Rock Island Trail Forum

Are electric bikes allowed on the Katy Trail (and other trails in the St. Louis area)? We are

trying to move up to the St. Louis area from TN, and I'm very impressed by what I've been

reading about parks and trails in your area. Our only grandchild is just 4 now, but we're

looking forward to spending a lot of time with her in the parks and on the trails. I love to

ride a bike, but I have one bad knee, and I have a problem with pedaling for any length of

time. I've been looking into electric bikes (not scooters or mopeds), which would be a real

help for my knee, but I'm not interested in one if I can't use the great trails. I didn't find

anything specific about this on the Katy Trail website - I apologize if I just missed it. I did

find some info online about e-bikes on trails, but there was nothing specific for Missouri.

I appreciate any information. Thanks ~

Electric bikes are allowed on the trail. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources web site has the Katy Trail Park Rules.

Specifically:



http://www.mostateparks.com/katytrail/info.htm#Permitted



Permitted Uses



Katy Trail State Park has been designed specifically for bicyclists and hikers. The majority of the trail is accessible to persons with disabilities. Segments of the trail that exceed a 5-percent grade or a 2-percent cross slope are indicated on the map. All motorized equipment is prohibited except official and emergency vehicles. Electrically assisted pedal-powered bicycles and tricycles (maximum speed of 20 mph) as well as electrically powered-mobility devices for persons with disabilities such as motorized wheelchairs and scooters are allowed. No hunting or discharging of firearms is allowed. All state park rules apply and are posted at trailheads. The trail is open only during daylight hours. HORSES ARE PERMITTED ONLY ON THE WESTERN SECTION FROM THE STATE FAIRGROUNDS IN SEDALIA TO CALHOUN.

Just wondering if e-bikes have been introduced on the Katy trail and in Boonville .. I have friends who love e-bikes and the were interested.. thanks.. Billy O.
Is it possible to rent them? Thx

I have a hard time pedaling with my bad knees & hip I know they rent Electric Bikes at a bike store in St. Charles,Mo near the katy trail so I would love to be able to ride the trail again can they be road on the trail

E bikes ARE allowed on ALL trails in the St. Louis area and the Katy Trail. I am an avid rider (over 18,000 miles on my current bicycle) and I see more and more E bikes on the trails all the time. The park trails, such as Jefferson Barracks and Forest park. The Riverfront Trail along the levee of the Mississippi river going north from the Gateway Arch, etc. I have also seen a multitude of electric "scooters" and even a few electric skateboards!! It seems the majority of posted signs I see refer to "no high speeds" or "excessive speed" allowed. Some posted signs say no speeds over 20 mph, which I seem to recall is the maximum on the Katy Trail. 20 mph can easily be exceeded by pedal bicycles on certain parts of more than a few paved trails in the area. I often see bicycles fitted with gasoline engines on the streets around STL. And sometimes groups of them on the Riverfront Trail. I DO NOT believe gasoline engine powered bicycles are allowed on ANY trails

My son and I found a bike light on the KT early this morning. Appears to be in working order. I thought I would post here on the chance that the owner would check this forum. We were just west of Bluffton at the time. If you think this may belong to you let me know. Thanks!

Are the Hammock Campsites ready yet? How much are they, are they in the shade and could we put a small tent by a couple hammocks?

660-525-2032
That is the phone number for Katy Rock Junction.
Have a good trip
Allen

Hello,
My wife and I are planning to cycle the trail in October, 2019 from Boonville to Augusta. Does anyone have an opinion as to whether the trail be in good enough condition to do this by then?

Thank You!

My uneducated opinion is YES, it will be good to excellent conditions for riding 90%-95% of the trail. It seems from all I've read and heard that the most prominent trail closure is just west of Rocheport. And the detour may not be desirable to everyone. There are shuttle services offered along the trail, and I expect there will be some available in that area, as it is an ongoing issue. However, my brother is coming from Virginia to ride the length of the trail with me from Clinton to St. Charles. We do anticipate having to work around a couple difficulties that we were not subject to the last two times we rode the whole trail, but absolutely don't expect anything insurmountable. We are leaving Clinton on the 10th of October and plan to do a leisurely ride, returning to St. Charles on the 15th. I do hope you ride, RJ, and have a safe, fun time on the trail. Everyone knows the businesses along the route will greatly appreciate seeing us all. Maybe we'll see you along the way. Happy trails!

My brother and I have made 9, annual trips on the Trail across Missouri. The first seven were from Clinton to St Charles, and the last two were from Pleasant Hill to St Charles. We hopeful that we'll get our tenth ride during 2019. We have scheduled the week of October 20th for our annual ride; we'll do it during a 4-day ride (subject to change pending conditions). Previously, we made our trips during September.

I have been busy on Garmin Connect, Strava, and Ride with GPS exploring detour options, and making route maps and GPX files.

Since I am a Missouri "ex-pat" living in the Houston, TX area, I am most grateful for all of the on-line trail up-dates.

Thank you all so much. We will be there, for sure!

I am planning to ride the KT Clinton to St. Charles 9/3-9/8. My plan for day two includes this stretch west of Rocheport, (Sedalia to Cooper’s Lansing, 70 miles). What is the detour route and what makes it undesirable? Safety? Length? Forgive me if there is somewhere I can get that info myself and thank you all for this input. It has been very helpful.

I believe it's because the detour near Rocheport would put you on the highway.

Lots of info can be gained from looking at the MO Parks Website link above and Trail Conditions Report(TCR) from users. I believe the biggest challenge in going the whole length(on bike) is the 10 miles west of Hartsburg that DNR lists as "closed w/o detour". From the TCR, bikers have seemed to make it through by following the closed trail that still seems to have considerable damage. I do not believe there is any good road detour there and also not sure if you may be violating some state law by ignoring trail closed signs.

There is also a 1 mile section west of Portland that is "closed w/o detour" according to DNR because of a rockslide. From the TCR, bikers that made is past this section used area side roads and Hwy. 94 to make it around this obstacle. From the TCR, it does not sound all that safe so be careful on this one.

The remaining "closed w/o detour" section is around Case(MM 97). There is an easy work around by using the local road just north of the bridge that is out. I am guessing why DNR says it is "closed" is that there is not a legal easement to get on and off the trail to use this road. Nevertheless, that is how bikers have been getting around this section.

The other closed section is east of St. Charles to Machens, and I would not ride this section even if it was open.

DNR posts maps for the remaining detours and none of them would concern me. Others may have a different opinion.

No, Rocheport does put you on a nasty highway, I am canceling my thru trip.

According to my tentative plan, by the time I get to Rocheport I will have about 50 miles in the saddle. So I am thinking maybe just try to get a shuttle to take my sore butt from Rocheport down to Cooper’s Landing? or near it? How easy or difficult might that be to procure? Thanks for the summary Steve K.

Best air b&b we have stayed at ever! (And we’ve stayed at a few).
The silos are amazing. Wendy & Doug have created a bucket list stay for anyone doing the KATY or just wanting to get out of the city and unplug. Leave your technology at home and enjoy the silos the animals the lake the Evening sounds on the farm as the sun sets and the stars at night. Really exceeded our expectations.

Forgot to ask. Is most of the trail open now? Any areas still closed due to flooding?

We rode from St Charles to Portland in several segments and there was no flooding. We did it over four days from August 12 to 15.

There is a section between Rocheport and New Franklin that is still closed. The trail bridge under the Hwy 40 bridge pushed off the frame and is off to the side & the creek is wider than it was.

The section from McBaine East to Coopers Landing is open and not bad. I rode a bit past Coopers Landing and after the third silty sand pit across the trail I turned around and went back. It was a work night so I was on a time limit.

That is all I know about that.

@ Karen C - "There is a section between Rocheport and New Franklin that is still closed. The trail bridge under the Hwy 40 bridge pushed off the frame and is off to the side & the creek is wider than it was"


Is there a way around the closed section? We have a multiple day ride planned next month that goes right through this section... thank you!

Scott in case you had not seen in other threads, yes there is a detour that uses, in part, HWY 40. Not ideal, but doable.

I am sure this is a very old forum topic and I am sure many will disagree with my observations. I road the trail for the first time in a long time and I was very surprised at how many, what I would guess were seasoned and experienced riders, based on the speed at which they were riding,the bike uniforms and in some cases the formation of riders, had the worst etiquette on the 12 miles we rode that day. We stayed single file on the right, and the bulk of the other riders that day, did a great job of announcing their upcoming pass on the left. But many times that did not happen and in every instance it was an experienced rider, that did not announce and in a few instances came very close to causing some collisions because people were also coming from the other direction. Surprised and disappointed with the arrogance that was shown by these riders. Don't get it! Sad

Yeah, too many people are in too big of a hurry, and aren't considerate.

yes, and I feel that the riders that were doing this would be the first to become upset if it was done to them.

I'm not so sure I agree that it's necessary to announce a pass in all cases. If the rider(s) who is being passed is on the right side of the trail, the passer on the left should be able to safely pass on the left without incident or announcement.

It's my responsibility as a rider to observe my surroundings including frequently looking behind for any approaching riders. If I'm surprised by someone passing, that's on me.

The bigger problem I encounter on the trail are bikers riding side-by-side and not paying attention to what's behind them.

I consider it a courtesy to do the "on your left" thing. And I do it most of the time, especially in the more remote areas of the trail.

I'm less irritated with a speedy unannouncing a-hole passer than a slow group taking up the whole trail where you have to call-out multiple times to get their attention.

I agree with Joe. I have been riding the Busch Greenway and it's not very wide, the majority of experienced riders will not move over and ride single file when we cross paths. I disagree w/anonymous, it is common courtesy to say "on your left" when passing, you can not check behind you enough to make sure no one sneaks up on you. People can just be startled by a rider suddenly passing and cause an accident. For some reason I think it is a Mo. thing. I did a group ride here for a couple yrs when I first bought my road bike and the riders were so rude it was scary. I went up to Wi. and did an organized week long ride w/500 people, everyone was safety conscience, made me see how bad my Mo. group ride was, I always thought it was just my inexperience. Don't think we can fix it, just keep yours eyes open.

I completely disagree with anonymous. There is zero reason to be turning you neck constantly to see approaching riders! Just follow the etiquette and announce the pass at all times !

I am an "on the left" announcer - always. I think it is just courteous. What amazes me are the people riding right towards you who never look up and no matter how many times you say "hey, bike" or "look up" or well, use your imagination what comes next - and, then when they almost hit you look shocked and flip you off for being in their way! Ugh.

All we can do is set the right example and do what we can do and hope maybe others will learn.

My Specialized bike came with a wee little bell, which, when I got it, seemed kind of silly, but it actually is a great way to announce myself on paths & trails. Ir gets attention & I don’t have to holler.

Problem is, the trail is for everyone....the speedy jerk who thinks others should keep a constant lookout over their shoulder just for them so they don't have do anything but speed on past. And it's for the oblivion's who spread across the trail with just as big a stake in ownership.

Everything cannot always be someone else's fault or responsibility. Know that you don't have exclusive rights because you are on the trail today. In the big scheme of things, no one really cares. You are responsible for your safety. And, you are responsible for not creating an unsafe situation for others.

It's pretty simple to listen for approaching riders and to check out your surroundings from time to time. It's just as simple to not block the whole trail in case someone else wants to use it too.

Not much effort in announcing your presence by ringing a bell or shouting "On your left!"

I got a little dingy bell for like 8 bucks on Amazon. It is more expensive than the cheapest one at Walmart, but it makes a nice sound and is really loud. I'd recommend one for anyone who rides.

As humans age, range of motion in many body parts including necks becomes diminished. I never thought aging would happen to me but here I am, nearly 70, and have been riding the trail since opening day. It was easy to look behind me 29 years ago. Now, not so easy. I and probably many aging cyclists appreciate a little bell and a friendly "Passing on your left" at appropriate times.

I agree that a bell and announcing a pass - and slowing down - are just courteous and safe; safe for all riders. If you are the rider passing and you hit another who suddenly swerves out, you might be in the right, but you'll still be off yer bike.
Another helper is a really good mirror; not a substitute for the passing rider to announce her or his presence, but a good way to see behind when you hear the bell or are on the highway. I resisted getting one for years but am now a total convert, having bought the one which fixes on the end of the handlebars and which is a really great US-made product. Over here it costs about £15 and is worth every penny. I still look over my shoulder, but the mirror is a great help.

We rode Clinton to St Charles in late July and early August. Offered an "On your left" when passing. Typically we gave the number of riders as well. "Three riders on your left". We were thanked by almost everyone we passed in this fashion. It's nice to know when everyone is around and gone. Easy bit of courtesy that makes everybody's day better.

Check in at 3:25 for some additional thoughts from my favorite YouTube cycling channel...

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__youtu.be_1X3OsWr2POY&d=DwICAg&c=jDxDfonQFcAe3sWnY8DmawezcmyuZjysm_bX1I8PkM8&r=cB_JE-oE9hd-cZ1gLyt4m1Sr6p3IgbE-OicYuhSKhBI&m=boI5s4P6FEfBsTDUf09GONbQ70MZbkayFrjqcZhy5T4&s=o0yBjQDcRKvrtBa1agA_YHzmLOI1zOmokpq8OnzGS6s&e=

As I am sometimes a walker - I prefer an "on your left" because I know what that means. I hear a bell - and well, I am not sure what that means - I have to stop and think about it and look around - is there a kid about to plow me down? am I about to step in poo? What' going on. But - that is just me. Most people don't announce at all.

I think a lot of us do not 'announce' for the same reason that we all quit Honking Our Car Horns when passing another car on the road.....did you know that was and in some States is still a Law???? It gets to the point that your just honking and honking. Like on roadways, people should be aware that others use the Trail too. Be aware, bikes and other hikers are going to pass you. Stay to the right and keep your head up.

Sharonbikes, I quit saying "on your left" because people kept stepping to the left! :)

In the words of Bill and Ted, "Be excellent to each other!"

Seems odd that a correlation would be made between the sound of a small bell and stepping in poo. Interesting to say the least.

I saw that Damon passed away. So sorry to hear that.

Is there a contact number for the new management?

Thank you.

660-525-6394 is Diane Fosnow the new owner

Great to see that lots of people are getting out on the trail. Ray made us a great tool to log the conditions at
https://bikekatytrail.com/trail-condition-report.aspx

Please try to use it to record where you rode and the conditions you saw. Otherwise, reports tend to get lost as they get buried under new comments.

Thanks!

We are going to ride the Katy Trail from Sedalia to St Charles in September. My question is.... what is the average miles a person can ride per day that isn’t a real experienced rider. When I do ride, I average 10-12 mph. We are planning on averaging 40-50 per day. Is that too many? Thank you

Each time I ride the length of the trail I take a casual approach, which just happens to be what you suggest: 10 mph and 40-50 miles each day. At that pace, you can ride for an hour, stop for an hour, and spend only 9 hours (or less of course,as an hour break is not absolutely necessary, but possible). Even in october, that allows the potential to hit the trail at 8 a.m. and be done well before dark at 5 p.m.

I have always found lodging was a big factor in miles per day. I always camp and it seems the campsites I like are about 35-40 miles apart. If you aren’t an experienced rider butt pain will probably be a factor after a couple of days. If you are traveling using B&B’s you can be a little more flexible because there are more of them than campsites, many are located in the same towns as campsites. If you are a pavement rider you will find miles on gravel are harder and you can do less of them. There is not much coasting on rail trails you pretty much pedal every foot of the trail.
I would err on the short side for miles per day, there is plenty to see. I approach it as a vacation rather than a training ride.
Have a good trip.

Allen

If you average 10-12 mph on pavement, you're looking at ~8 mph on the gravel on the KATY. It really sucks the energy out of your tires.

We trained by riding on pavement, and had 40 mile rides under our belts, but the trail gave us a serious beatdown. We enjoyed it, and it felt like an accomplishment, but it was what we call Type 2 Fun. :)

Our first day was Clinton to Sedalia, 41 miles, 5 hours 29 minutes moving time. Whew!

FYI...Missouri is HUGE horse country!! We probably have more horse riders and owners than Texas or Oklahoma. Wake up Missouri. Who rides a bike far anyway? I'd much rather ride my horse a distance than bike. Nature, nostalgia.

I've got no problem sharing the trail with horses. It appears to me that the places on the trail where you can count on finding water at trail heads are the sections open to horse riding. BTW, some people ride bikes pretty far. I rode 1,100 miles from D.C. to St. Louis earlier this year. Didn't come across any equestrians.

When KATY Trail was first 'the dream', it was billed as for; Horses, Bicycles, Hikers. There are areas, now, of the KATY where you are allowed on it with Equine.

The biggest concern I have with all this, and yes, we have ridden our horses on KATY (and our bicycles from end to end as well as 1000s more bike miles on KATY), is Trail Etiquette.

And of COURSE!, the other HUGE safety concern, Equine Spooking!

As far as Trail Etiquette, no one knows it any more. City People have no idea about horses. They do not have a clue how to act around them other than; "Can I Ride Your Horse?" and "Can I Pet Your Horse?" They CERTAINLY do not know that Horses/Equine, ALWAYS have the Right Away. ALWAYS.

Then. There are the JERKS, using the Trail, that will spook your horse just to keep you off 'their trail'.

Another concern. I know, like all Equine People know, that the Horse Poop is NOT like Dog Poop. However, is it right to leave it on the Trail and ride on? I don't think so.

I would NOT want to ride MY horses on the Katy in High Volume Use areas.....and I have to ask???? Are YOUR horses Bomb Proof/Parade Ready enough to handle the other Trail Users???

I rode horses before I rode bikes and I have always said we had plenty of horse trails in the state of MO to ride on...and I still believe that. No need to give access to horses for the whole KATY. My #1 personal reason was safety for me, my horse and others who don't understand how a horse thinks and sees things. (Jerks are in a category of their own...I am talking about people who truly don't understand)

I now ride bikes and enjoy riding long distances. I now encounter more walkers and bicycle riders than I ever have before and I am even more convinced horses don't need to be on the KATY trail.

Some of us like to ride our horse, our bike or walk long distances. Missouri gives all of us options and I am grateful for that.

I rode the RI from Pleasant Hill to Windsor yesterday. With all of the recent rain the trail overall is in decent shape. Maybe a handful of trees down and I am sure someone will come along the next week with a chain saw. One major complaint I have is that 2-3 miles before I got to Windsor, a farmer was moving a heard of cows on the trail for about 1/2 mile or more. With the less than firm trail along with the cattle and their droppings, my tires looked like I was riding in a manure field. I understand the need to move the cattle across the trail but for that distance is unacceptable. I'm sure it will take awhile to be back to normal. I have no idea if this even allowed but patiently waited once I came upon them.

I camped last night at Katy-Rock Junction. I will ditto the clean grounds, restrooms and showers. The garage was very nice to secure your bike for the evening. With the recent thunderstorms, the garage gave me an option to go to if the weather got bad. Also there is an old root cellar if the storms became severe. Windsor is a nice town and a great spot to overnight.