Katy Trail Forum

Hi again, We really LOVED our trip on the KATY. What a great park! We were thinking about doing another trip, maybe on a different trail. Is there anything else in the midwest or the country like the KATY? We were definitely spoiled with this trail!

Yes! Check out trailsfromrails.com and traillink.com.



You have a very nice little trail just south of you in Illinois. The Tunnel Hill State Trail. It's 47 miles from Harrisburg to Karnak. It has some interesting Cypress swamp on the south end, several gentle bends, rail tressles (one that is near the tree tops and nice in length), and a nice long, cool tunnel north of Vienna. We rode it this spring and saw several deer, a bobcat, and a mature bald eagle among many other birds. It was definately worth the trip for us....would be very beautiful in the fall.

Wisconsin has some really good state trails.

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/findatrail.html

The C&O Canal Trail will take you from Washington D.C. to Cumberland MD. And if you got the time,(and the legs)you can continue on The Great Allegany Passage which will take you all the way to Pittsburgh. I think the total mileage is about 330. I've never done these trails myself but plan to make trip in four days this fall.



Also, the Virginia Creeper is very nice. From Abington VA to Whitetop Mt. is only 35 miles but well worth the trip.



Paulie



Paulie

The Rails to Trails Conservancy has a guide...Traillink.com, which lists most all in the US including Alaska, and a separate menu for International Trails as well. You can tailor your search by surface type, distance etc. All in the website is not entirely true...for a more accurate assessment click on the "Trail Website" menu of the trail your researching....great little tool for looking at Rail Trails. PS - just for grins go to the International Rail Trail menu and look up the Otago Rail/Trail in New Zealand, you know for that grand pie-in-the-sky trip you've always wanted to do once in your life. Regards....Mark of the Dalton Boys

michele,



i just got done riding, or should i say attempting to ride the virignia creeper trail. look for www.vacreepertraial.com creepertrail.com and such. the most popular part is from whitetop to damascus. you are shuttled if you choose, from damascus to whitetop and ride back down. wonderful scenery, the majority is down hill, three little cafe's to snack at plus an old railroad station and one replica. lots of trestles. well worth the time to go there. the trail from damascus to abingdon is not as popular, but from the literature i've read, just a nice. hope this helps. also, no hotels in damascus, only b & b's, but very reasonable and right down the street from the bike shops.

http://www.greatriverroad.com/Footpower/vadalbene.htm



Runs from Alton to Pere Marquette State Park. Some of the trail is on the wide shoulder of the highway. We parked at the casino in Alton, rode to Pere marquette and camped & rode back to Alton the next day. Other trails link this with downtown St. louis.

I've ridden the Wabash Trace that runs from near Omaha (Sioux Falls, Iowa) south to the Missouri line and a small town named Blanchard. Not many services at all at Blanchard, especially if the gas station closes early. It's 65 miles one way. A buddy of mine and I did it down and back in a day, but I wouldn't recommend it in a day. Turned into a long day. Pretty, but I, personally, like the KATY better.



The Prairie Trace (I think that is what it's called - I'm having a brain cramp and can't remember) trail is about 35 miles long and heads south out of Ottawa, Kansas down through Garnett and on to a very small town named to Welda. This fall is it to open another 15 miles south to Iola. A nice ride, but not as developed as the KATY, in my opinion.



If you get off the trail there are several spots to eat, buy refreshments, etc. in Garnett. I think it is a neat little town.



There's my 2 cents.



Enjoy!

Forgot to add - Minnesota is full of biking trails. 100s of miles of them paved if you prefer a road bike. The Munger Trail comes to mind - just north of the Twin Cities on up to Duluth.



Also - the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota is another neat trail through the Black Hills.

Regarding the trail you mentioned near Garnett, KS -- it's the Praire Spirit Rail-Trail -- you might want to call ahead if you go, because their web site (http://www.prairiespirittrail.org) warns that flooding has caused the closure of a 2 1/2 mile mid-trail stretch. I've been to Garnett many times & the paved section of the trail near town and the restored depot there are very nice. I haven't ridden the remainder of the trail, though.

Thanks for reminding me of the name of the trail near Ottawa/Garnett. Couldn't think of it for anything.



I just got a newsletter from that trail and - you are right - there is a bridge out because of flooding. It's going to be a while before it is fixed. Based on this week's newsletter, there is a marked detour on gravel roads around that section of the trail. I have NOT been there to ride it or verify what the roads are like (i.e. traffic, hills, gravel, etc.)

It's still under construction, but MN is putting in a trail along the north shore of Lake Superior, from Duluth to Grand Marais (about 90 miles, I think). Some sections are complete, and it is truly spectacular--it's a paved trail, and not a rail trail, so it's going to be fairly hilly. It's called the Gitchi-Gami trail. MN has several other long distance bike trails, like the Willard Munger Trail, south of Duluth. I'm sure the state DNR or someone has a list of them all.

CHECK OUT THE NORTH BEND TRAIL FROM PARKERSBURG,WV TO OUTSIDE OF CLARKSBURG, WV. 75 MILES IN LENGTH WITH 13 TUNNELS! THEY HAVE A WEB SITE.....NOT AS SMOOTH AS KATY TRAIL.



OF COURSE, GREAT ALLEGHENY PASSAGE FROM PITTSBURGH TO DC IS AN OPTION. WEB SITE ATA (ALLEGHENY TRAIL ALLIANCE)

anybody ever try the Cowboy Trail in Nebraska? It is very long---longer than the Katy. I was wondering if it's basically ok to camp on the side of the trail. The official website doesn't list camping locations. Also the Mikkelson---camp anywhere?

I've never ridden the Cowboy Trail, but I did consider & research it a little. However, it's not longer than the Katy - yet. Their web site says:



"When finished this hiking, biking, and equestrian trail will stretch 321 miles across Nebraska. ... Over 161 miles of trail are now open, including a continuous 143-mile stretch from Norfolk to Ainsworth. In 2007 an additional 30 miles will be added connecting Valentine to Norfolk."



There's only one review of it on TrailLink.com, but I'm sure other sites have more. This forum's for Katy discussions, so you might want to Google around for those other discussions.

yeah, it's not open all the way, but if you read the rails to trails website it's possible to just go out on the highway which runs parallel and ride the spots that aren't open yet. Also if you go all the way to the western end you are fairly close to the Mikkelson trail in South Dakota. One couple said they did the Mikkelson, rode on highways to the Cowboy Trail and did the whole Cowboy Trail. As far as camping on the Cowboy Trail, one of the links says there is camping possible in several towns but doesn't go into detail.

I'm also looking for paved or "skinny-tire" (road or recumbent) friendly trails. my standard is the combo "Centennial/Trail of the Couer d'Alenes" in Spokane and nearby Couer d'Alene Idaho. 60 and 75 miles respectively with 90% paved pedestrian/biker/hiker only trails.

I'm looking for similar U.S. or foreign trails amenable to skinny tires. All suggestions and contact sites welcome.



Gramps (65 and going strong).

See you on the trail

Gramps, check out www.mnbiketrails.com/main.aspx?SectionID=3&TM=44243.84 Trails are paved. We rode Cannon Valley and Paul Bunyan Trails plus downtown Rochester (riverside trail) is great.

Hope to see you on our Katy Trail.

Gramps, we have Tour Easy Recumbent bikes with skinny road tires. We are going to ride the Katy Trail. To make sure we don't have problems we are going to put Marathron 700 x 35 on the rear and Marathron plus 20 x 1.35 on the front. These should fit inside our fenders and fit on the rim. If you go to wide it won't fit inside the fender. We will see how it goes in a couple of weeks! But if something like that would work for you it would open up a lot of trail riding for you.

We recently had the pleasure of staying at the Briar Rose Inn Bed & Breakfast. Jeanette and Randy are wonderful hosts and the bed and breakfast is awesome! Breakfast was delicious and filling. We will be sure to make this our home away from home the next time we are in the area and we would highly recommend that you do the same! Click the link to check out their place for yourself. www.briarroseinnbnb.com

We recently had the pleasure of staying at the Briar Rose Inn Bed & Breakfast. Jeanette and Randy are wonderful hosts and the bed and breakfast is awesome! Breakfast was delicious and filling. We will be sure to make this our home away from home the next time we are in the area and we would highly recommend that you do the same! Click the link to check out their place for yourself. www.briarroseinnbnb.com

We are interested in going to Tightwad when we are on the Katy Trail. What roads would be the best to take for us bikers?

I would not recommend the roads. A lot of hilly Narrow Black tops with no shoulders. Not a bike friendly environment.

The bank has closed too, so you can no longer open an account on the Tightwad Bank. Not much to see there anyway...other than a "city limit" sign on either side of the blink of an eye.

I've never known Trek Biker to give bad advice. By the way, what/where is "Tightwad"? I just thought that was my nickname at my local bike shop.



Paulie

When you come into Windsor you will take Y hwy which will turn into P and that will take you to tightwad, but the roads are not biker friendly

Thanks so much for the good advice. Will not waste time and risk injury to get there. You guys are great!! Lynn

I was wanting in Rocheport on a Friday night and was wondering if there is any lodging other than BnB's there? I am on a budget and was hoping to find a hotel or something that woud be a little easier on the pocket book than BnB's(I am not much of a camper which would be the most economical!)

There is one non-B&B lodging shown on this site: The Midway Budget Inn (see http://www.bikekatytrail.com/site.aspx?sid=140). It's not in town, but close by. See the map & the comment thread on the page for more info.

Thanks Brian, I have a room booked. Now I just need to find a room in the Hermann, Rhineland, McKittric area.

Please note that the Midway Budget Inn is several miles from the Katy Trail, and the actual town of Rocheport, which is right on the Katy.



By several, I'm thinking like seven miles, but not sure about that one.

You might note that the Katy B&B, which is right on the trail, has rooms in the $70 range. If you just need something basic, you might find this works better for you than the motel which is a few miles away.

Although the poster has already booked a room.....Boonville is a viable alternative when wanting to stay in the Rocheport area. It's a short ride (10-12 miles) to Rocheport.

The Doll House in Rhineland is very nice and also economical as far as B&B's go. Trailside Bar and Grill is just across the road and good food.

Since we are planning this somewhat last minute, I have found that most of the places that are recommended and close to the trail are already booked up. I have found an opening at Abigails in Hermann for our Saturday nite stay. However, the owner says she has never had any bike riders stay at her place and this makes me concerned. Is Hermann easily accesible from the Katy trail and if so how far? Also has anyone stayed at Abigails?

As long as the new bridge is open as someone said, the ride into Hermann is around 1/4 mile and will be very easy. The old bridge was very dicey for someone on a bicycle.



I am surprised that Abigails has never had a biker, I believe it is only about 2 blocks into Hermann once you cross the bridge. I have not stayed there though.

Awesome campground. The shower house bathrooms and showers are very clean. Probably the nicest campground on the trail!

Awesome campground. The shower house bathrooms and showers are very clean. Probably the nicest campground on the trail!

Hi, I am planning a short 3 day ride with a friend in August. I have been "training" in my neighborhood on trails. Ours have lots of hills! I also have been off my bike until now, for about 4 years. (I have 3 year old twins). Before that I was in good shape and never had a problem with long rides or hills. Now I am 41, a little out of shape and my knees ache when I ride. I don't think the extra 25 lbs would have much to do with it, but I hope to take care of that too. I can't imagine different shoes would make a difference. Would toe clips take some pressure off? Just curious. Maybe this is just the difference between 30 and 40!

I would attribute "knee ache" to riding on hills if a great amount of downward force is applied (depends on angle of slope, etc.), being off the bike for a period of time, and probably the difference between 30 and 41. Toe clips keep your feet positioned on the pedal and actually allow for exerting greater force both downward and on the up cycle too. I don't see that they would lessen knee ache.



Perhaps adjust your seat height periocically to change your cycle and know that the Katy is Flatland.....perhaps a few long grades, but no hills. Advil works well too.

Indeed, reducing pedal force reduces knee pain. The best way to do that is to increase your cadence (revolutions per minute of the pedals). A novice frequently pedals with a cadence of 50 to 60. It takes some practice, but spin your way up to 90 to 100.

Thanks! I kind of figured it was good ol' mother nature... This might be a silly question, but how to you count your cadence? Do I just time it and count, maybe 10 sec and multiply, like taking a pulse?

You'll need a bike computer that has a cadence option. Models avalable include:

Cateye: Strada Cadence, CC-CD300DW, and Astrale 8.

Topeak: Comp140.

Vetta: VL110 T2X, VL110A T2X, VL110HR T2X, V100 WL2X, V100A WL2X, V100HR WL2X, and RT77.

Or you could really geek it by getting one of the Polar heart rate monitors designed for cycling (S725x/S625x, CS400, CS300, SC200cad, CS200, CS100b, and CS100) with the cadence option.

After a while the cadence becomes second nature. Enjoy!

Or....knowing that you've not been on the bike for about 4 years...and realizing that you would fall into the novice or casual rider catagory cranking at approx. 60 cycles per minute....you can simply count one thousand one.....one thousand two....as counting seconds. When you turn your crank one revolution per second, your cadence is approximately 60 cycles per minute...more than one crank turn per second and theoretically you've reduced knee pain potential.



I'd opt for this nongeeked out method....pocket the bike computer/cadence monitor/altimeter/gps bling ching and spend the money on lunch at Les Bourgeois in Rocheport and on a few bottles of Riverboat Red to enjoy with my friend after I got home.

Nails is on target. Spinning faster in lower gears will help your knees a great deal...even

though it seems opposite of what seems logical. It's a physics thing...the faster you spin, the

easier it is and the more efficiently you move yourself along. Pushing in a high gear so you

can barely turn the pedals is hard on your knees and not the most efficient way to ride. A

cadence bike computer will be a HUGE aid in this endeavor...all you have to do is watch the

number on the read out and not try to count while you are trying to spin faster and stay

upright and watch where you are going.... : )

You guys are awesome! Great advice! I was out this morning and tried to bike in a lower gear as much as possible. I have a 6 year old sigma sport bc401 that only does trip, dist, speed and time. Does anyone know if the mounting hardware is standard if I stay with the same brand? (I'll check REI too.) I am sort of a gear geek already, but must of my gear is for hiking/camping. I used to bike "alot" on trails before kids. Now I have a burley (Used) for the twins, and am hoping that this trip, and getting ready for it will jump start me into getting back into shape! I need energy to run after 2 three year old! Maybe a new computer would be a good investment on my quest for better health! My husband has a heart monitor, but I don't this it is biking specific. We have a gps, but it is a few years old, and isn't bike specific either. I like it for average and max speed (and all the fun stuff for hiking!) Thanks again for all the expert advice!

The Sigma Sport BC 601 is a wired unit for just speed detection. So that makes it automatically incompatible for a unit with cadence. The only current Sigma Sport model that supports cadence is tbe BC 1606L DTS Wireless. FYI, while your BC 601 slides on the mount to lock in place, the BC 1606L has a twist lock for its mounting.

This is an old thread, but you probably should check your bike fit, too. Make sure your saddle is the right height, the frame size is appropriate for your size, and the reach to the handlebars fits you, too. A good bike shop can help you with this. Most people start out with their saddles way too low. That is certain to blow out your knees.

KT is right...I would check both the bike fit, and the seat height and position. Excedrin makes a pain reliever, however for that kind of pain...I pack that too, just in case!!

My name is Robert and my full-time job is teaching bicycle education here in Columbia.



Your primary problem is probably bike fit.



Here is what you can do. Have a strong friend hold the front of your bicycle and crawl

aboard.



#1. Put your heel on your pedal and put your foot straight down. Your heel should still be

in contact with your pedal (barely) with your pedals in the 0/180 degree position. Keep

raising your seat until you lose contact with the bottom pedal and then lower it back about

1/4".



After adjusting it you should ride with the ball of your foot right over the pedal axle and

you should be in the ideal position. Your leg should have just the slightest bend to it

when at the bottom of your pedal stroke.



The other thing and probably the thing that is happening to you is seat position front to

back.



#1. Make a plumb bob by taking a shoe string (or any other type of string) and placing

something heavy but small on the bottom. I use fishing sinkers.



With you seated on the bike and your pedals at completely parallel to the ground place the

plumb bob just below your knee cap. This should be touching the very bottom of your

knee cap bone. Now let the bottom hang below and have someone look at it from the

side. This should be dissecting the very middle of the pedal or the axle of the pedal.







Fix these two problems and I would be that your knee trouble will be over.



Also your cadence should be at least 90 rpms even for a beginner. You do not need a

fancy computer to do that.



Just take a watch with a second hand and count how many times your right knee comes up

.



Do that for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.



Hope that helps. You can email me at robert@pednet.org if you have any other questions.

Robert, I tried step #1 and step #1 but neither one works on my recumbent. Just kidding. Thanks for the helpful information.

I looked on the link here from "towns and services". Are they basically saying it's ok to camp anywhere in the woods between Hartsburg and Wilton?

It is not okay to camp just "anywhere" along the Katy Trail as it is prohibited except for desginated areas. I believe this is the map of the site you are looking for in the Hartsburg area.



http://mdc.mo.gov/documents/area_brochures/9732map.pdf



I have not had a chance to go by there this year, as I wanted to check this out. I seem to recall someone else posted that this area was flooded earlier this year, so you may want to check with the Missouri Conservation Department as they are in charge of this particular area.

Campground entrance on Katy Trail is 2 miles northwest of Hartsburg trailhead, and .4 miles on northwest of this entrance is a levee, about 100 feet past this levee, and areas on northwest, water was over the trail. Campground is a few feet higher than trail and was nearly .5 mile from flood area. Not a bad looking area, primitive and grass is a bit long, but I have never seen anyone using it.

My husband and I took a vacation to ride the Katy Trail and stayed in Augusta. My husband is the real biker so he took the much longer ride on Saturday, but the experience in Augusta was just wonderful! We stayed at the H.S. Clay House and were simply overwhelmed by their hospitality. We ate at Cafe' Bella, the Augusta Brewing Company and Balducci's Winery-all great and all different! While Tom took his long ride on Saturday, I spent the day walking to the different wineries and shops and the atmosphere was friendly, the service was great and the people in this great community made the weekend memorable. We will certainly be back to ride the trail and enjoy this community again. Thanks to this great website for giving us the tools to make it a great weekend.



Allison Austin

Just got my Rails-To-Trails Conservancy newsletter & the Katy has been awarded "Trail of the Month" and inducted into their "Rail-Trail Hall of Fame"! This is the innagural year of their hall of fame, and the Katy is only the second trail to be named (the first was the Great Allegheny Passage). There's a nice write-up with some pix at http://www.railstotrails.org/newsandpubs/trailofthemonth/index.html.