Katy Trail Forum

Hi! I am wondering what I should clean my bike chain with after riding a very dusty trail. I am planning a ride on the Katy the secind weekend in August and need to prepare my bike. Also, would you recommend taking along an extra chain on the trail? Thank you very much.

clueless, probably not a bad idea. i have never done it, but also havent gone very far away from my vehicle either. however which way you go, good luck and have a fun ride and be safe.

I would either go to Dick's Sporting Goods if there is one local or follow the Nashbar link on this website and get a Pedro's chain cleaning kit. It includes a scrubber mechanism, a brush, degreaser, and lube. All of which is very easy to use. I usually lube my chain periodically while on the trail.....when it "klunks" when shifing grears its time to relube. Once home I give the chain and gears a good degreasing and then relube. Doubtful that you need to carry a spare chain. I'd guess that if you decide to, know how to put it on anyway.....little good it will do if you are clueless in that arena.

I would recommend a "dry" lube. I presently use White Lightning, however I am told Finish Line "green cap" is better (less frequent application). We ride a lot packed stone trails every season, I was surprised at the difference in gunk buildup, changing from a wet to a dry lube made. We plan to do a West to East Katy trip the end of Aug.

A dry lube is absolutely the way to go on the Trail and off. White Lightning is my choice as

well. Support your locally owned and operated bike shops! I see no reason to carry an extra

chain...unless you just want to carry around extra weight. Carry a couple spare tubes and a

pump and you should be just fine (make sure you know how to use them...again, your local

bike shop can help you with that). Sharon

Thank you all for the great suggestions. I will take them. This is such a wonderful site, everyone is always willing to suggest things and the pointers and tips are fabulous. Thanks again.

Shannon

As others have mentioned, it is probably not necessary to carry a whole chain along, but I carry a few extra links and a small chain tool in my tool bag.

Last time I rode the KATY ('04), I used White Lightening and it worked VERY well. I would highly recommend it. I talked my companions into using it and they were very happy with it. Start with a clean chain when you first use it.

This B&B is worth the money. If you are visiting Hermann, Mo, this is where I'd stay. Super owners, clean accommodations, good food, and a pleasant atmosphere. Rick and Dianne are extremely helpful with their recommendations for area sights and eateries. Check the place out.

My wife and I stayed at Birk's Gasthaus. I highly recommend it. We had a great time there. It was clean and very comfortable. Not "too girlie" like some B&B's. Rick was a great cook and a fun guy to be around. Breakfast was soufle with maple sausage one day and crepes with ham the next. Mmmmmm! Pleanty to eat. Also Rick made brownies one night and cheesecake the next. Rick was very helpful with the bike also. He even loaned us equipment in case we got a flat on trhe trail. I plan to stay there again and ride the Katy from Treloar to McKittrick.

I am curious: Do all the trail heads have drinking water available now? If not, which? Also, does anyone have any thoughts on other places to refill water bottles along the trail?

g c, i beleive the majority of them do, at least the ones i have been to does. hope this helps.

I know that Clifton City does not, as it was an issue for other riders as I was passing through this Spring. There are stores in the town, but this particular day was a Sunday and none were open. I'd make sure to top off your camel at every opportunity.

On the contrary, I rode the entire trail and perhaps only 10 percent of the trailheads have a water fountain. The rest of them have the permanent equivalent of a porta-potty (Translation: Fancy hole in the ground.) Not even a place to wash hands.



On the East end of the trail there is no water fountain at any of the trailheads between St. Charles and Dutzow. That's a long darn way.



The ONLY water/refill/beverage opportunities between St. Chuck and Dutzow are Defiance and Augusta.

Thanks for the info!

Ok, now on to part two: Are the bars and assorted stores/restaurants pretty good about letting patrons fill water bottles? I am mainly concerned about each end of the trail. I am pretty familiar with the central sections.

Also, I don't need to have a water fountain per se, but what about spigots at the trail heads?

I have yet to find water at the trailheads of either Augusta or Defiance, however, both towns have business that sell beverages. The Augusta brewery usually has a large cooler of cold water for bottle filling. Don't rely on vending machine either. I've run across ones that are either empty or refuse to take dollar bills. On hot days, carry as much water as you can.

Yeah, the only trailhead with water between Weldon Spring and Treloar is at Dutzow as has been mentioned before. The workers at the Peers Store will gladly fill whatever you need, so you can stop there. The other suggestions also work.

It's a shame that nothing is spared the attack of the spammers!



That guy trying to sell cell phones is desperate, I realize. Was in that business for a while, and you can realistically starve to death in it, especially trying to sell nextel in arkansas.



Give it up pal...you're wasting your time.

well said bryan, this is a forum for the katy trail, not sell all swap shop.

Sorry folks, I've been on vacation and was unable to check the forum for a few days, looks like some spam slipped through while I was out. The spammers are much like cockroaches (in more ways than one) - you take your focus off them for just a short time and they will take over. It's a constant battle. Thanks for understanding.

no apologies needed ray. this wasn't your fault. this stuff happens. you have created a grest website here, to bad someone has to screw things. keep up the good work ray. we all enjoy the web site.

Went on a ride from Defiance to Treloar with some of my buddies on Saturday (the 8th) and on the way back we stopped at the Peers Store for some food. It was a nice stay, and the pulled pork BBQ sandwich I got was wonderful and nicely priced.



The only thing I didn't like about it, was that there wasn't a great selection of smaller bags of chips or whatnot that would be good for just munching on during a short break, mostly just larger stuff.

I agree. The Peers store sells a darn good BBQ sammich.



The proprietor was very courteous and nice. He even checked the weather radar on the Internet for me.

My wife and I have been riding for a few months now and are interested in taking a ride on the Katy Trail. We are thinking of riding from Booneville to Hartsburg, spending the night and riding back the next day. How is the trail between these two points? Are there many hills, are they steep, or is the trail pretty flat? Also can anyone recommend lodging in Hartsburg and places to eat? Thanks

Once you cross the river at Boonville, this section of the trail is as flat as a board.

Thanks for the info.

Dotties in Hartsburg is the place for good eats at a fair price.

The winery has great food and has just recently re-opened. There are also a couple of B &

B's...check this site for links to those places. Don't forget to stop in at Hartsburg Cycle

Depot...great fruit smoothies and the best coffee on the Trail!

Sounds like a great ride! I rode Rocheport to Hartsburg last Sunday and returned on Monday. The Globe Hotel B&B receives a lot of good comments on this board, but I have not stayed there myself. I camped at Volunteer Park. As for places to eat, I highly recommend Les Bourgeois Winery in Rocheport. There is also Lucy's at McBaine and Cooper's Landing at Easley. Hartsburg has Dotty's Cafe and Summit Lake Winery. Be sure and check the business hours when planning your trip! There is little or nothing to eat in Hartsburg on a Monday or Tuesday. The room rates for the Globe Hotel B&B shown on this site are out of date. I have information from Jeanette the owner of the Globe that I will send to the webmaster since Jeanette does not have internet access at this time.

Pilot Grove to Booneville is a blissfull downhill chute. You can literally go miles without pedaling if the trail is dry and you get a little tailwind. Once you clear Booneville going East, the trail is flat, flat, flat.



You'll love Katfish Katy's. Linda Lou is an absolute doll.

We camped at the Roundhouse, but the restaurant was full and a little too nice for our taste. Went back to New Franklin and found the Big Dipper. Decent basic grub.. lunch and dinner till 9, breakfast only on Saturday and Sunday. Go up the hill at the N.F. trailhead, west on Broadway past the school.

Not the big dipper any more it the four trails

This must be the place I could have gotten coffee Saturday morning if I had known it was there. Wound up riding to Rocheport for that first cup... The whole campout at the Roundhouse was not my original plan, anyway, but Boonville was full of bluegrass fans and I could not find a motel room anywhere I could find. In fact, coming into Boonville on the old Hwy 40 from Arrow Rock, I had a hard time finding BOONVILLE! ("City Limits" sign does not mention what city, eg) Transitions always difficult for me, and road-to-trail apparently no exception...

4 Trails Restaurant 848-3500. Home cooked pies, breads, cinnamon rolls. Take Hwy 5 to the High School. Next to the high school and the pool. Opened in February. We go on Saturday. Let you know how it is and better directions from the trail.

THE BIG DIPPER IS NO LONGER IN NEW FRANKLIN. NEW OWNER NOW!!!!!!!!!

FOUR TRAILS CAFE-HOMECOOKED FOOD-OPENS AT 6AM FOR BREAKFAST TUES THROUGH FRIDAY. OPEN UNTIL 7PM OF EVENING . I EAT THERE EVERY DAY!!

FOOD IS GREAT,SERVICE IS GOOD, THE BREAD IS ALL HOMEMADE AND SO ARE THE PIES.ANN ALSO HAS ICE CREAM TO COOL YA ON A HOT DAY. NEW OWNER OPENED ON FEBUARY 16,2006. NEW BUSSINESS EVERY ONE SHOULD TRY AT LEAST ONCE.... I KNOW YOU'LL GO BACK.......

Are there any women out there who have biked the entire trail solo? I am planning to bike/camp from Clinton to St.Charles and would like to hear any advice you could give me.

Just do it! You will have a great time. I have ridden the entire trail, but with companions.

However, I have ridden pretty much all parts of the Trail by myself on day trips (except close

to St. Louis) and have always enjoyed it. sharon

I ride the sections between St. Charles and Dutzow by myself once a week. I've done it all summer, and have not had a problem. I carry a mace canister on my handlebars, in case I encounter a mean dog, but have never had to use it. (Other women riders here recommended that to me) Klondike Park is a nice place to camp for the night.

I rode on a mountain bike from Clinton to St. Charles solo (July 5-7,06) with stops in Boonville (1st night) and Hermann (2nd night). I didn't camp, but stayed at a friend's house the first night, and at Birk's Gasthaus (excellent) on the second night. A friend from college who lives in St. Louis picked me up from the St. Charles trailhead on Friday, and I took Amtrak back to Lee's Summit on Saturday afternoon.



I had no safety issues, no flats or other mechanical issues, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I lucked out with the weather, low 80's (rained July 4th morning), and the trail for the first couple of days was packed down well. It wasn't until the last day that I got a real taste of trail dust :-). Not many riders around the Jeff City area.



I would recommend no more than 50 miles a day--my itinerary was pretty agressive, and found that I didn't really have time to read signs, or go on some the ad hoc hikes (did go on the Eagle Bluffs hike just east of McBane, if memory serves--don't miss that--absolutely beautiful overlook of the Missouri river valley).



I recommend reading these discussion Boards, especially for information on campsites and towns that you plan on spending the night. Tried and true recommendations are the best!

My first inclination is to recommend against such an adventure. It violates the first rule of wilderness survival, "Don't go alone." (Regardless of how mild a KATY wildnerness adventure is.) That said, something about Beth's post makes one curious about her. I've got a recent vacancy on the stoker seat of my tandem. I wonder, does Beth has any interest in a non-solo adventure on the KATY? :)

Just do it...if I waited until I had someone to do everything with I might not ever leave the

house! LOL Let someone know where you are so that if something does happen, they will

know where to start looking! But, seriously, I would just do it...sounds like fun to me. If you

do get in trouble, there are lots of people along the way to ask for help. Sharon

I'm early 50's/female and have done the entire trail solo and multiple overnight trips solo. I always carry my cell phone and let my hubby know when I start in the morning and when I arrive in the afternoon. The only problem (besides flats) was an angry dog that came running out of the woods chasing me. Since then I carry Haltz but have never had to use it.

Go for it! Time waits for no one and like the other poster noted, if you wait till you have someone to go with, it may not happen.

MAH, KCMO

Right on MAH! Simply, elegantly put. Regards.....Mark of the Dalton Boys

I go out by myself all the time, and always feel pretty safe. However, I have yet to do the whole trail, but I'm planning on doing it sometime this fall. I think you should go for it, but you may want to plug in the phone number for MO Conservation Dept. in your cell phone. They are the ones that can drive on the trail to respond to emergencies, etc. I may be wrong, but I'm almost positive it's MO Conservation trucks on the trail. Anyways, good luck & enjoy your ride!

Thanks for everyone's input! I've done several solo camping/day hiking trips without thinking twice, but hearing people gasp in horror when I tell them I'm going to ride the Katy solo made me wonder if I was missing something. Hearing your encouraging feedback makes me wish I was starting tomorrow. Granted, I do realize that I'll still have to use a bit more caution since I'll be alone (with a possiblity of company for one day). But statistically speaking, I'm probably more likely to knock myself out with a bellyflop exit from my bathtub than I am to run into physical danger on the Katy Trail. I guess nobody is really "safe" anywhere...we just expose ourselves to dangers of a different kind, depending on where we go.

The one thing that does have me worried is camping along the trail. I've been scouring the comment forum, as Beth suggested, looking for good campground recommendations and making a note of them. I'd love to hear from more of you on good and not-so-good campgrounds. By good, I mean fairly safe, as far as campgrounds go (preferably not next door to a bar, prison, or shooting range). I don't need anything fancy in the way of amenities...just a place to lay my head. I haven't worked out my itinerary yet, so I don't have specific campgrounds to ask about....but if I get some feedback, maybe I can plan my stops around that!

This is great! I'm planning to do an end-to-end solo ride myself and am just now researching my trip. However, I was planning on staying at some BB's instead of camping (wasn't sure if I wanted to carry all that gear with me). It's great to know that there are other women out there who have ridden or who are interested in riding the trail all the way. Maybe we should get together and start our own adventure club! Anyone interested in hiking the Appalachians? :)



Thanks for the encouragement ladies - now I'm more determined than ever to do this.

The Katy Trail is maintained by the Department of Natural Resources, not the Conservation Department. State Park staff and rangers are the ones on the trail.



Jim Gast

Superintendent

Katy Trail State Park(Middle West section: Portland to Boonville)

I rode the katy trail solo from Sedalia to St. Charles. I rode it for 5 days, average of 40 miles a day. I stayed mainly in Bed and Breakfast. There are sleeping rooms in Sedalia. I will highly recommend the sleeping room at Maxine Wheeler's (660)287-0971 in Sedalia. I took the Amtrak on July 20th to Sedalia. Because of the storm we had in St. Louis, instead of arriving at 7pm I arrived after midnight. Maxine was very generous of picking me up from the train station at that time. I could go on... I just had the best experience with her and her family.

Riding the Katy trail was a very powerful experience. I grew stronger. I had to keep myself very positive, cheering myself so I reach my goal each day. Faith was the main ingredient. I had a flat tire the second day, and my chain came off the third day. I didn't carry any tools and I am not handy at all. The fourth day I saw a big improvement in my physical strength.

If you have the idea of riding it on your own, go for it. Don't think twice.