Reply to Riding the katy trail

So I bought a bikepacking bicycle with 29er tires on it for going long distances off pavement. I was wondering if this type of bicycle is suitable for riding the katy trail?

Suitable....yes.

Overkill....yes.

Ideal....no.

Unless the trail is very wet and sloppy the 29'r tires are overkill. Even then the ruts that would be made would be frowned upon by others who follow you in a few days.

If the trail was dry and there was a couple of nice tracks to ride in the increased rolling resistance would not be ideal.

But yeah they'll work on the Katy.

We live on the Katy Trail and our 29ers are our Bicycles of choice (we have many types). You can really travel with those wheels.

Maybe I misunderstand what you are saying about "29'r". I am not sure what you are saying about the ruts and people coming after those that ride them. The wheels, tire treads, are the same as other Mt Bikes.

Scott: I ride a Salsa Cutthroat which is also a bikepacking bicycle with 29” wheels. For those that may not know, this bike was designed for riding the Great Divide mountain bike route from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. It is the most common bicycle ridden in the Tour Divide which is the race version of the Great Divide. Your bike is well suited for the Katy, including 29” wheels. I’m not sure why anonymous SEEMS critical, and concerned about rutting the trail…..any bike or pedestrian would do the same on a wet surface. I am not hyper obsessed about specific tire pressures, but I would lean towards firm PSI for less rolling resistance. The Katy is a very solid packed crushed rock and offers a fairly smooth ride, about as close to paved as a “gravel” trail can get. Story time: prior to my Katy trip a physical therapist I once worked with asked if I like spin classes…..I responded “of course not, who likes that kind of work?” She replied that the Katy is so flat, you’ll find yourself pedaling all the time, kind of like a spin class. She added that riders often don’t like riding up hills, but at least with hills, you get a break after you climb, and get to coast for awhile. My point is that you should pace yourself since you’ll be pedaling a lot, but it’s not that bad.
Planning: I found the hardest part was finding lodging to MATCH the daily miles I wanted to travel. I did not want to camp, because I wanted to travel light, did not have a SAG and was a solo rider. My route took me from Kansas, through Missouri, into Illinois via a ferry ride, then back to Missouri to finish at the Gateway Arch…394 miles over 6 days. If you’re camping the planning will be a little easier.

Yep, it will be perfect. You could get some narrow tires with minimal tread if you wanted to reduce your rolling resistance.

Just a comment on 29 inch tires. As mentioned, these are normally mountain bike tires, but can fit a frame designed for 700C as long as the stays are wide enough. Having said that, I rode a 29'r mountain bike on the last MKT trip, and found the posture (more upright) was much better than on my drop bar gravel bike, since the visibility was better. I will acknowledge that a drop bar is overall more comfortable but the difference in posture offset the difference. I think the biggest difference is in speed; gravel is just slower, especially with the wider MB tires.