I will let you know costs and detais

to Steve in KC ----we can take you from ST. Charles to Lambert, then to train station ------ call 636-946-0619 for details

Hey Trek, Uhaul is a great idea. We are now looking into it. What a great suggestion we hadn't thought of that! Thanks a lot!!!!!

You're welcome....it's an out of the box method to some, but it's known to work as long as the rental/drop off points are doable. And, their smallest truck is plenty big to haul a bike....even a longbike. We have half bikes that we ride on the trails and a longbike for the pavement. We did ride the longbike last summer on the Katy and got along alright with it. It has 700x28's on it and they worked fine. I hate seeing my baby so dusty tho!

Trek, You must be a genius. Your always providing great advice to Katy trail users. Thanks! And I agree, why pay for an overpriced shuttle when better methods of transportation are available.



Paulie

Trek, did you directly call Uhaul? I have been looking online and it looks like we will have to get a truck for over $200 for the trip from St. Charles to Clinton. Did you rent a small pick up or van? The small pickups and vans look like they are only for local hauling not for one way trips. How did you get a deal of $90?

Looking online at the small truck...."The in store amount due for a U-Haul in Clinton is approx. $90 for a one way to St. Charles..." It may cost more to U-Haul from St. Charles to Clinton. It may be more cost effective for you to drive to Clinton and U-Haul to St. Chuck. U-Hauling is a viable option "as long as the rental/drop off points are doable."

Out of curiosity, I ran the Clinton to St. Charles route, and then the St. Charles to Clinton route through the UHaul website and get the $90(Clinton to St. Charles) vs. $200(St. Charles to Clinton) charges.



I checked another big town to little town route and vice versa, and get similar differences. I'm no economist, but I would guess these differences is caused by the old "economies of scale theory" or some variation of it.

The difference in 1-way rates is based on how likely it will be that the unit gets rented at the target destination. In other words, there is a much better chance someone will rent the unit in St. Charles than there is that it will be rented in Clinton.

We have a tandem and are also interested in a shuttle from St. Louis to Clinton in July. Give me a call at 618-278-4791.

CAN'T HELP IT BUT I KEEP THINKING ABOUT THIS LOGISTICAL PROBLEM....



I HAD MENTIONED AMTRAK NOT KNOWING THERE WAS A TANDEM INVOLVED. HOWEVER, OVERALL LENGTH OF THE BICYCLE I TOOK ON THE TRAIN WAS 66". THE FRAME OF MY TANDEM IS JUST OVER THAT. ONE THOUGHT--BAG THE WHEELS, THE FRAME WILL FIT IN THE BIKE SPACE ON THE TRAIN (HAVE YOUR BUNGEE CORDS READY). WRAP THE CHAIN IN SARAN WRAP, TAPE CARDBOARD AROUND THE REAR DERAILLER, HAVE THE BARS TURNED 90 DEGREES. BOARD THE TRAIN IN ST. LOUIS WHERE THEY HAVE A LITTLE LAY TIME.



WILL IT FLY? THE TANDEM FRAME USES THE SAME AMOUNT OF SPACE AS A SINGLE BIKE. THE WHEELS IN BAGS ARE CARRY-ON LUGGAGE. THE TRAIN CREW I RODE WITH WAS VERY CUSTOMER FRIENDLY--NOT LIKE THE CAPITOL LIMITED. A WELL PLACED $20.00 BILL MAY HELP.



THE OTHER OPTION I THOUGHT OF WAS TO SHIP YOUR BOXED BIKE TO EITHER SEDALIA OR CLINTON VIA UPS. THERE WAS A BIKE SHOP IN SEDALIA WHEN I WAS THERE IN '06. SHIPPING IT THERE COULD BE AN OPTION.



J.B.

AS A POST-SCRIPT TO MY LAST COMMENT.....



IF YOU LIVE CLOSE TO ST. LOUIS STOP BY THE STATION WHEN THE TRAIN IS THERE (VERY EARLY) AND TALK TO THE CONDUCTOR ABOUT TAKING THE TANDEM FRAME ON-BOARD. THEY HAVE WIGGLE ROOM AS TO WHAT THEY CAN DO.....I SAW A GENT BRING A TRAILER ON BOARD WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE A NO-NO.

Some good ideas JB. If you bag wheels, etc. and ship your bike to your start point, what do you do with all that stuff while on your ride? S & S couplers do work well, but there is an issue of the what to do with the hard case...I guess send them back to your end point UPS?

TREK,



TO SHIP A TANDEM, GET TWO CARDBOARD BIKE BOXES FROM YOUR DEALER (THEY ARE SHIPPED IN CARDBOARD) AND TELESCOPE THE BOXES OR GET A CARDBOARD BOX A TANDEM WAS SHIPPED TO A DEALER IN. A LITTLE SHIPPING TAPE, SOME STYRAFOAM BLOCKS, A LITTLE INGENUITY, PROBLEM SOLVED. THE GENT WHO OPERATES "GEAR TO GO TANDEMS" (ELMIRA, NY) WILL ANSWER QUESTIONS LIKE THESE ON HIS WEB SITE.



J.B.

Thanks J.B...... But, I didn't ask how to ship a longbike. I've shipped ours and understand the packing rigors. My questions were in relation to the original post. Let's pretend Janet ships her tandem to Clinton and then picks it up at the local UPS store. (Now enter my questions....something to think about if in fact she did ship her longbike to Clinton as suggested). She picks her bike up and has either a sizeable cardboard box and packing that she needs to dispose of....or if her bike has an S&S system possibly a hard case that she may need to then ship back to her ride trip end point.

OK, LAST POST.....



SHIP THE TANDEM TO A BIKE SHOP IN SEDALIA (THERE ARE 2), PAY THEM TO PUT IT TOGETHER--THE SHOP CAN DISPOSE OF THE PACKING. GO TO SEDALIA BY AMTRAK. THE CLINTON TO SEDALIA SECTION IS RATHER BORING ANYWAY.



THAT'S THE LAST 2 CENTS I GOT. GOOD LUCK ON THE TRIP.



J.B.

If you need a place to ship the bike, we get Fedex and UPS shipments here daily and I would

be happy to receive it and store it until she gets here. We can get rid of the packing so that's

not an issue. I am afraid I could not put it together for her but I am sure she could manage

that. We are always willing to help the bikers in any way we can and we are right on the Trail.

We have a tandem and are also interested in a shuttle from St. Louis to Clinton in July. Give me a call at 618-278-4791.

- posted 3/11/2009 5:43:59 AM by Brad

Brad, I am sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I will call you to see if you are still wanting to share a shuttle. I am not sure how much a shuttle would be so I will have to call some of the shuttle services. We are planning on getting to Clinton on July 26 and starting our ride July 27. Thanks.

Brad, I am sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I will call you to see if you are still wanting to share a shuttle. I am not sure how much a shuttle would be so I will have to call some of the shuttle services. We are planning on getting to Clinton on July 26 and starting our ride July 27. Thanks.

Has anyone ever parked their car overnight for 3 nights here?

yes, many times. Just let the St Charles police know and you should have no problems

We parked it for 5 days last year, no problems at all! When we called the police they said we diddn't really need to tell them and that they seldom have problems reported! Never hurts to give them a ring though! Enjoy your ride.

Does anyone have a bike route from Frontier Park to the Amtrak Station in Kirkwood. I have been quoted $70 for a two rider/bike schuttle and would prefer to ride the route if possible/safe. Thanks much.

we will shuttle for 25.00 plus a nights stay at the beginning or end of your ride -----call 636-946-0619 ----- Lococo House ll

You can take the trail to the Page ave bridge which has a bike path, then to Creve Couer Park here is a link to a discussion about this.

http://www.bikekatytrail.com/amtrak.asp



Allen

you can take the trail back to Page ave bridge which has a bike path. Here is a link to a discussion about this.http://www.bikekatytrail.com/amtrak.asp

Are there any groceries at the general store?

Are there any groceries at the general store?

I was just at the General Store last Saturday. They have a small stock of sundries and basics food items such as milk, bread, snacks, water, beer, wine, etc. They sell ice cream and I think they have a small deli case with some cheese and meats. It is also a cafe, and they have great live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Check them out at www.rocheportgeneralstore.com

I was just at the General Store last Saturday. They have a small stock of sundries and basics food items such as milk, bread, snacks, water, beer, wine, etc. They sell ice cream and I think they have a small deli case with some cheese and meats. It is also a cafe, and they have great live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Check them out at www.rocheportgeneralstore.com

Thanks Wren.



Allen

Thanks Wren.



Allen

How far is parking to the trail? Is there a bike trail from the trail to the parking lot? We are planning on having a shuttle pick us up at this parking lot and shuttle us up about 75 miles. That way when we finish, we are at our cars.

The Page/364 bridge parking lot is right next to the Katy Trail. However, the trail is at river level, and the parking lot is at bridge level, so there is a hill to climb to get from trail to parking lot. It's about 1/4 mile of paved trail, designed as switchbacks - you can see a partial picture at the Page Bridge Missouri River crossing web page.

Does anyone know if Steamboat Junction is open? Will be passing through there this summer on a thru hike (yes walking the KT) and would like to stay there.

They were last fall, but every time I talk to the owner she talks about closing. You might call before you start walking.

If Steamboat Junction isn't open, about 200 yards further is Rendleman's B&B and campground.

Anybody got the mile marker for the Mo Research Park connector? Any chance of adding

this to the Mileage Chart? I know it's approximately 6 miles from Greens Bottom, but I'm a

perfectionist!

Somewhere a bit south (1/4 to 1/2 mile?) of MM 052. 52.5? I was going to pin it down, but got a flat with catastrophic tire damage and had to turn around before getting to the actual connector trail. I was real close, though...



Next time I'm out there I'll get a more accurate location for you.

To be a little more descriptive, I was heading south, and had just passed MM52. Maybe 300 yards past. I could see the connector trail in the distance. So close, yet so far. :)

According to google maps it is 9.7 miles from the St. Louis airport to the trail in St Charles. But it is on interstate highway. Does anybody know a feasible bike rout?

You'll find some suggestions on this page: Getting from St Louis Lambert Airport to the Katy Trail.



Good luck!

I haven't ridden this whole route, but I recommend you avoid rush hour and try to do it on

the weekend, unless you are comfortable riding in traffic.

I'm planning a trail trip for early Sept. What do the experts think (Doug K?) is a reasonable number of miles to travel per day for a weekend trail rider? I'm crossing my fingers that the trail to Machens is finished by then.

Cycling the entire Katy in a 2 day weekend is do-able, but I wouldn't recommend it. When the trail first opened (Sedalia to St. Charles) my 11 year old son and I cycled the entire trail on a three day weekend (Columbus Day Weekend). We carried our tent, bedrolls, food, etc on our bikes. We completed all but the last 15 miles before we lost daylight, but we finished that off the following Saturday.

We didn't really have a lot of time to sightsee, but did get lots of beautiful pictures and made memories to last a lifetime. He'll be 24 this summer and wants to do it again this October. If your not busy over Columbus Day weekend, maybe we'll see you.

Not sure of biking it, I've just hiled it.

Sorry. Hiked

Thanks Ike and Doug. Ours will be a leisurely ride. We'll be a month ahead of you Ike, but maybe we'll catch you on one of our Oct day trips!



Any recommendations on must-see towns, markers, or B&Bs? I'm familiar with St. Chuck to Treloar but not beyond and not overnight.

Nice towns?? I would say Hermann (lots of B&Bs) Hartsburg is a nice little town (Globe Hotel?) Rocheport is always nice. Boonville is nice and The Frederick Hotel and Glenn's Cafe shouldn't be missed. Sedalia is good and had a number of lodging options (I liked the Hotel Bothwell). Clinton seems nice, too, but that's where I started on the hike and didn't get to see a lot of it.

I rode from Jeff City to Alton last summer (about 150 miles). I rode 65 miles the first day with all my gear for camping - not so bad. The second day I rode 85 miles and it did me in. I would suggest doing about 50-60 miles per day. I am doing this again this summer over 3 days instead of two.

One thing to keep in mind when guesstimating your mileage is the trail surface - it's

packed, crushed stone, not paved. What that really means is that you'll go slower for the

same amount of effort compared to riding on a paved road. How much is hard to say. For

me, I typicall found myself going 10-20% slower for the same apparent effort.



Other things to consider are direction - the prevailing winds are west-ish to east-ish, so

travel speed will be impacted. How much depends on you, and on the winds.



Also, when it rains, the trail softens up, making it slower. How much, again, depends on

how much rain in the past (weeks, months...) DNR is good at maintaining the trail but they

can't generally do miracles. (In one instance I sunk up to my axles in mud... blech)



Finally, the western sections do have some hills, so you might be a bit slower in those

sections (I sure am).

Appreciate the recommendations. I intend to start in Clinton, taking advantage of the winds and getting the hills out of the way. In the meantime, I'll keep my eyes open for progress beyond St. Charles - and for comments from the experts here.

The mileage all depends on you! For a recreational, occasional cyclist, 30-40 miles might be an effort. If you ride fairly regularly, 50-60 miles is doable. For seasoned, rabid, trained cyclists used to long distance riding, doing 100+ miles on sequential days isn't that bad. Many people have done the whole trail in one go...had to use lights for an hour or so. Heck, Lance Armstrong and the other pro's just did 190 miles in one day for the Milan San Remo race, and they had mountains to contend with! Have fun!

I agree 50 miles is doeable, but 40 may be a better goal (remember, you have to do this

several days in a row). However, two factors can affect that. Like above, we estimate we

are 2 mph slower on the Katy than the road. If the trail is damp, it could be more. Also,

if it gets HOT in the afternoon--you may want out of the heat by then. We set a brisk

pace so we can be at our destination around lunch. Then shower, nap and explore.



Also, some stretches require a longer ride. As I recall, there are some places out west

where the B&B's (if that's your goal) are farther apart. For our trips, that can be the

biggest obstacles--stringing together our ideal transportation, food and B&B's.



Another option is some longer days and some shorter days.

We recently rode the trail all the way from Clinton to St. Charles. We stayed at Meyers Hilltop on March 17th. Maggie and Eldon are great hosts. They gave us a ride into Herman for Dinner and even stopped at the grocery store for us so we could restock our energy bar supply for the next day's ride. Breakfast was fabulous - Oatmeal buttermilk pancakes! We were the first riders of the season and this was a welcome stop. I would highly reccomend this B&B - thank you Maggie and Eldon.



Mike T

We recently rode the trail all the way from Clinton to St. Charles. We stayed at Meyers Hilltop on March 17th. Maggie and Eldon are great hosts. They gave us a ride into Herman for Dinner and even stopped at the grocery store for us so we could restock our energy bar supply for the next day's ride. Breakfast was fabulous - Oatmeal buttermilk pancakes! We were the first riders of the season and this was a welcome stop. I would highly reccomend this B&B - thank you Maggie and Eldon.



Mike T

We ate at Abigails this past week (March 15th) and the food was outstanding. The best meal we had on our ride.



Mike T

We ate at Abigails this past week (March 15th) and the food was outstanding. The best meal we had on our ride.



Mike T

We stayed at the Hotel Bothwell on our recent ride on the KATY (March 14 -19th) A wonderful place to stay. They stored our bikes with no problems and were very nice. The Ivory Grill had good food and is right on the first floor. Also, the 5th street brewery has a great porter and it is just down the block on the main square. We enjoyed our stay at the Bothwell.



Mike T

We stayed at the Hotel Bothwell on our recent ride on the KATY (March 14 -19th) A wonderful place to stay. They stored our bikes with no problems and were very nice. The Ivory Grill had good food and is right on the first floor. Also, the 5th street brewery has a great porter and it is just down the block on the main square. We enjoyed our stay at the Bothwell.



Mike T

My wife and I rode from Clinton to St. Charles this last week (March 14th - 19th). We think we were the first to ride the whole trail this season? We had the week off for spring break and took a chance on the weather - it was beautiful. 70's most days.



Meyers Hilltop(McKittrick) was wonderful. The buttermilk oatmeal pancakes were great. Free transport into Herman and Maggie and Eldon were outstanding hosts. The Lindenhof in Augusta was also excellent. The rasberry french toast was out of this world. The amtrack ride back to Sedalia worked out really well. This was our first long term ride and we loved it!



The only negative was in Jeff City - the motel listing at Holts summit is not anywhere near the trail and they do not have a shuttle - I would not stay there again. They promised a shuttle and then when we go to the trailhead they said they didn't have one.



Also, if you stay in Rocheport, Abigail's is a great place to eat - we had the best meal of the entire trip there. Sounds like all we did was eat - sorry. We visited winery's in Herman and the wine we shipped home is already here.



I would encourage anyone to take a ride on the KATY, it was a great trip!!



Mike T

My wife & I are planning a trip from St. Charles to Boonville in June. Is that section of the trail open? Is there anything we should know about it before we go?

Plan ahead.



MO can be hot in June so always carry more water than you think you need.



Make sure you have some bike tools,pump/compressed air,a couple spare tubes and a patch kit. Know how to change a flat before learning how on the trail.



Carry a phone. It may not work everywhere, but its better than nothing.



Lodging. Get reservations at B&B,Hotel,or campground. Make sure you have a place to stay before you leave.



Read some of the past theads on this site about others experiences on the Katy. That's what helped me plan my first trip.



Enjoy the trail and have fun !!!



Paulie

Right on target Paulie.



When it's hot out...don't let water become an issue. Always top off your bottles/camelback when you come across water. That way you're always packing all that you can. I'd reather carry the extra weight and not need it, than need water and not have it.



If you are not a seasoned trail rider, make sure your bike seat gets along well with your hind side. Several days in a row on a bike seat can be pretty rough if you are not used to it. And, know that the rolling resistence on a chat trail is not as good as the pavement. Although the trail is generally flat and level, you'll have to pedal to keep moving.



Take your time and enjoy. There is always something to see...a butterfly, a green snake, wild flowers, the limestone bluffs, the river, etc. Hermann is a good stop if you have interest in the wine thing. Some good food there too. Jefferson City is a nice detour off the path to see the capital grounds, Madisons (sidewalk cafe), etc. Either shuttle via cab or be cautious riding across the river bridge here though. The spur to Columbia is a decent side trip too. The key is to plan time in your trip to stop and enjoy.

If you are staying overnight in Boonville, don't miss staying at

Hotel Federick--a beautifully restored hotel--such a welcomed

alternative to the glitzy casino not far away!

We are trying to plan a two day end-to-end on the Mickelson this spring and was wondering if any of you have ridden it and could provide some sound advice.



I have the Mickelson Trail guidebook and quite honestly.....it pales in comparison to The Complete Katy Trail Guidebook by Brett Dufur. And to complicate the matter.....there is no website like this to find info, or to ask other riders. Brett....Ray.....we really need you to branch out some here!



We'll be riding our hybrid bikes with panniers, etc. and understand the issues of gravel/chat, tire size, carrying water, blah, blah, blah, so am not interested in that type of info.



I'm more interested in travel logistic type info....cool places to stay, things that are on the must see list, who to shuttle back to the start point with, etc. What is the road like from the Mick to Mt. Rushmore....level, have a shoulder, ridable without getting killed??

Hey Trek,



I've been looking into riding the Michelson Trail for several years now. And your right,you can hardly find a thing on the web about this trail. Try this forum-



http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowForum-g28962-i673-South_Dakota.html



Maybe you can find some help there.



Paulie