Rock Island Trail Forum

I was wanting in Rocheport on a Friday night and was wondering if there is any lodging other than BnB's there? I am on a budget and was hoping to find a hotel or something that woud be a little easier on the pocket book than BnB's(I am not much of a camper which would be the most economical!)

There is one non-B&B lodging shown on this site: The Midway Budget Inn (see http://www.bikekatytrail.com/site.aspx?sid=140). It's not in town, but close by. See the map & the comment thread on the page for more info.

Thanks Brian, I have a room booked. Now I just need to find a room in the Hermann, Rhineland, McKittric area.

Please note that the Midway Budget Inn is several miles from the Katy Trail, and the actual town of Rocheport, which is right on the Katy.



By several, I'm thinking like seven miles, but not sure about that one.

You might note that the Katy B&B, which is right on the trail, has rooms in the $70 range. If you just need something basic, you might find this works better for you than the motel which is a few miles away.

Although the poster has already booked a room.....Boonville is a viable alternative when wanting to stay in the Rocheport area. It's a short ride (10-12 miles) to Rocheport.

The Doll House in Rhineland is very nice and also economical as far as B&B's go. Trailside Bar and Grill is just across the road and good food.

Since we are planning this somewhat last minute, I have found that most of the places that are recommended and close to the trail are already booked up. I have found an opening at Abigails in Hermann for our Saturday nite stay. However, the owner says she has never had any bike riders stay at her place and this makes me concerned. Is Hermann easily accesible from the Katy trail and if so how far? Also has anyone stayed at Abigails?

As long as the new bridge is open as someone said, the ride into Hermann is around 1/4 mile and will be very easy. The old bridge was very dicey for someone on a bicycle.



I am surprised that Abigails has never had a biker, I believe it is only about 2 blocks into Hermann once you cross the bridge. I have not stayed there though.

Awesome campground. The shower house bathrooms and showers are very clean. Probably the nicest campground on the trail!

Awesome campground. The shower house bathrooms and showers are very clean. Probably the nicest campground on the trail!

Hi, I am planning a short 3 day ride with a friend in August. I have been "training" in my neighborhood on trails. Ours have lots of hills! I also have been off my bike until now, for about 4 years. (I have 3 year old twins). Before that I was in good shape and never had a problem with long rides or hills. Now I am 41, a little out of shape and my knees ache when I ride. I don't think the extra 25 lbs would have much to do with it, but I hope to take care of that too. I can't imagine different shoes would make a difference. Would toe clips take some pressure off? Just curious. Maybe this is just the difference between 30 and 40!

I would attribute "knee ache" to riding on hills if a great amount of downward force is applied (depends on angle of slope, etc.), being off the bike for a period of time, and probably the difference between 30 and 41. Toe clips keep your feet positioned on the pedal and actually allow for exerting greater force both downward and on the up cycle too. I don't see that they would lessen knee ache.



Perhaps adjust your seat height periocically to change your cycle and know that the Katy is Flatland.....perhaps a few long grades, but no hills. Advil works well too.

Indeed, reducing pedal force reduces knee pain. The best way to do that is to increase your cadence (revolutions per minute of the pedals). A novice frequently pedals with a cadence of 50 to 60. It takes some practice, but spin your way up to 90 to 100.

Thanks! I kind of figured it was good ol' mother nature... This might be a silly question, but how to you count your cadence? Do I just time it and count, maybe 10 sec and multiply, like taking a pulse?

You'll need a bike computer that has a cadence option. Models avalable include:

Cateye: Strada Cadence, CC-CD300DW, and Astrale 8.

Topeak: Comp140.

Vetta: VL110 T2X, VL110A T2X, VL110HR T2X, V100 WL2X, V100A WL2X, V100HR WL2X, and RT77.

Or you could really geek it by getting one of the Polar heart rate monitors designed for cycling (S725x/S625x, CS400, CS300, SC200cad, CS200, CS100b, and CS100) with the cadence option.

After a while the cadence becomes second nature. Enjoy!

Or....knowing that you've not been on the bike for about 4 years...and realizing that you would fall into the novice or casual rider catagory cranking at approx. 60 cycles per minute....you can simply count one thousand one.....one thousand two....as counting seconds. When you turn your crank one revolution per second, your cadence is approximately 60 cycles per minute...more than one crank turn per second and theoretically you've reduced knee pain potential.



I'd opt for this nongeeked out method....pocket the bike computer/cadence monitor/altimeter/gps bling ching and spend the money on lunch at Les Bourgeois in Rocheport and on a few bottles of Riverboat Red to enjoy with my friend after I got home.

Nails is on target. Spinning faster in lower gears will help your knees a great deal...even

though it seems opposite of what seems logical. It's a physics thing...the faster you spin, the

easier it is and the more efficiently you move yourself along. Pushing in a high gear so you

can barely turn the pedals is hard on your knees and not the most efficient way to ride. A

cadence bike computer will be a HUGE aid in this endeavor...all you have to do is watch the

number on the read out and not try to count while you are trying to spin faster and stay

upright and watch where you are going.... : )

You guys are awesome! Great advice! I was out this morning and tried to bike in a lower gear as much as possible. I have a 6 year old sigma sport bc401 that only does trip, dist, speed and time. Does anyone know if the mounting hardware is standard if I stay with the same brand? (I'll check REI too.) I am sort of a gear geek already, but must of my gear is for hiking/camping. I used to bike "alot" on trails before kids. Now I have a burley (Used) for the twins, and am hoping that this trip, and getting ready for it will jump start me into getting back into shape! I need energy to run after 2 three year old! Maybe a new computer would be a good investment on my quest for better health! My husband has a heart monitor, but I don't this it is biking specific. We have a gps, but it is a few years old, and isn't bike specific either. I like it for average and max speed (and all the fun stuff for hiking!) Thanks again for all the expert advice!

The Sigma Sport BC 601 is a wired unit for just speed detection. So that makes it automatically incompatible for a unit with cadence. The only current Sigma Sport model that supports cadence is tbe BC 1606L DTS Wireless. FYI, while your BC 601 slides on the mount to lock in place, the BC 1606L has a twist lock for its mounting.

This is an old thread, but you probably should check your bike fit, too. Make sure your saddle is the right height, the frame size is appropriate for your size, and the reach to the handlebars fits you, too. A good bike shop can help you with this. Most people start out with their saddles way too low. That is certain to blow out your knees.

KT is right...I would check both the bike fit, and the seat height and position. Excedrin makes a pain reliever, however for that kind of pain...I pack that too, just in case!!

My name is Robert and my full-time job is teaching bicycle education here in Columbia.



Your primary problem is probably bike fit.



Here is what you can do. Have a strong friend hold the front of your bicycle and crawl

aboard.



#1. Put your heel on your pedal and put your foot straight down. Your heel should still be

in contact with your pedal (barely) with your pedals in the 0/180 degree position. Keep

raising your seat until you lose contact with the bottom pedal and then lower it back about

1/4".



After adjusting it you should ride with the ball of your foot right over the pedal axle and

you should be in the ideal position. Your leg should have just the slightest bend to it

when at the bottom of your pedal stroke.



The other thing and probably the thing that is happening to you is seat position front to

back.



#1. Make a plumb bob by taking a shoe string (or any other type of string) and placing

something heavy but small on the bottom. I use fishing sinkers.



With you seated on the bike and your pedals at completely parallel to the ground place the

plumb bob just below your knee cap. This should be touching the very bottom of your

knee cap bone. Now let the bottom hang below and have someone look at it from the

side. This should be dissecting the very middle of the pedal or the axle of the pedal.







Fix these two problems and I would be that your knee trouble will be over.



Also your cadence should be at least 90 rpms even for a beginner. You do not need a

fancy computer to do that.



Just take a watch with a second hand and count how many times your right knee comes up

.



Do that for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.



Hope that helps. You can email me at robert@pednet.org if you have any other questions.

Robert, I tried step #1 and step #1 but neither one works on my recumbent. Just kidding. Thanks for the helpful information.

I looked on the link here from "towns and services". Are they basically saying it's ok to camp anywhere in the woods between Hartsburg and Wilton?

It is not okay to camp just "anywhere" along the Katy Trail as it is prohibited except for desginated areas. I believe this is the map of the site you are looking for in the Hartsburg area.



http://mdc.mo.gov/documents/area_brochures/9732map.pdf



I have not had a chance to go by there this year, as I wanted to check this out. I seem to recall someone else posted that this area was flooded earlier this year, so you may want to check with the Missouri Conservation Department as they are in charge of this particular area.

Campground entrance on Katy Trail is 2 miles northwest of Hartsburg trailhead, and .4 miles on northwest of this entrance is a levee, about 100 feet past this levee, and areas on northwest, water was over the trail. Campground is a few feet higher than trail and was nearly .5 mile from flood area. Not a bad looking area, primitive and grass is a bit long, but I have never seen anyone using it.

My husband and I took a vacation to ride the Katy Trail and stayed in Augusta. My husband is the real biker so he took the much longer ride on Saturday, but the experience in Augusta was just wonderful! We stayed at the H.S. Clay House and were simply overwhelmed by their hospitality. We ate at Cafe' Bella, the Augusta Brewing Company and Balducci's Winery-all great and all different! While Tom took his long ride on Saturday, I spent the day walking to the different wineries and shops and the atmosphere was friendly, the service was great and the people in this great community made the weekend memorable. We will certainly be back to ride the trail and enjoy this community again. Thanks to this great website for giving us the tools to make it a great weekend.



Allison Austin

Just got my Rails-To-Trails Conservancy newsletter & the Katy has been awarded "Trail of the Month" and inducted into their "Rail-Trail Hall of Fame"! This is the innagural year of their hall of fame, and the Katy is only the second trail to be named (the first was the Great Allegheny Passage). There's a nice write-up with some pix at http://www.railstotrails.org/newsandpubs/trailofthemonth/index.html.

I stayed here Fri before Labor Day and really liked it. It's an older style inn, but very clean and the owners are friendly. Good price, $39 for one. Makes for a good place to stay when starting or ending the trail. It's about 1 mile from the trail head and very close to KFC, DQ, and Pizza Hut for dinner.

I stayed here Fri before Labor Day and really liked it. It's an older style inn, but very clean and the owners are friendly. Good price, $39 for one. Makes for a good place to stay when starting or ending the trail. It's about 1 mile from the trail head and very close to KFC, DQ, and Pizza Hut for dinner.

I totally agree. Just want to add that Pizza Glen is also close by, just down from Pizza Hut. We ate there earlier this summer, locally owned and it was great! Pizza was really good and their salads were huge and yummy. We can get Pizza Hut at home, from now on, if in Clinton we're going to Pizza Glen.

I totally agree. Just want to add that Pizza Glen is also close by, just down from Pizza Hut. We ate there earlier this summer, locally owned and it was great! Pizza was really good and their salads were huge and yummy. We can get Pizza Hut at home, from now on, if in Clinton we're going to Pizza Glen.

Add me as another who agrees that it is a good value and very handy the trail. I used it a few months back and would use it again for sure.

Add me as another who agrees that it is a good value and very handy the trail. I used it a few months back and would use it again for sure.

Try their breakfast sandwich. Very good. Friendly people.

Try their breakfast sandwich. Very good. Friendly people.

Nice, old two-story building w/bunks, restroom, shower and bike repair area. I stayed on a Sunday eve, Labor Day and had the place to myself. When it got dark, I assumed no other bikers would show up so I locked the door and wasn't bothered by anyone. Nice, hot shower. Great place for those riding the trail on a budget.

Nice, old two-story building w/bunks, restroom, shower and bike repair area. I stayed on a Sunday eve, Labor Day and had the place to myself. When it got dark, I assumed no other bikers would show up so I locked the door and wasn't bothered by anyone. Nice, hot shower. Great place for those riding the trail on a budget.

My sister and I are planning our first ride on the Katy at the end of September and would like any advice or suggestions regarding places to stay, shuttles, distances etc. We would like to park in St. Charles, take a shuttle to Rocheport on Friday afternoon and stay overnite there. We would then start out Saturday morning and head east. Any recommendations on where to stay, possibly in the McKittrick area? Then on Sunday we would resume our ride to St. Charles. Does this sound doable for 2 women in their 40's that are experineced and fit riders. This is our first time and the trail. Looking for any and all suggestions and recommendations.

Sounds like a good plan. I would think that you could do 75 on day one and get you to the Dollhouse B&B in Rheinland which would leave you about 67 or so for the second day. (I think my math is right, but double check me on the mileage.)



There is also a resturant there in Rheinland that was an easy walk across the street from the B&B.



I was pleased with both the stay at the Dollhouse and the food at the restuarant on my overnight there last October.



Have a great trip!

I was afraid we might be being a little ambitious, but we are both pretty stubborn and like a challenge. Any advice on where to stay in Rocheport? Is there anyplace other than the BnB's?

See similar question in this forum at http://www.bikekatytrail.com/talk.aspx?thid=1730

if you are looking for shuttle call 636-946-0619

I think your trip sounds very doable. My best friend and I, both in our 40s did a much less aggressive trip because it was our first trip, and we were biking in August. Our only problem was 105 degree heat for three days. Our longest day was 46 miles which we did between 6am and 11am due to the high temps. We figured we could easily do 70 miles a day if it hadn't been for the heat. My friend does triathalons, and marathons and is in good shape. I am in ok shape, but not at my best by a long shot, and still think 70 miles in a day on the KATY would be reasonable for me in cooler weather where we could ride past noon! Have fun!

Oh, I forgot I wanted to add that the Katy Trail Bed and Bikefest in Rocheport felt more like a Hostel to me than a B&B. It didn't have lace and flowers or pink rooms, and had a kitchen you could use for yourself. Nobody lives there, so you might have the place to yourselves. It was also one of the less expensive places to stay in Rocheport, and located right on the trail.

Thanks for the feedback. We are doing this somewhat on the spur of the moment and all the Bnb's are booked for the 21st, so I just wanted to see what my options are to work around that. I guess if nothing else we can stay the first night in Columbia. I think my body and my legs can make the trip, but I'm not sure how many hours a day my butt will hold out.

Only food place visible from the trail. Good enough when you're hungry.

Only food place visible from the trail. Good enough when you're hungry.

If you are riding the Sedalia-Rocheport route, and are in Pilot Grove around lunch time. Be sure to check out Becky's Burgers & Cones. Is about 1 block off the trail. The best hamburgers, chicken salad sandwiches, and ice cream! Everything was wonderful.

If you are riding the Sedalia-Rocheport route, and are in Pilot Grove around lunch time. Be sure to check out Becky's Burgers & Cones. Is about 1 block off the trail. The best hamburgers, chicken salad sandwiches, and ice cream! Everything was wonderful.

Looked like a nice place, but was closed over the Labor Day weekend, Saturday.

Looked like a nice place, but was closed over the Labor Day weekend, Saturday.

For a long stretch going east there are not many places to get groceries. This is a nice place to stop and get some. We stopped here and got a bottle of wine to go with our sandwiches we got carry-out at the Trailside Bar and Grill in Rhineland.

The Mokane Market is a nice store, and very clean when I've been there. Another option is the Loutre Market in McKittrick. You can see it from the McKittrick trail head. You can either climb the hill on the east side of the trail tunnel under hwy 19 and ride down the shoulder to the store (the easiest way if the hill is not too overgrown or you're not afraid of chiggers) or you can turn south on the gravel road just east of the trail head to hwy 94, then west to hwy 19, then north to store (sounds complicated, but total distance is probably less than 1 mile). The Loutre Market is a "full service country grocery store"; they have everything a cyclist on the Katy could want except a bike shop. I have no connection to the Loutre Market accept being an occasional customer for the last 30 years as I have family in the area (the current building is only a couple years old, the first 2 were destroyed by fire).

I rode the trail in April from Clinton to Hermann. Stopped and spent the third night at the shelter in Tebbets. Rode to Mokane the next morning and stopped at the Mokane Market and got a sausage biscuit and coffee for breakfast. They were very nice and heated the sandwich in a microwave for me. I sat around a table with about 15 elderly retired farmers and shot the breeze with them about fishing and farming. Everyone was extremely nice and accomodating.

The Loutre Market is an oasis along this section of trail. Over the Labor Day weekend, I rode from Clinton to Dutzow and this store was outstanding. Great hot and cold deli w/ in store tables to eat at or picnic tables outside in shade. Buy something and they'll let you get free ice and water from the soda fountain for your bottls. Very close to the trail; perhaps a block from the trail head. Very friendly employees too.