How long does it take from Clinton to St. Charles? Is it road or mountain terrain?

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Jedrick Burgos from Kansas City on 6/11/2020 4:17:28 PM:

I'm wondering how long does it take to do the whole thing. Is it all mountain terrain or is it road riding? What's the average miles per day an average biker makes? Should I use a road or mountain bike?

Thanks,

Jed

Jerry Whittle from Belleville Illinois on 6/11/2020 8:06:25 PM:

I take it easy doing about 50 miles a day average. Some people do it much faster. Often the deciding factor is where are you going to spend the night.

If the choice is between a skinny tire road bike and a fat tire MTB, I'd use the MTB with slick tires. I usually use 700x32 tires on a hybird or touring bike.

The surface is about 95% crushed limestone. Between Clinton and Boonville it's a little hilly but nothing more than a 4% climb. From Boonville to St. Charles it's very flat.

brad wilson from st louis on 6/12/2020 9:33:39 AM:

I've done extended trips on the Katy averaging 80 miles a day, and I've done the state-sponsored katy trail ride where you average 45-50 miles a day.

50 miles a day is much more enjoyable.

Here's a link to the elevation changes on the trail: https://bikekatytrail.com/elevation.aspx

I think the map exaggerates the changes a little. The trail is extremely flat, with only the slightest of hills west of Boonville.

I agree with the previous poster on tires. I use 2" semi-slick tires on my MTB and that seems to work on the varying surfaces you'll encounter on the trail.

BikerBoy from Maryville, IL on 6/12/2020 10:38:29 AM:

The surface is crushed limestone, but very packed. It's actually smoother than a road that has recently been oil-and-chipped. However, you are pedaling the entire time (hardly any coasting) and therefore you want to be comfortable. Personally, I use a Giant hybrid bike with a standard seat (saddle) and 700x38C Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires. And I have thorn-resistant tubes. I HATE getting flats! Padded bike shorts make a big difference because the Katy is more about endurance than speed. I agree with the others that slower is more enjoyable on the Katy.

Anonymous on 6/12/2020 1:10:20 PM:

Agree with above comments. We are all different and have a different pace. Maybe beings you are in KC, do a trial run for a day and see how many miles you are comfortable with before taking out on doing the whole thing.

We ride much similar to BikerBoy, but have also ridden a road tandem with 700 28's on it with no issue. Ride what you have on that test distance run and see what you think.

Jim from St. Thomas on 6/12/2020 1:53:25 PM:

My only word of caution is that if you’re riding west to east the section between Clifton City and Pilot Grove has a verrrrrrry long continuous uphill grade. For experienced riders this won’t present a problem. The first time we did an end-to-end ride we started out from Clinton taking turns racing each other. By the time we hit that section at the end of a 60 mile day it certainly felt like we were biking up a mountain.

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