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.

Rolling resistance: There have been several comments regarding tire width and pressures for riding the trail. Much research has been done in the last 10 years or so on this issue. Much is available in the blog at renehersecyclse.com. It has been found that a softer tire rolls over an irregular surface such as gravel faster and with less effort than a hard tire. Soft can be due to the tire sidewall (supple), softer tubes (latex or TPU), or tubeless. Wider is also faster for the same reasons as softer. The wider softer tires feel slower than narrower harder tires because the latter give chatter or vibration that the rider may interpret as a higher speed. However the former, the softer wider tires, have been proven faster. Another reason is rider comfort. The softer tires do not tire the rider as much, therefore the rider can ride faster longer. Most of the gravel racers have switched to wider supple tires. The Tour d France pelaton has done the same although super wider for them is 28. I have crossed on the KT 4 times and ridden 20-40 mile segments of both the KT and the RI many times. I started with a 32 (actually 1 ¼”) inflated to higher pressures of 85-90. I then switched to supple sidewall 38’s at 65 psi. Felt slower but the trees were going by much faster. I have 42’s on that bike now and will give that a try in the next few weeks. Also using TPU tubes. I don’t want to rely on tubeless tires in a remote location. However, there is such a thing as too wide and too soft. 38-42 is recommended for trails like the KT/RI. There is a good guide to tire pressures for various surfaces at the Silca pump website.
Another note is smooth tread is now favored. All the above said, you can find different opinions about anything on a bicycle. What you like is most important. Have fun.

Another important part of comfortable long distance riding is the handlebars. The straight bars common on some bikes can be very tiring after a few miles, particularly on a rougher road. These were designed to give maximum control over shorter distances with tight curves, or for casual riders. The bar should offer you multiple hand positions. First, raise your arm slowly to the position it will be in while riding. Note that the wrist forms a 45° angle. If you are riding a flat bar, this is the angle you want at the end (grip) area of the bars. Otherwise your wrists are constantly under stress. Now add an extension handle either at the end of the bars or further in so you can change your hand and arm position occasionally. One of the best options is the drop (curved) bar. The real purpose of this design is to provide 6 different hand and arm positions. This greatly prevents hand and arm stress. The drops also reduce wind resistance which is important riding into a strong headwind. Some find these bars uncomfortable. Usually that is because they are improperly placed with regards to reach and height. Sheldon Brown’s website has good comment on this type of bar. (sheldonbrown.com). However, different people have different riding styles and comfort levels. Research bars and pick the one you like in the position that works best for you.