type of bike for Katy Trail?

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steveisk from Pittsburgh, PA on 4/15/2011 12:09:57 AM:

Hello. I hope this is the right forum for this question: I want to ride the Katy and Cowboy trails this summer but not sure what type of bike to get. I bought a hybrid because I thought I'd need wider tires, but starting to think I need more of a dropped bar position for long distance riding. But is a racer tough enough for the road surface?

To complicate matters further, I'm almost 6' 6", so need a large frame. Do I need dropped bars and semi-wide tires on a very large frame? Does such a bike exist?

Don from Plainfield, IL on 4/15/2011 12:40:42 AM:

I'm about 6'- 6" and I have a Trek FX hybrid (bike path/street) 25" size with a 34.5" standover with the straight handlebars with gearshift. It is more upright and lighter than a urban or mountain bike but has the 32 mm kevlar hard case tires. I've ridden the Katy Trail twice end to end with it and it is perfect for the chat surface, crossroads, bridges, and any ruts.

MidSouth from Rogersville, MO on 4/15/2011 11:20:15 AM:

I've done the trail several times and use a 29" mountaing bike with no suspention and 32c touring tires. My wife uses a Scott hybrid with the same tires. You don't need anything wide, and you don't need knobbies. Drop bars would be a matter of preference. Most of the bikes I see on the trail are mainly hybrid types with flat bars. If your hybrid fits you well, I would stay with that and get some size 32c or so tires with flat protection.

stevieville from saint louis, MO on 4/17/2011 10:44:48 AM:

On the Cowboy Trail, I would expect a much rougher ride than the Katy Trail. I am thinking of doing some out and backs on the Cowboy Trail sometime this summer just to check it out. This will be on my way up to the Mickelson Trail in SD.

Bob from St. Louis on 4/23/2011 10:47:21 AM:

stebeisk
Best advice I can give you is to go to a good bike shop, not a big box store, and get fitted by someone who knows what they are doing. You will likely need at least a 60cm frame given your height. You have other choices to make, but if you don't start with the properly sized frame, you'll be disappointed regardless of the bars, seat, tires, weight of bike, etc. you choose. Remember also that you can easily change tire sizes. You may want to go with a 28mm tire for the KATY and perhaps something larger, 32 or 34 for the Cowboy trail. A good bike shop will help you work through the choices including respecting your budget.

kurt from naperville il on 4/24/2011 8:45:22 AM:

ive started using a cyclo cross bike..it has road geometry for speed but has compact cranks and 700x 32 tires which i think are fast but beefy enough for packed trail like the katy...i have a aluminum fram which supports my rack and panniers...

Anonymous on 4/24/2011 9:16:53 AM:

I agree wholeheartedly with the comment that the KATY and the Cowboy trails are ENTIRELY different trails and entirely different experiences and would make best use of very different bicycles. I have a lot of experience on the KATY and limited exposure to the Cowboy. I regularly ride the KATY with 28-32 wide tires with good results. I, personally, would not want to ride the Cowboy on tires that narrow.

I also agree that the flat/drop bar conversation is a personal preference and is all about your comfort on the bike.

All best wishes!

cunninghamair from ofallon on 5/1/2011 10:34:13 AM:

We also ride road bikes with wider tires on the katy. My hybrid may have been more fun, with full suspension and the ability to roll over good side limbs without any effort. However, at the end of the day, much slower. It's a trade off.

Pat from Oklahoma City on 5/17/2011 7:34:34 AM:

I rode several sections of the Cowboy Trail a few years ago and it is in much rougher shape than the Katy. You'll need fat tires for the Cowboy trail. The hybrid should work fine there. I rode a hybrid with 32mm tires on the Cowboy and would have liked wider tires. My friend had a hybrid with 38mm tires and had an easier time.

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