Rock Island Trail Forum

My husband and I will be riding the whole trail from west to east. We are riding in November in order to escape the heat (we both really like COLD weather). I am having trouble deciding whether to ride it in 3 or 4 days. We are not in "top" physical condition, but we're training hard right now and will be in "good" condition by then.

Gayle, my wife (35) and I (46) rode two days covering about 85 miles a few weeks back. Consider myself in decent shape. Anything over 50 miles would have become "less-enjoyable". Recommend the 4-day ride. Enjoy the sites and smells that time of year offers. I agree, the cooler weather is much better. Hope it stays dry!

I think it depends on if you're riding just to say you did it or if you really want to enjoy the trail. Either one is a good reason to me. We rode the whole trail in May and took 4 days and it was a pretty comfortable ride. It's definitely doable in 3 days though. Another thing that's been mentioned is that you should include a couple of long rides towards the end of your shape-up program. Even if you're in good physical shape you still need to develop your "bike butt". By the way we're riding (or at least attempting to ride) from J.C. to St. Charles tomorrow. Never ridden 100 miles before......we'll see how that goes.

To give you good advice, we have to know how much riding you've been doing. If you haven't ridden 100 miles in a single day this year, forget trying to do the entire KATY in 3 days. If you haven't ridden 120 miles over a weekend, you should be asking, "5 days or 6?". If you can't easily ride 40 miles a day, day after day, it'll be a week or more.

I agree with Nails. Does your "training hard" time mean time in the saddle on your bike?

How many miles? Are you riding days back to back? Or, does it mean time in the stationary

bike or time at the gym? Being in good physical shape will help, but nothing can substitute

for some back to back riding days and time in the saddle on your own bike. And, watch the

weather in November because it may be 80 degrees or it may be cold and snowy and icy, or

all of the above. Riding in the cold is no problem, if you are prepared. Riding in the snow

can be fun, too...riding on ice is downight dangerous. Also, that time of year if it has snowed

or rained you can run into some mushy trail and that will slow you down as well. I would

allow a week and then see how it goes weather wise and physical wise. Have a great ride!

Thanks for all the comments! I think I've decided to take at least 4 days to ride the trail. I've done all my training on local Ft. Worth trails with my mountain bike and plan on doing a 50-60 mile ride a few weeks before and see how I feel afterwards. Who knows, I may need to stretch it out even longer. I just don't want the trip to be ruined because I'm so worn out I can't get up the next day. Thanks again for your advice :)

I don't think you'll have to stretch it out more than 4 days. A couple of things.....when we did it this spring the first day (Clinton to Pilot Grove) was the hardest day of the whole trip. There is a gradual incline for (what seemed to us) most of the way. After the first day the rest was gravy. Also, 2 of the places we stayed had hot tubs and climbing into them felt like heaven after a 60 mile ride. Good luck and have fun.

my son and i did the entire katy trail this summer (july 14-18). if i had to do it again - would do it maybe in the spring or sep/oct. it was hot. almost everywhere we stopped met the great people of missouri. i guess the thing that sort of surprised me a little was the trail surfaces needed some maintenance. and there is one stretch where finding water was a bit longer b/t stops than desirable. lastly would not really recommend a road bike like my son had.

I would suggest 4 or 5 days,my wife and I did the trail from St.Charles to Clinton last year, first week in Sept. our longest day was 65 miles and it was rough ride because of the heat. We had trained good, running and biking. We are 65 and 63 years old however. We are doing it again Oct 1-6th from Clinton to St. Charles. This time we are in even better shape doing some long training rides and I run 40 miles per week. I would suggest mountain bikes, last year we did road bikes with saddle bags and enough supplies for 5 days. Three days could be heavy duty unless you are in very good shape and do not care about seeing some of the sites along the way. Good luck.

Don't forget the advice mentioned on this forum in other places: Plan ahead and, especially in the off-season, make sure the places you are counting on for food and lodging are open! That said, I think you will find November to be a good time--often the weather isn't terribly cold yet, and having the leaves off the trees will make for some longer views, especially of the bluffs. I'm not sure if the eagles are on the river by then, but we have had some great, fairly close views of eagles along the river in the winter. Also, you might want to check with DNR--they may turn off the water fountains and flush toilets in freezing weather.

My wife and I rode from Clinton to St Charles in 3 days and returned in 4 days. The three days there were a real grind and we enjoyed the four much better. Even then, 225 miles in 4 days ammounted to 40-65 miles per day which is a bunch. Next time, take 5 and smell the roses.

A friend and I just finished Clinton to St. Charles in 3 days. I agree it is a real grind. I would suggest that unless you have been riding a bunch in preparation, do it in 4 or more. I rode 1500 miles in 2006 to get ready, and it was very difficult riding between Clinton and Pilot Grove. The trail is mostly uphill until you get to Pilot Grove. It is an unrelenting grind that seems to have no end at times. We also had headwinds all 3 days although we were riding west to east. That made it harder each day as well.



Ken



Ken

My neighbor (age 41) and I(age 51) did the entire trail in Oct '05 (St. Charles to Clinton, or from East to West) in 3 days. This equates to about 75 miles a day. My 24 year-old son-in-law had to quit after Day 2 due to the required pace and knee problems. We were hard pressed to manage it, but we did it. Arrived in Clinton after dark on the third day drenched in sweat. Would recommend 4 days if you want to stop and enjoy the many sights and opportunities along the way. A 3-day trip is more like a job than a pleasure.

I rode across (west to east) in 3 days in October, 2006. Clinton to Hartsburg (hard day of about 114 miles), Hartsburg to Rheinland (50 miles - easy day) and finished up 67 miles Rheinland to St. Charles.



It's quite doable, but 100+ miles on the trail become a grind. I loved the trip! Obviously days 2 and 3 allowed alot more time for looking around and taking pictures, etc.



Next fall is the first chance I'll have to ride the entire trail again and I'll probably look at 3 days again.

I am principally a walker, but I can't imagine riding it in three days. Slow down, relax, enjoy the scenery and people. I wouldnt want to do it in less that five days.

Me and a group of friends (also from DFW area) rode the trail in Oct, W to E. 1st Day: Clinton to Boonville. 2nd Day: Boonville to N. Windsor. 3rd Day: N Windsor to Hermann 4th Day: Hermann to St. Charles. 5th Day: Amtrak to Sedalia, then back to Clinton. All of us are in good physical condition. Any attempt to conquer the trail in less time would have been difficult and taken away from the enjoyment. Have a nice trip!

It would be nice if there was water here because going West to East from Sedalia to Pilot Grove has the most climbing of the whole trail. We were prepared so didn't have a problem, however our host in Sedalia has had to pick up people who over extented themselves with no water and were in bad shape.

As an act of kindness to those who travel the trail. Katy Trail Family Church (the little white church by the trail) is providing bottled water on Saturdays and Sundays. Please feel free to stop in at the Church and say hello. You will always welcome. Were also praying for you! Have a good ride :-)

I concur! I will go farther and say that there should be water available at EVERY trailhead.

And thanks, Pastor, your church's efforts are appreciated.

My son and I recently hiked along the Katy for his hiking merit badge. He wants to ask a question of the person that owns the land where the explosives were stored during the construction of the railroad. This brick wall along the trail is located between Rocheport and Huntsdale. If anyone might know how to contact the private owner it would be appriciated. All I can say about the contact is it deals with boyscouts. Our email is r_harpers@yahoo.com if you can help.

We heard they were moving to Columbia,but we don't know where or when!

We heard they were moving to Columbia,but we don't know where or when!

Went by store on a Friday morning, but wasn't open. There are still tables outside, but no sign of life.

Went by store on a Friday morning, but wasn't open. There are still tables outside, but no sign of life.

need to call first very busy family runs the store

573 636 8443

need to call first very busy family runs the store

573 636 8443

I am setting a scene in a book on a Katy Trail ride starting from St. Charles in the morning. I need the characters to ride far enough to stop, get lunch, and return to St. Charles by mid-afternoon. They are fairly proficient riders and in good shape. How far would they get? Is Defiance too far?

Defiance sounds reasonable - that's a 40 mile round trip, which is not a big deal for someone who bikes regularly. It might take a couple of hours each direction. Plus, heading out of St Charles you won't find any restaurants until you get to Defiance anyway.

In September of 06 my brother and I did just that. We are both in our early 50's. We logged 55 miles. We started out at 9 am and were back in St. Charles by 3 pm. the ride was easy for the both of us. About every hour and a half we would stop and have a snack and stretch. I retospect we could have done 75 to 80 with no problem.

Rode my EZ Racer Gold Rush recumbant solo pulling a Burley trailer from just east of the Continental Divide on Rt. 50 in Colorado to St. Charles, MO. Did the length of the Katy Trail across MO. Clinton Mower and Cycle in Clinton, MO, the western trail head for the Katy, is a damn fine bike store and the owner is an extreme-distant cyclist who trains on the Katy and has all the beta a rider could need. (He has ridden the full length of the trail (224 mi) in one day!!!) It took me four days, and I wouldn't want to do it any faster even if I could as there is too much to see and enjoy along the way to cut the trip short with speed. It is a good idea to take along a supply of tubes, particularly if you have 700 tires and presta valves 'cause bike stores are scarce and far between. I had lots of flats, which I attribute to riding off the gravel of the trail and picking up spikes from goat-head burrs. I liked the slighly hilly (easy grades) of the wester half of the trail slightly better than the almost dead-level eastern section for the scenery, but I wouldn't want to have missed any of it. My trip was Wednesday through Saturday in mid April, and I only say one other through rider on the western half. The only other people I saw were local bikers, joggers and walkers in the vicinity of the towns. I camped along the trai, which I guess is not permitted, but since I leave no trace I'm sure no one noticed. I am grateful I had the opportunity to flirt with Katy and I would recommend her to anhyone who loves to ride.

I live in st charles near the katy and would like to get to my work at chesterfield airport. however, there is no way to get over the missouri. will there be a connector or a path off the side of the bridge built anytime soon? I can get close via the bridge going over the page but taking olive the rest of the way is not worth the risk.

I recently did the trip across the Page bridge and on into Creve by way of Olive. I found the traffic to be lively but everyone slowed and respected that I was on a bike. There are always exceptions to the rule, but during the whole 298 miles I rode there were more places that caused me anxiety than coming into St. Louis.

We had such a good time at Rendleman Home that we decided to stay there again a few weekends ago... this time just driving in rather than biking the trail. He had a full house that night with several other couples and a group of cyclists camping. As usual, Doug cooked up a feast for everyone. Several of our musician friends joined us and we had a music jam around the bonfire until late that night. There was a meteor shower that night so it was a magical night to be outdoors playing music under the stars. This place will always be one of our favorites and we'll be back often!

We had such a good time at Rendleman Home that we decided to stay there again a few weekends ago... this time just driving in rather than biking the trail. He had a full house that night with several other couples and a group of cyclists camping. As usual, Doug cooked up a feast for everyone. Several of our musician friends joined us and we had a music jam around the bonfire until late that night. There was a meteor shower that night so it was a magical night to be outdoors playing music under the stars. This place will always be one of our favorites and we'll be back often!

Glenns cafe is the most wonderful restaurant around. My husband and I ate there every friday when we went to Mizzou and were sad when they closed. to our delight the re-opening in Boonville is so great....same great food!!! We love it!!!

Glenns cafe is the most wonderful restaurant around. My husband and I ate there every friday when we went to Mizzou and were sad when they closed. to our delight the re-opening in Boonville is so great....same great food!!! We love it!!!

Loved the Little House. We were tired and a little late getting there. We found the house to be absolutly charming, relaxing, and just what we needed. Highly recommended.

Loved the Little House. We were tired and a little late getting there. We found the house to be absolutly charming, relaxing, and just what we needed. Highly recommended.

Does anyone know the best place to park in St.Charles?

the website for the trailhead says no overnight parking.

you can call 636-946-0619 for information about parking, shuttling and overnight accomodations in St. Charles

I usually park at the Page Crossing Bridge; however, I'm unsure if there is overnight parking.



http://www.bikekatytrail.com/pagecrossing.asp

We had a problem with parking this summer. All the lots around the trailhead had signs saying no overnite parking. I have a hard time understanding this since there is several huge parking lots in the area. We stopped in the bike shop on Main street and they told us we could park in the lot behind their shop in the last rows so you might check with them. We stayed at the Country Inn and Suites and they let us park our truck in their south lot while we were on the trail. We booked a room for the day we returned and they kept our bags in the office so we wouldn't have to leave them in our truck.

We got back to ST Charles around one o'clock and we were a mess since it had rained on us all the way back so they let us check in early so we could take a shower and enjoy the hot tub. Overall we had a wonderful experience at the Inn. The trail runs right behind the hotel so it was a great place to stay and access the trail.

Just got back from great 3 day trip starting at St. Charles. Found out you can park anywhere along the trailhead lot as long as you call the St. Charles police dept. and let them know. They were very nice, and said they would check on the vehicle.

I see pictures of the turntable and the pit, but not a roundhouse, Has that been destroyed? It

sure would be nice to have the turtable restored. It would probably be very easy to move it,

allowing people to "be spun" as were steam locomotives back when steam was King.

I see pictures of the turntable and the pit, but not a roundhouse, Has that been destroyed? It

sure would be nice to have the turtable restored. It would probably be very easy to move it,

allowing people to "be spun" as were steam locomotives back when steam was King.

On Sat. 11/3/07 I rode in the Bike ride from Columbia to Rocheport. It was a benefit ride for Mizzou Childrens Hosp. It was a really a fun ride and the weather was beautiful. Anyone wanting to look at some photos of this event:

http://community.webshots.com/user/carlmyers

Has anyone stayed at the Elysian fields Inn B&B? 5 friends are wanting to stay there.

Has anyone stayed at the Elysian fields Inn B&B? 5 friends are wanting to stay there.

This B&B is decent and the hosts are very nice. But...its not the place to go on the weekends if you want peace and quiet. Its walking distance to the 2 biker bars and you can clearly hear the bands from the B&B. They stop playing by 11:00 p.m. so its not all night, but definitely not the place for a romantic, quiet get-a-way. More of a partying kind of place. Park your car and head to the bars. Breakfast was very good.

This B&B is decent and the hosts are very nice. But...its not the place to go on the weekends if you want peace and quiet. Its walking distance to the 2 biker bars and you can clearly hear the bands from the B&B. They stop playing by 11:00 p.m. so its not all night, but definitely not the place for a romantic, quiet get-a-way. More of a partying kind of place. Park your car and head to the bars. Breakfast was very good.

I stayed there midweek in October. Very nice. Well-antiqued home with parlor. Large yard with shrubs and outdoor facilities: hot tub, above-ground swimming pool, and historical out buildings. Room and bed was comfortable and nice with a large bathroom. Reasonable. Owners are gracious.

I stayed there midweek in October. Very nice. Well-antiqued home with parlor. Large yard with shrubs and outdoor facilities: hot tub, above-ground swimming pool, and historical out buildings. Room and bed was comfortable and nice with a large bathroom. Reasonable. Owners are gracious.