Rock Island Trail Forum

I'm thinking of doing a ride in the next couple of weeks. I haven't ridden a ton - just a couple of 9 or 10 mile rides lately. Is this length of ride too much to bite off this soon? About how long should I expect the ride to take? Finally, what type of supplies should I bring other than water & snacks?



Any help is appreciated.

Are you riding one way or there and back? If you're comfortable riding 9 or 10 miles, 26 miles won't kill you. 50+ miles is a different story. I don't know what your riding style is but I would think 3 1/2 or 4 hours one way would be doable for you. That's a pretty leisurely pace and leaves time for several stops.

Thanks for the reply.



I will be riding one way and having someone (probably the wife) pick me up or possibly stay in a B&B for the night depending on when I get the chance to do it.



Any advice on supplies that I should bring (replacement tube, patch kit?, etc)

I just rode from St. Charles to Marthasville a couple of weeks ago and the ride from St. Charles to Augusta is a nice easy ride. It was our first ride of the season and it was'nt too bad. It's flat all of the way so that makes it pretty easy. Since your wife is picking you up you can travel light, I would suggest a tube and a patch kit with tools for replacing a tube. Be sure and take plenty of water, there is no water between St. Charles and Defiance and that will be the longest stretch of your trip. You will read some negative comments on this forum about Augusta Brewery but we ate there and found it quite pleasant. Have a great ride!

just a thot, you might want to go to augusta, and ride back to st. charles. you can stop at defiance on your way through, re hydrate, rest and ride on into st. charles. that way you are home when you are done. just a thot. either which way, have fun, be safe.

In my first ride on the Katy Trail I made the mistake of thinking I could go farther than I did. My wife dropped me off in Rocheport and drove to Jefferson City to wait for me. I didn't have a phone or walkie-talkie to call her and tell her I would be later than I estimated which caused her to worry. Assuming you'll be riding solo, it's a good idea to carry your cell phone with you just in case of an emergency. Also if you're like lots of us, when you see some of the scenery you will want to take pictures, so if you have a small camera you may want to take it. I would also carry a little cash in case you find a shop or store that has some snack or refreshment you like. Anything you can do to make your ride more safe and enjoyable is worth considering.

Insect repellent!

I rode from Clinton to St Charles a few weeks ago and there were areas near the river where the misquitos were thick. They are not a problem while you are moving, but if you have to stop for some reason in one of those areas (repair a flat, for example) you will definitely wish you had some.

Planning to ride from Creve Couer Lake to Downtown St. Charles for breakfast. Any suggestions?

There is a Starbucks at the intersection of Fifth Street & Booneslick - just west of the Trailhead in St. Charles. Also, along Main Street there is a local coffeehouse - Picasso's that offers some light breakfast options. I'm sure there is more, but those are two pretty reliable, cheaper options. Good luck.

Nice shop, friendly helpful employees. I was able to enjoy lunch while I had a flat repaired. Not my usual bike flat experience.

Nice shop, friendly helpful employees. I was able to enjoy lunch while I had a flat repaired. Not my usual bike flat experience.

One of the best cheese burgers ever.

One of the best cheese burgers ever.

The food is great but service is v-e-r-y s-l-o-w; (took close to an hour both times we stopped). Plan to take a long break for lunch.

The food is great but service is v-e-r-y s-l-o-w; (took close to an hour both times we stopped). Plan to take a long break for lunch.

Ive eaten there dozens of times and the service is always excellent.



My favorite place!

Ive eaten there dozens of times and the service is always excellent.



My favorite place!

we would like to say we had a very nice and relaxing stay with rick. He served a wonderful breakfast.We enjoyed the company we shared at breakfast. Our tour of the winery was very enlightning.We would rcommend to anyone wanting a relaxing time and town,to stay with Rick and Diane at thier guest house.We would enjoy doing it again sometime,Tahk You Rick.

we would like to say we had a very nice and relaxing stay with rick. He served a wonderful breakfast.We enjoyed the company we shared at breakfast. Our tour of the winery was very enlightning.We would rcommend to anyone wanting a relaxing time and town,to stay with Rick and Diane at thier guest house.We would enjoy doing it again sometime,Tahk You Rick.

this is to all the participants on the dnr ride. have fun, enjoy yourself, be safe. tell us all abouts it when your home..

I had a good time hauling bikes & bags and visiting with many of the riders. Some people said that this ride has the best support of any ride they have done!

We had a little rain Monday morning and it got hot Thursday afternoon, but overall, the weather was good this year; no rain in camp and no violent storms.

A few people sagged in to Columbia on Tuesday, but it was fewer than I expected. We only made one trip to Hindman Junction with a baggage truck to get bicycles.

I enjoyed the band at Mokane Wednesday evening.

Toyota trucks was a big sponsor of the ride this year. They had vehicles on display in camp and gave away promotional items each day including water bottles, can koozies, T-shirts, PowerBars, key rings, hats, etc. Toyota also provided trucks for use by the DNR staff for the week. Thanks Toyota!!

It was a great week! Savage (Doug), I saw you introduced the last night at the Augusta riders meeting and figured you were the guy from the bike katy trail comment board.

The DNR did an awesome job. It has to be hard to coordinate the camping, meals, sags, etc for 300+ riders, but you guys pulled it off in great fashion. I would recomend this ride to everyone (just get miles in beforehand to get your legs and bottom ready). The oldest rider this year was 83 and the youngest I believe was 6. We met so many interesting people, ate LOTS of good food, and really enjoyed ourselves.

I would like to thank the ranger at the Augusta trailhead, the people working the sign-in desk at the campsite that day, the bike repair guy, and a gentleman named Bruce.



My front tire blew out just a few hundred yards from the trailhead and I crashed, resulting in a bloody elbow and hip. The ranger, who had EMT training, checked me out and gave me supplies and instructions on how to take care of my injuries.



The people at the sign-in area gave me a free bottle of powerade when I was looking a little wasted and some free anti-biotic salve when I lost what the ranger gave me. The bike repair guy at the sign-in area booted the tire for free, and gave me an extra boot and an inner tube, also for free.



I'm so sorry I didn't get names. I'm really bad about that kind of thing. Ask the remaining family members who are still talking to me and the few friends I have :->



Unfortunately the booted tire wasn't holding up. I then asked at the rider's meeting if anyone had a spare 20" (recumbent) tire I could buy. Bruce gave me a free one!



I made it to St Charles safely.



THANKS BRUCE! AND THANKS AGAIN TO THE STAFF, RANGERS AND BIKE REPAIR PEOPLE!

GREAT ride. It was my first time, and my dad's second. He was right (as parents annoyingly are): It's like summer camp for adults!



Many thanks to DNR's Andrea, who provided a lot of cheering and support to everyone. And Clarence was a trooper, too. The guy handling the bags was amazing, as well. Becky was great about shuttling us weenies off to our hotels at night (hey, if I'd known the weather was going to be this amenable, I might've camped! Then again, maybe not!). Really showed off Missouri's Dept. of Natural Resources in a positive light. The interpretive spots were interesting, as well.



Next year, I plan to make the dinners and camp activities, and especially the meetings. I just took a look at the DNR's pics and I think we really missed out-- Then again, we supported a lot of cab services and local restaurants, so maybe we can have a pass for stimulating the local economies?



Next year, I also plan to stop along the way, explore the towns more. And I'll definitely be taking more pictures. I can't believe how everyone pounced on them when I came back home. And it sounds like more people want to do it.



Three cheers for the DNR! And to all the riders, communities, and sponsors for making it so great!

Where can one find the DNR's pics of the ride?

http://www.mostateparks.com/katytrail/2007ride.htm

Does any one know of laundry facilities around the half way point (Hartsburg - Bluffton area)?

There are no laundromat facilities in that area. There were two laundromats in Boonville when I was growing up back in the old days... (70's & 80's), but I can't find any information via the internet now. I found a laundromat listed in Jefferson City, but that is not convenient to the trail unless you were going into town anyway. Some hotels have guest laundry facilities (Holiday Inn express in Boonville for example). If you are staying at a B&B you may be able to arrange for laundry service ahead of time. I camp and do laundry by hand in a bathroom sink or shower and dry it on a line in camp.

I don't know of a laundermat in the area, but I do know that if you stay at Rendelman House in Bluffton, he has laundry failities for guests.

I always go up the hill to New Franklin. There is a clean laundromat on main street near the bank. The Senior Citizens' Center has meals if you get there a little before noon and like to visit.

We are planning a one day bike ride on the Katy on our way up from Texas to Ontario in July. Any suggestions on which section of the trail is the most scenic in regard to river views, bluffs, shade/trees, and beautiful landscape? So much Katy, so little time! Thanks.

If I only had one day on the Katy, I'd start in Rocheport, ride east until I felt I was at a halfway point. Then turn around and go back. Its a shame you only have one day.



Paulie

what paulie said. have fun, be safe

I've ridden several segments of the Katy trail in one-day trips myself and have been back to the Rocheport trailhead many times because of its scenic attraction, especially southeast towards Jefferson City. It won't disapoint you, have fun.

Thanks for the information, guys. It seems to be fairly unanimous at this point! I appreciate your time and opinions.

Add one more vote to the Rocheport - east idea. The bluffs and the river along there are really pretty. Make sure to read the signs about Lewis and Clark campsites and their cave, etc.



Enjoy!

Just rode the whole trail from Clinton to St. Charles in two days. I think I liked the section from Clinton to Boonville the best. The trail was in much better condition than east of New Franklin. I liked the rolling farm land and more small towns to visit. The bluffs are nice near Rocheport, but you have to stop to look up at them, where as the rolling hills can be viewed as you ride.

Augusta to St. Charles is just beautiful... (the Rocheport stretch is great, I think I'm just tired of it). I have to add that the Pilot Grove to Boonville ( a small stretch) is just great - it's beautiful and a wonderful downhill grade into Boonville. Maybe it stands out because of the uphill grade into Pilot Grove, and the hot, barren stretch from Boonville to just before Rocheport.

I was dining at your Restaurant last week. The service was great & the food was wonderful. But while we were eating a hostess-I later found was Lauren Winters, was correcting Tommy Howard in the dining hall, in front of all of the guests. It made me and I'm sure many of the others very unconfortable. This appeared very unprofessional & could have been handled very differently. I'm not sure, but I suspect that Howard was merely saying hi to a guest. Tommy Howard is welcome at my table any time & I would invite a friendly greeting.

I was dining at your Restaurant last week. The service was great & the food was wonderful. But while we were eating a hostess-I later found was Lauren Winters, was correcting Tommy Howard in the dining hall, in front of all of the guests. It made me and I'm sure many of the others very unconfortable. This appeared very unprofessional & could have been handled very differently. I'm not sure, but I suspect that Howard was merely saying hi to a guest. Tommy Howard is welcome at my table any time & I would invite a friendly greeting.

A post here concerning this issue seems unprofessional as well. I would think it more appropriate to call the establishment if you thought an employee was unfairly chastised in front of paying customers.

A post here concerning this issue seems unprofessional as well. I would think it more appropriate to call the establishment if you thought an employee was unfairly chastised in front of paying customers.

My 11 year old daughter and I just completed a Jeff City to St. Louis trip last week in two legs

and overnighted at Peers. It's a great place, and I highly recommend it! If you are looking for

plush pampering such as one might expect in the $100+/night B&Bs, this is not the place for

you. But, if you're looking for a clean, spacious room, filling breakfast, and wonderful

hospitality at a reasonable price, do not hesitate to book with Barb.

My 11 year old daughter and I just completed a Jeff City to St. Louis trip last week in two legs

and overnighted at Peers. It's a great place, and I highly recommend it! If you are looking for

plush pampering such as one might expect in the $100+/night B&Bs, this is not the place for

you. But, if you're looking for a clean, spacious room, filling breakfast, and wonderful

hospitality at a reasonable price, do not hesitate to book with Barb.

While riding the trail we accidentally left a cell phone outside the Peers store. Barb found it, went the "extra mile" to track us down and even drove to the next town to deliver the phone. She is very kind and would accept nothing in return. Please patronize this store! Thanks again.

While riding the trail we accidentally left a cell phone outside the Peers store. Barb found it, went the "extra mile" to track us down and even drove to the next town to deliver the phone. She is very kind and would accept nothing in return. Please patronize this store! Thanks again.

Had lunch there on Thursday June 21, Very busy and Very GOOD. Ate a burger & fries. Will be back again.

Had lunch there on Thursday June 21, Very busy and Very GOOD. Ate a burger & fries. Will be back again.

Be careful riding on the main thoroughfares of Sedalia (Broadway-Rt 50, South Limit-Rt 65), they are not designed for bicycling (or walking!) If you are staying at the Super 8, Comfort Inn, or Ramada, those are on Broadway on the west side of town out by Walmart, I suggest taking W.Main St (which parallels Broadway) to Mitchell.

This store is actually a restaurant that serves home cooked, home-made pies. The entrees are pan fried chicken and fried country ham. Each dinner is served with real mashed potatoes, slathered with cream or brown gravy, green beans, slaw, applesauce and hot rolls. The prices are unbelievably reasonable...$7-8. Service is good and fast, if you have reservations, or a small group (2-4).

For a bit of back home atmosphere...it could get loud, or simply some great home cooked food, this restaurant is superior to most I've tried.

Featured are cobblers, cake and pie for dessert, or ice cream...also very reasonably priced...and better yet...home made.

This store is actually a restaurant that serves home cooked, home-made pies. The entrees are pan fried chicken and fried country ham. Each dinner is served with real mashed potatoes, slathered with cream or brown gravy, green beans, slaw, applesauce and hot rolls. The prices are unbelievably reasonable...$7-8. Service is good and fast, if you have reservations, or a small group (2-4).

For a bit of back home atmosphere...it could get loud, or simply some great home cooked food, this restaurant is superior to most I've tried.

Featured are cobblers, cake and pie for dessert, or ice cream...also very reasonably priced...and better yet...home made.

This sounds good. Where is Claysville in relation to the trail?

This sounds good. Where is Claysville in relation to the trail?

dave, claysville is about three miles east of hartsburg right on the trail.

dave, claysville is about three miles east of hartsburg right on the trail.

We are planning a trip to ride the Katy Trail (husband & I) and probably would bike between 35 and 50 miles per day on hybrids. Hopefully, we could do 3 days but it may only be 2. Where to start on the trail (we will be coming by car from Milwaukee), lodging between trails, and shuttle services would be helpful. Since everyone says Rocheport is very scenic, would like to include that leg on our trip. Any other comments or sites/maps, suggestions would be appreciated.

Definately need to stop at Doty's in Hartsburg to eat. Great food, bike friendly, non-smoking, wonderful pie & cobbler. They're closed Sunday afternoon & Monday. For an overnight try the Globe Hotel. Old historic hotel that's now a B&B.

While I love all of the trail - each section has it's own charms and challenges - the 25 miles from Rocheport to Hartsburg is about as pretty as it gets in my opinion. I would definitely include that section in my plans. Lots of Lewis and Clark history along this section as well.



Have a great trip.

On June 22, 2007 the special for the day was "Sloppy Joe" sandwiches.The first one was so good I had to have another. The food was fantastic, and the owner was very friendly, we could have sat there all day and shot the breeze and drank cold adult beverages, but we had another 45 miles to ride.

On June 22, 2007 the special for the day was "Sloppy Joe" sandwiches.The first one was so good I had to have another. The food was fantastic, and the owner was very friendly, we could have sat there all day and shot the breeze and drank cold adult beverages, but we had another 45 miles to ride.

Best deal on the trail. Great place to stay!

Best deal on the trail. Great place to stay!

Outstanding place to stay. The price is very good and the rooms are very clean and well furnished. Cath, the owner couldn't have been more friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend the Hartsburh Inn.

Outstanding place to stay. The price is very good and the rooms are very clean and well furnished. Cath, the owner couldn't have been more friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend the Hartsburh Inn.