Katy Trail Experience

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April McDaniel from Lebanon, MO on 10/1/2012 2:59:06 PM:

My husband and I recently rode the entire trail from Calhoun to St. Charles! What an experience we had!! We rode it in 6 days and think that maybe next time we will do it in 7 days so we can stop and enjoy more of the towns and have more time. We hauled all our own gear and stayed at Cruce's Cabooses in Calhoun, Hotel Bothwell in Sedalia, Hotel Frederick in Boonville, The Globe Hotel in Hartsburg, The Rendelman House B&B in Bluffton, and the Little House B&B in Marthasville! We enjoyed every place we stayed and would love to thank each host for their warm hospitality and interesting stories! The climb from Sedalia to Boonville on day 2 was quite a workout but after that it was all flat. Don't think you will be doing much coasting because the "downhill" portion is mostly flat so you don't coast much. Be prepared to pedal most of the way. Make sure you have plenty of water bottles and plan ahead for food and lodging since a lot of the small towns along the trail have no services. The scenery was amazing so don't forget your camera! This was our first trip and it definitely won't be our last!!!

Eric Otte from Olathe, Ks on 10/1/2012 4:46:17 PM:

April, that is really cool... My buddy and I are leaving from Sedalia via Amtrak this Saturday and biking back from St. Charles (2 day trip)... Few questions:
- How much water did you bring w/you?
- did you have issues with finding water along the way?

- What sort of bike did you guys ride & did you have any flats?

Again... very cool for you and your husband to do this together!!!

Ken from St Louis on 10/2/2012 12:57:01 PM:

I just did the opposite direction about three weeks ago. I carried two bottles of water to be safe. I never had problems refilling. Had 5 flats between two bikes just East of Rhineland, for a 5 mile stretch. Great little store in Mokane!

april mcdaniel from lebanon, mo on 10/2/2012 2:33:57 PM:

We each carried 2 water bottles that we kept full and a 3rd one for the stretches where water is limited. as long as you plan accordingly water is not hard to come by. We were both riding Schwinn mountain bikes....I think next time I would like to try a bike with narrower tires and see if the resistance lets up.

Eric Otte from Olathe, Ks on 10/2/2012 4:01:53 PM:

thanks all... I will pack along 2 bottles of water... I am using a cross bike w/typical cross tires also I will bring along 3 tubes... maybe 4 tubes... Really excited for this weekend... 220 miles in 2 days will be a challange for me....

Brent from Warsaw on 10/2/2012 10:20:43 PM:

May I ask how much it cost to do your trip total,thank you Brent

kls from Southeast Missouri on 10/5/2012 12:09:42 PM:

I am thinking about doing this with a group of girlfriends. Was also wandering (but not wanting to be too intrusive) what you think your total cost for your trip was?
Thanks and no hard feelings if you don't want to tell! :)

MidSouth from Rogersville, Mo on 10/5/2012 8:30:30 PM:

All the hotels and B&B's have their price range listed on this website or their own website. You would be safe to plan on about $100 per night average per room more or less, unless you are camping.

Neil from Parker, CO on 11/26/2012 12:42:39 PM:

In September I rode across the Katy as part of a cross-country trip. A couple notes I'd make: Re: water, there aren't nearly as many places to get water as you'd find on the road. Two water bottles should be fine - just never pass a chance to fill 'em up. Second note would be a response to the "tire question" above - someone mentioned wondering if narrower tires would be better. I made my trip on a road bike with 25cm tires - just slightly wider than the normal 23cm tires that most road bikes have. This sort of crushed rock surface would be much better on at least 28's. Wider tires are better on this surface. It was dry, so it was never a problem for me, but I could definitely feel the drag.

Overall, a beautiful trail and a wonderful ride. I did mostly 100+ mile days across the country, but shorted them up on the Katy, which I'm glad I did.

FEEDBACK! - Please let us know if you have suggestions, corrections, complaints, or ideas. Your input is valued and appreciated - thanks in advance!

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