Best way to ride?

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Ryan from St charles on 7/28/2019 7:32:39 PM:

A bucket listen item for me is to ride the entire Katy, I’m wondering if it’s best to start in st Charles and head to Clinton or vice versus? I’m thinking about wind, etc? Any feedback is much appreciated!

TWTourist from Texas on 7/29/2019 5:48:43 AM:

It may be best to go from Clinton to St. Charles due to elevation. You will be going downhill. ?? As for the wind, I have no idea. Hope this helps.

Ryan from St. Charles on 7/29/2019 7:55:29 AM:

This helps a lot. I live in St. Charles and the furthest west I've ridden is a few miles past treloar. Thank you so much!!

Bill in Houston from Houston on 7/29/2019 8:51:07 AM:

The prevailing winds are from west to east, so that's one reason why people tend to ride it in that direction. RAGBRAI goes the same direction.

Also, if you are riding toward home, you might feel a little extra motivation. :)

Ryan from St. Charles on 7/29/2019 9:17:16 AM:

Bill, sorry can I ask what does RAGBRAI stand for? Thanks!

Don from Dallas on 7/29/2019 10:07:54 AM:

Register’s Annual Greater Bike Ride Across Iowa.
BAK also goes west to east. BAK = Bike Across Kansas, second week of June, great ride!

Jerry Whittle from Belleville IL on 7/29/2019 12:08:27 PM:

I've ridden the Katy both directions 4 times. West to East is best due to the prevailing winds and slightly more downhill especially going into Boonville.

However there is one advantage riding East to West: sunlight. The early morning sun is at your back heading west. Still I'd rather start in Clinton and invest in a good pair of sunglasses.

Ryan from St. Charles on 7/29/2019 12:24:24 PM:

Thank you Jerry, great info!! Would you happen to have any other tips or advice for a first timer? I plan on staying the night somewhere. Thanks again!

Jerry Whittle from Belleville IL on 7/29/2019 2:22:19 PM:

Some other tips:
1. Many local businesses are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays on the Katy in the smaller towns. You might want to start your trip on a Wednesday.

2. Tires. I weigh around 215 plus the bike. I use at least 700x32 tires. My newest bike has 650b x 47 tires which is probably overkill.

3. Fenders. I've ridden the Katy when dusty and rainy both with and without fenders. From now on it's fenders for me.

Jerry Whittle from Belleville IL on 7/29/2019 2:26:37 PM:

4. Lights both front and back even during the day. There are places on the trail when you go between sunlight and shade quite often. Lights helps other riders and cars see you.

Ryan from St. Charles on 7/29/2019 2:41:34 PM:

Thank you so much!! What about a place to stay? Any suggestions on that? My goal would be to do it in 2 days, so I'm thinking around jeff city, 120 miles in or so?

Anne from Cleveland on 7/29/2019 11:42:04 PM:

I am partial to west to east. I hear the wind is better this way but to be honest I don’t know. I guess it’s just preference for me.

Doug from Bluffton on 7/30/2019 8:21:48 AM:

Ryan if this is your first time on a loaded trip I think you might want to plan on at least three days. Loaded on the trail takes quite a bit more energy than empty on the road. I have no idea how strong a rider you are but will you have time to sightsee, take a break along the way, fix a flat?

Rex McCall from Springfield,MO on 7/30/2019 4:39:32 PM:

I wouldn't worry about the wind. It changes direction frequently and can be going in any direction on any day. I have some wind roses for the month of July for Columbia, Kansas City, and St. Louis, and they all show that the wind mainly comes from the south during that month. Even then, most of the time it is under 5 mph. I don't remember where I got these wind roses, but you can probably find them online for other months.

The elevation is better going east to west, although there is nothing that should cause you much problem. On the home page of this site, there are elevation charts. You can see that, going west to east, the elevation rises from 780 in Clinton to the high point of 955 just past Windsor. Once you hit Pilot Grove, it's generally downhill to St. Charles (452).

Jim from St. Thomas on 7/30/2019 7:33:30 PM:

Yes the wind can change directions but if you’re riding for 4 or 5 days the odds of having winds blowing from the east the whole time are pretty slim. You also have to take into account that the section from Clinton to past Pilot Grove is actually more southwest to northeast than east to west.

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