Katy Trail Home  The Katy Trail and Rock Island Trail Rock Island Trail Home
Katy Trail Home Clinton Windsor Calhoun Green Ridge Sedalia Clifton City Boonville New Franklin Rocheport McBaine Hartsburg N Jefferson Tebbetts Mokane Portland Bluffton Rhineland McKittrick Treloar Marthasville Matson Defiance Weldon Spring St Charles Machens Easley Pilot Grove Hermann Huntsdale Columbia Jefferson City Dutzow Washington Augusta KT sticker Rock Island Spur Map Katy Trail Katy Trail Merchandise
switch to Rock Island map

Reply to Weekend Ride From St. Charles to Augusta
Cancel and Return to Forum
Scroll down to see the discussion
All submissions are reviewed for appropriateness. We reserve the right to remove or edit any comment that we consider incorrect, misleading, or inappropriate, at our sole discretion. Please remember that this is a family-friendly website.
Subject:
Reply to Weekend Ride From St. Charles to Augusta
Your Name:

This does not have to be your real name. It could be a "screen name", your initials, or just leave blank.
Your Hometown:

Optional - it's just interesting to know where people are from
Email Address
Comment:
So we know you are a human, please answer this easy math quiz:
1 + 3 =
Wolfey from Chesterfield on 6/9/2020 9:53:32 AM:
Looking at doing a weekend ride from St. Charles MO to Augusta, out one day, back the next - not having ridden much of the Katy trail - is it paved or gravel or both, and do we need mountain bikes or hybrid bike tires or could we do it with road bikes and road bike tires?
 
Adam from KC on 6/9/2020 10:54:36 AM:
I'd definitely recommend NOT riding on a road bike. I have a roadie with 25 mm tires and it would probably flat out every hour or so. There's also been weather of late so you'll dodge more little limbs, slightly mushy crushed limestone... I ended up purchasing a CX bike that I use for rails-trails, with 32 or 35 MM tires. The tires I use are not knobby, but are made for light gravel and are fast enough to not feel like a slog.

Look up Continental Speed Clinchers or something similar, they're your best bet for the Katy in my opinion.
 
Ron_S from Overland Park on 6/9/2020 2:38:20 PM:
Depends on what you call a road bike. Drop handlebars are far more comfortable for long distances than straight Mt. bars, and usually bikes with those are what people consider a road bike. I use touring bikes, which are road bike with certain extra features. Wide supple tires are key. My first touring bike has 32mm bulletproof Schwabe Marathons. I had no problem with those. My current bike has 38mm Compass Cycle Snoqualmie Pass tires. These I run at a much lower pressure than the Schwalbes. They are designed for this. The theory is a low pressure tire is less susceptible to punctures and gives a smoother and faster ride. The Compass site has extensive tests supporting these item. That said, the section of the trail you are planning to ride is well packed. You should be Ok a 25, 28 would be better and a 32 would be best if it will fit. Wider would be much better but most casual road bikes cannot use a tire wider than 32. Have fun.
 
brad wilson from st louis on 6/9/2020 5:39:13 PM:
If you already have a bike or bikes, ride the one that is most comfortable to you as long as the tires aren't too skinny. Don't worry about handlebars, etc. All of that is subjective.

If you have a choice of bikes you'd like to ride, go with the one with the cushier tires.

If you don't have a bike, and aren't sure what you want, rent a hybrid bike. Those are usually a nice compromise between mountain bikes and road bikes.

The trail is crushed limestone that is sometimes hard-packed and easy rolling. Sometimes, due to trail repairs, there is a thick layer of loose limestone that can be tricky to navigate. Sometimes the trail is broken and rutted from erosion.

If you aren't used to those conditions, just slow down and enjoy yourself.

PS - I've done two rides on the Katy this year. 42 miles and 33 miles. I used my mountain bike with 2" semi-slick tires. Worked well for me. In the past I've used a drop-handlebar bike, a touring bike with flat-handlebars, and recumbents for long single-day rides or multi-day rides. Just about anything with a reasonably wide-tire can work.
 
FEEDBACK! - Please let us know if you have suggestions, corrections, complaints, or ideas. Your input is valued and appreciated - thanks in advance!
More info: KT Home Katy Trail Map Trip Planner Travel Timeline Forum Towns & Services Mileage Chart Events Trail Merchandise Search Advertise Contact Us
 
By using this website, you agree to the Terms and Conditions.
how this website uses cookies
This information may not be copied or reproduced in any way.
© Copyright 2026 BikeKatyTrail. All rights reserved.
BikeKatyTrail and BikeKatyTrail.com are registered trademarks.