Katy vs. C&O

Last year we biked the C&O Towpath trail and this year we are going to bike the Katy. We thought we knew everything last year and we were very wrong. Besides being fantastic the trail was quite isolated with minimal cell reception if needed. The trail itself was rutted, rocky and lots of large roots. That made for a very jarring ride. We had to be constantly on high alert to evade the larger debris for fear of going down. We can average 14 miles/hour on a paved path and assumed we would go 12 mph on a compacted path--we were lucky to go 10. We would finish the days both physically and mentally exhausted.
Is there anybody out there who can compare the two trail? What don't we know about the Katy?
Thanks

I have done both. I didn't find the C & O as bad as you described, but it did have its issues. You will find the Katy much better maintained. The towns seem to cater more to the cyclist on the Katy(more lodging,food,etc)than the C & 0. Many businesses are closed on Mondays. Cell phone service was a little spotty(I use Sprint)but it worked near most towns.

You've come to the right place for your research. Good people like Trek, Doug, MAH, and Rhona will bend over backward to help you out on here. Proper planning will make your trip much more enjoyable.

Enjoy the trail, Paulie

The KATY is almost always well maintained. The surface is crushed limestone, which packs hard and is very suitable for biking The limestone can be dusty, so you may want to bring along something to clean your chain. Except for the occasional soft spot, you won't have any of the surface issues you had on the C & O. The only problem you might have is, if there is a soaking rain for a day or two, the surface gets a little mushy, but it dries out quickly. Most of the towns are small, but almost all have somewhere you can buy snacks or a meal.

The C&O is also lacking in that it doesn't have a forum like this. Also, this is a much more comprehensive web sight!

Sometimes there are washout areas that create a possibly crash-inducing drop off. Sometimes there are deep cracks in the trail that could swallow a wheel. Sometimes the trail is repaired by dumping a pile of loose limestone that can cause handling problems.

And sometimes there are downed trees that required evasive action or dismounting and carrying the bike over and around.

Not all of the time, of course, but you do need to watch the trail.

Then there's the occasional stray cow or snake to avoid.

I have done the trail several times and plan to do so again in October. Other than the occasional body and odd meteorite impact you will find it to be a delightful experience. :)

although not having done the entire trail, i have done bits and pieces. even rode from columbia to rocheport and back after a mid missouri toad strangler of a rain storm the previous day and absolutely no problem on the trail whatsoever. trail was good, no rutting problems at all. only problem ever incured was a downed tree about 1-1 1/2 miles west of hartsburg. had to litterally crawl around the tree. fortunately, there was a trail maintanence man at hartsburg, told him, and he immediately drove up and cut it up. otherwise, no problems at all.

best advise, plan for anything, be careful, and enjoy the ride.

I rode the C&O several years ago in 3 days (Cumberland/Hancock/Harpers
ferry/DC). I found short sections rough as you described, but overall
OK. You might have hit it after some heavy rains/flooding.

We ride hybrid bikes (mountain bike, but with sit-up handle bars,
wider tires, smooth on the face, knobby on the sidewall)which give a
much better ride than a rode bike on unpaved trails like the KT and
C&O.

Last year my wife and I rode the Katy (we are 64 yrs old). The Katy is
much better condition. Our trip was on the "tailend" of two
hurricanes, and there was flooding, some areas closed, and some areas
washedout, but this is a rare situation. The state was out repairing
these areas the very next day. The Katy is not anything like as remote
as the C&O, although you will have to cross to the south side of the
river in some locations to find food/lodging (Washington, Hermann,
Jeffersonville)---about 1-3 miles roughly. Many other food/lodging
opportunities are located right on the trail. This website is the most
comprehensive source of information of any trail that I have ridden!

Don't miss the Globe at Hartsburg or Doug Randleman's B&B at Bluffton.

Cell phone service was spotty, but I have T-Mobile which probably has
the least coverage. I believe Verizon is probably the one with the
best coverage.

If you want more info on specifically where we stayed/etc. feel free
to email me direct: dgat1989@yahoo.com

We have ridden both the Katy and the C&O (as well as the Great Allegheny Passage). The surface of the Katy is FAR superior to the C&O, the latter being just natural dirt. It's hard, dries out quickly, and drains well. Some parts were so firm they were almost like pavement. Since it's not a national park like the C&O, there are more services too. They're both great rides, just different.