Katy Trail Forum

Considering putting together an impromtu trip of the Katy trail from St. Louis area (near Hwy. 40)to Sedalia. Tent camping, trail snacks, etc. Not sure what to expect of mileage per day. Also are there hills? Would like to do the trip between a Monday morning to Friday afternoon. What does anyone think. I'm in late 30's, don't bike but jog about 15-20 miles per week consistently.

I'd use the Plan a Ride feature of this website to actually see where camping options are. That may help you determine the milage between those places that you'd like to end the day.



Roughly 190 to Sedalia.....divided by a Monday morning to a Friday afternoon equals roughly 38 miles per day. Camping options may adjust that for you tho.

I'm sure with your jogging schedule that your fit enough for a 190 mile ride but if you don't put in some seat time prior to your trip you will probably have a major case of "bike butt" by the end of your trip.

Guessing how many miles other people can do is tricky, because people have differing riding styles, habits, strength, etc. Here's my best advice, assuming you are on the trail more for touring more than racing.



Unless you are carrying a lot of weight on your bikes, you should easily be able to 50-60 miles per day and still have plenty of time to dawdle around, have a nice lunch, etc. If you like to ride fast and don't spend a lot of time in the towns, most people should be able to do 70-80 miles without difficulty. If you like to ride at a quick pace and push your limits a little, 100 miles is very doable, but in my opinion if you are going to ride that far in a day you are not going to have time for any fun along the way.



We usually estimate 10 miles per hour (not counting long breaks for lunch and dinner) when planning our day on the bike. For example, if we want cover 80 miles in a day and we are going have lunch at noon in a town that is 40 miles away, we need to be pedalling by 8 a.m. to get to the lunch town by noon. If we take two hours for lunch, we will pedal from 2-6pm to reach the overnight town.



That has always worked well for us. We can pedal faster than 10mph, but that planning system allows for us to ride at a comfortable pace and still take a break here and there to stop and see the sights. When we rode the Katy, we aimed for approx 60 mile days and that worked pretty well for us.



As for the hills, the ride is virtually flat from St. Charles to Boonville, then you will encounter long easy grades from Boonville to Sedalia. If you are riding both directions, it is best to ride the way you are from East to West first, because it is more downhill from West to East on the return.

Thanks for the detailed info. It is very helpful and seems to fit in to the plan I had for myself. I plan to do at least 30 to 40 miles per day, but it appears maybe I can even do 50 miles per day. Doing extra miles is a plus time wise. I believe I'm ready endurance/cardio wise but I'm realizing my lack of recent seat/saddle time could be interesting. Thanks.

A decent pair of padded bike shorts or two may be a good investment to keep the "interesting" numbness from settling in your.......bottom end.

I agree with the comment that you best have some mileage down pat on your bottom end. Otherwise after about 50 you're gonna feel it GOOD!

May I suggest quality bike shorts and a good chamois cream to prevent chafing? Available from any reputable bike shop

My husband is a cyclist and we are considering going to MO so he can ride the Katy Trail. I understand it is a multi-use trail; are dogs permitted (on leash, of course) on the non-road segments? I would like to walk some of it while he is riding. Thanks very much.

dogmom, i have seen dogs on the trail between st. charles and green bottoms road with their owners. so i reckon they are.

From the DNR website: KEEP PETS ON LEASH. Unleashed pets can be annoying to other trail users and adjoining landowners.

I hope it's also understood to be responsible and clean up after your pet as well.

THE FORECAST FOR THE DAY WE ARE GOING TO RIDE A SECTION OF THE TRAIL (AUG 14TH) IS WINDS OUT OF THE SE AT 8 MPH.IS WIND A FACTOR ON THE TRAIL AND IF SO SINCE THE WIND IS OUT OF THE SE THAT DAY SHOULD WE RIDE FROM W TO E THAT DAY BECAUSE OF THE WIND?

What kind of weather do you listen to, they can barely predict tomorrow's conditions let alone something 10 days from now. I don't think an 8 mph wind is too significant, 15+ is another story.

The wind can definitely be a factor. Most often, the wind is from the west, so if you are going one way, it is best to ride west to east. If you are going out and back, then it is best to start riding into the wind and have the wind behind you for the last half of your ride when you are tired. But much of the trail is surrounded by bluffs or vegetation that blocks the wind. So some of it depends on where you ride. There have been days I wanted to ride, but haven't because of the wind----but I live close and can ride the next day if the weather is decent.

I highly recommend the Globe Hotel. It's very laid-back and relaxing. You can make yourself at home there and just be yourself. Jeannette is a fine hostess. What's great about it is that it's virtually right on the trail, so it's unnecessary to wait for a shuttle to take you across the river, as is the case in Jeff City and Hermann. Jeannette puts on a fine spread at breakfast, the rooms are comfortable, clean and cozy, and Hartsburg is a cute, tiny little town completely away from the hustle and bustle of this modern world.

I'm not real familiar with the trail thru Booneville. How close does the trail get to the Comfort Inn?

The Comfort Inn is about a mile east of the Katy...just north of I-70 and a few miles south of Booneville.



If you are riding east to west on the Katy, after you pass the depot in Booneville you will pass through a long stretch of residential district, up a grade for quite a ways and through a small tunnel under a roadway. It's probably 4-5 miles from the depot to the Comfort Inn.



There is a clearing on your left side near mile post #194. A trail through the clearing leads to the Fuqua Homes manufacturing plant. Somewhat confusing there......but, ride through their parking lot toward the south and onto the blacktop road....it will lead you to the Comfort Inn (about a mile) which will be on your right with a truckstop on your left.



We have found the Comfort Inn staff to be very friendly and accomodating. No problem taking your bikes to your room or leaving your car in their parking lot for a few days while you are on the trail.



Enjoy your trip!

- posted 6/29/2005 8:56:48 AM by Trek Biker , St. Joseph, MO

- posted 7/14/2005 8:50:51 AM by Trek Biker , St. Joseph, MO

Thanks for the info. Can you see the Fuqua homes plant from the trail?

I dont recall being able to see it.....the trail is tree lined. You can see the mile maker and the clearing tho.

Want to be really comfortable in Boonville? Try the River View suites--right on the Missouri next to the trail, kitchen, luxurious, soft beds, a deck that overlooks the river..and the price is pretty reasonable.

Both the Comfort Inn and the Holiday Inn Express are right off the trail.....for about half the price.

I plan on biking this trail in September in it's entirety. I checked out guidebooks at my library, but none of them really give a GUIDE or PLAN for biking the whole trail...they really just tell you mileage and what there is to see in each town.



I want to know how long it's going to take to bike the trail at a regular pace, and have a plan for which towns I will be stopping in (we plan on camping).



If anyone has biked this entire thing from West to East, then let me know if you kind of have a "day by day plan" that I could use. I'm a beginner to mapping out trails.

In my opinion "The Complete Katy Trail Guidebook, All New, Updated & Revised 8th Edition America’s Longest Rails-to-Trails Project" by peeble publishing is the best guide book on the market http://www.pebblepublishing.com/complete_katy_trail_guidebook.htm I didnt see any sugested intineraries but here is tow possble easy plans:



Day 1 Clinton to Sedalia 35

Day 2 Sedalia to Boonville 35

Day 3 Boonville to Jefferson City 68

Day 4 Jefferson City to Hermann 42

Day 5 Hermann to Marthasville 23

Day 6 Marthasville to St. Charles 38



East to West 5 Day

Day 1 Clinton to Sedalia 35

Day 2 Sedalia to New Franklin 42

Day 3 New Franklin to Hartsburg 35

Day 4 Hartsburg to Hermann 56

Day 5 Hermann to St Charles 64



Good luck, half the fun is learning and planning about the trail!

My roommate and I are planning on riding the trail in a couple weeks. We are planning on riding it a bit more aggressively than the guides recommend going approximately as follows:



Clinton to New Franklin (75 miles)

New Franklin to Portland (75 miles)

Portland to Marthasville (37 miles)

Marthasville to St. Charles (38 miles)



We are going to camp a couple nights and stay in hotels a couple nights. We wanted to design it so we had a couple longer days early while we still had a lot of energy. Also, in case it rains one of the first couple days and we deside to be lazy we will still be ok. Hopefully we will be able to get a couple good days of biking and a couple days of sight seeing and small town exploring. If anyone knows of some neat places to stop and visit along the eastern half of the trail, we would appreciate it.

To help us know what you consider a regular pace:

1) How far would you go in a day and how fast on a road ride?

2) What's the longest ride you've done in the last year?

You've already seen 6, 5 and 4 day plans. I've done 3 and 2 day trips. And there are a handful who have done it in a single day. Probably others that have done it in a week or more. I'll admit the 1 and 2 trips are not "regular pace".

Hermann and any of the wineries are good places to visit.

We'd like to do it in about 5 days. I exercise doing cardio an hour every day, but my counterpart isn't quite so up on his "training." We figured 5 days would be do-able. About how many hours of riding per day do you estimate that is?

To answer your question, I still need to know what's the farthest you've ridden in a day and how fast you rode it. You say that you do an hour of cardio per day and that is remarkable. However, running, swimming, steppers, ellipticals, and even recumbents are not the same thing as time in the saddle. If you don't average at least 5 hours per week in the same saddle that you ride on the KATY, you'll been in for an unpleasant ride and you can skip the birth control in my recommended pack list. That applies to your partner too.

Looks like another higher math problem to me. If you would "like to do it in about 5 days", and it's 225 miles...that's bout 45 miles per day. At a mere pace of 10 miles per hour.....you can ride those 45 miles in 4.5 hours. With several more hours of daylight than that in each 24 hour period, you should have plenty of time for enjoying the trip.



Very good point made by Nails. Make sure your hind quarters knows your saddle well. The best preparation for saddle time is saddle time.

Ditto. No one else can plan this for you. Time in the gym does not equal time in the saddle.

Get out and do some day trip rides and see how you do. Ride two or three days in a row.

Make sure you are comfortable on your bike. Don't push yourself too far the first day and be

too sore to have fun the next day. Better to start the trip with few miles and end with more

daily miles. Use the guidebooks you have to see where you can find lodging and plan around

that. Also, if you don't know how, take your wheel to a bike shop and do a couple trial runs

at changing the tubes. Better to be prepared and not have to do it then not. Have fun!

Hi Danielle, you might also take a 2 day trip and camp at Klondike or at Scenic Cylcles(free) or Choo Choo(5$) and ride back from Marthasville to Creve Coeur Park or St. Charles just to get a feel for what's a comfortable pace for you and your partner. You will get a chance to camp together and try out some of your gear. I would ride the trail at least for 35 miles a few days in a row to get a feel for your pace and to get your seat ready for your bike's seat. If you do a little preparation you will have a very enjoyable experience. Good luck,

Paul

I think 35 to 50 miles per day makes for very comfortable riding, with plenty of time for stops. We like to plan a fairly short day in the middle of our trips--this gives us a rest and more flexibility. Possible good stops for camping would include the Katy Roundhouse in New Franklin or Katfish Katy's in Huntsdale, and the campground at Bluffton looks nice. Klondike Park at Augusta also looks good.

Last month four of us (each over 50 yrs. old) rode our recumbents the entire west to east trip, plus the side trail to Columbia and many of the small towns and communities along the way. We stopped at nearly every sight-seeing spot and trail marker board. We got a group pic at every depot and trailhead on the entire 225 miles. Between the four of us, shot over 1000 pictures. We took our time and had a fantastic, relaxing trip. Started on Sunday about 10:30am after a tremendous breakfast in Clinton, and continued the same time each morning generally following a breakfast spread at a B & B that kept us from lunch hunger until mid-afternoon. Arrived St. Charles about noon Friday, so figure five and a half days. Be sure to fill up on plenty of water at every opportunity.

I am coming to Hermann, Mo to ride the KATY on the 13th, 14th and 15th of August. I am going to ride about 55 - 60 miles each day, and I can't wait to see one of the most talked-about trails that I know of. I have ridden the Little Miami Trail in Ohio from Cincy to Urbana (just north of Springfield) 82 miles. So all of the great stories I am reading about the KATY has gotten me excited.

All great comments--just wanted to add mine to the stew. We biked the Katy in June 05--took 6 days and felt we could have easily done it in 5 or aggressively in 4. If you go west-east, it's mostly downhill, after all. It's not much, but you can tell. We're in our 50's, I bicycle a lot, my husband not as much. Best places to stop in our opinion are Sedalia, Pilot Grove, Boonville, Rocheport, Augusta and maybe Hermann except for the bridge to get there.

Can someone tell me how shaded the Katy is? I plan to ride from Sedalia to St Charles soon, but the MO heat is 100 degree everyday this time of year. Thanks, Paulie

It can be a bit steamy in Missouri this time of year. I'm more familiar the MKT trail near Columbia, MO and a portion of the Katy trail near Rocheport along the Missouri River. In these areas there is plenty of trees to shade the trail. Although I imagine parts of the trail are through farm land and may not be so shaded. With a lightweight hat, a little sun screen, and water you should be fine. You may also want to carry a lightweight rain jacket.

From Sedalia to Boonville you will encounter a fair amount of open farmland where you will be in direct sun. After Boonville it will usually be shaded. During the summer it's a good idea to get on the trail early in the morning so you can get some miles in before it gets too hot. After 3pm or so, the trail will be pretty well shaded, so it's good to plan a lunch or break in an air conditioned establishment when the sun is directly overhead.

Weldon Spring to Matson is quite shady, there re stretches further west that are long and open heading towards Dutzow. Marthasville to McKittrick is fairly shady.

Augusta to Treloar is pretty much all open, in that 15 mile stretch about 5 or so miles are covered, that's it.



Also, between Augusta and Dutzow there're about 4 miles where the trail's raised above even the level of the corn, and the wind just whips around. It's hard riding, and there's no shade, and no places to stop.

There is a fair amount of shade, but remember that at midday the sun is directly overhead--and you will feel it on the Katy. I don't know how sensitive you are to heat, but being from Colorado, we found it to be tough in June '05. We found the only way to beat it was to start really early--say 6:30 AM--rest midday and maybe pedal some more late afternoon. I'd recommend going in spring or fall.

Thanks for the help everybody. I do plan to do most of my ride in the morning. I figure at 12-15 mph I should knock out most of my daily ride by noon. By the way-Great web site-its the reason I'm coming all the way from East Tennessee to ride the Katy!

This site is fantastic and the most helpful I have seen. We are planning a West/East trip the end of Aug, that probably would not have happened without this site. East Tennessee? Have you been on the VA Creeper trail? To date it is my favorite, even the climb to Whitetop.

wayne, from columbus, ohio



could you e-mail me at cleo-beo@earthlink.net



you will get it returned on spam, don't resend, i'll still get it. may take me a couple of days to get back to you. thanx, frank

Yes, I have been on the VA Creeper. Great ride. Its a shame its not any longer than it is.

My friend and I are experienced cyclists and really don't have any questions about riding the trail.



We, however, would rather not travel self-contained.



Is anyone aware of organized rides that transport your gear from town-to-town (and, perhaps make lodging or camping arrangements for you)? A commercial outfitter might be OK, but we would rather consider a non-profit group, municipal parks department or something similar.



The prefered time for our ride would be October 2006, or April/May 2007, but we would consider anything.



Thanks for any suggestions.

There are a few rides listed on this website. Near the bottom of the Home page, go to Organized Rides. I can't speak personally for any of these as I only ride self supported, enjoying the freedom to come and go as I please.



Enjoy!

Thanks "Trek".

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources sponsors a week long, supported ride every

year. Everyone I have ever known to go on it has had a great time. It is camping, but they

provide meals, transport all the gear and have a shower truck so there is a shower available

at the end of every day to wash away the grime. It is very affordable and great fun.

If this is Spokane as in Washington State, the city has a unique entity called "Bike Buddies" wherein people interested in bike commuting are paired up with an experienced cyclist who "shows them the ropes". Very active program that is helpful, not haughty and there is no hidden comment herein. Regards......Mark of the Dalton Boys

we do a 3 day trip every year, and enjoy staying in the B&Bs along the way - you might consider that as an option

In 2002, I took the supported trip of the Touring Cyclist (St.Louis) and was very, very happy with that. It is a reasonable price, the accomodations were fine - several basic motels and several nicer ones, the food was great and the guides were great. They still offer the same trip in Sept. Assuming they still provide the same service, I would highly recommend them. A special thing is that you start in St. Charles with a train trip to Sedalia which is a beautiful ride on the opposite side of the river from the KATY and equally beautiful. I plan to use them again for this trip sometime.