Rock Island Trail Forum

We are planning on riding the trail sometime later this summer. It will be a group of about 4-5 of us and I was thinking about riding in early August or late July. We will begin preparing for the ride within the next 2 weeks. We are pretty amped about it. We are thinking about riding the trail out to Clinton and back from St. Charles. We are thinking that it can be done in about 5 days. Just wandering if everyone thinks this is a feasable time period??

Did you mean 5 days each way (10 days total)? Or did you really mean only 5 days to go out and back? Are you carrying camping gear on the bikes or traveling light and staying in B&B's & motels?

We are thinking about 5 days to go there and back. We were thinking about taking one tent for all of us to camp in. We were going to carry it on a small bike trailer. At least that was just one of the ideas. We had also thought about staying in some of the hotels or motels along the way. There is still a lot of planning left in the works. If we were to ride just one way. (To Clinton) Do you know of any shuttles that we can catch back to St. Charles?

WOW. No, that does not sound feasable to me. Can it be done? Sure, but why would you want to? That would be an average of 85-90 miles per day, hauling gear, in the summer heat. I personaly would allow for 8 days for a round trip. The fact that you are asking questions now and preparing early is great - since ultimately only your group can decide what is comfortable for everyone in the group. So get out and do some rides as soon as weather permits, including hauling your gear and doing an overnighter. You can find a list of shuttle services by selecting plan a ride, then select shuttles and then plan my ride or whatever the button at the bottom of the screen says. I'll try to post a link, but sometime they don't work for me. http://www.bikekatytrail.com/planner.asp

I agree with savage24 - riding nearly a century a day for 5 days straight is very intense. It's probably beyond most people's ability, and even most of those who can do it would be completely miserable at the end.



I think you're on the right track with riding one way, and then taking a shuttle the other way. This will still give you plenty of good hard riding, but it also will allow time to stop and look at the river, have a leisurely beer at a small bar along the way, visit with the locals over breakfast at a small town diner, explore a side trail or two, etc. etc.



Most shuttles charge by the trip rather than by person, so you'll find the shuttle fees to be pretty reasonable when split across a group of 4 or 5 people.

Eight days does definitely sound a little more comfortable than 5. Thank you guys very much for your opinions. It is very helpful to have someone who knows a little more about the trail give you some advice. We are pushing for a quicker trip for the simple reason that we will have to request off work for that duration. I'll get it figured out though. I'm sure our workplaces would let us off if they knew what we were trying to accomplish. I will definitely get back to you all with more questions and appreciate your information greatly!!

I have not had the chance to ride the Katy Trail ,I have to tell anyone planning any ride during summertime in Missouri that the humidity can be quite high resulting in a heat index that you need to monitor, it will cause problems when you are not adjusted to it. The problems also include insects and chiggers and ticks to worry about along the wooded sections.Plan on taking the time and not rush this trip. Also storms can and do form rapidly and without much warning and tend to get quite severe along the MO River and I-70 , high winds and hail and strong and intense lightning

Yeh, we have been thinking about the possibility of storms. We hope by planning the tip in late july- early august we may have a better chance at avoiding the bad weather. The draw-back is definitely the heat though. We will bring plenty of water and water purification tablets just in case. In case of bad weather, well, let us just hope the weather cooperates.

I think you are misjudging the distance and heat in a major way. Five days one way is OK. Do you understand that even though the Katy is a State Park there is NO camping along side the trail !! - unless you find an off the trail private camp site at each overnight location. Taking one big heavy tent sounds very naive to me. I suggest you load up your trailer and several weeks before intended trip try pedaling a 40 mile ride. I suspect that will add some realism to your plans. Right now you seem to be planning a "survival" trip with no time to stop and smell the roses.

You can get a shuttle ride from Clinton back to Sedalia where you can catch Amtrak train back to St. Louis ( get of at Kirkwood if more convenient than downtown). A "shuttle" all the way back to St. Louis may be quite expensive. Check out and compare costs.

We took 6 days to ride one way from Clinton to St Charles last June and felt we could have done it in 4. I'm a pretty strong cyclist, but my companion is more of a weekend warrior. We have hybrids. The heat, however, was major for us. One day we got a late start and were absolutely fried at the end of the day. The rest of the time we started out really early to avoid it, and that worked well--6:30 AM or earlier.

No Way! I am have been a cyclist for years and have ridden many centuries and one 200 miler. My wife and I rode from Clinton to St. Charles in the middle of July about three years ago and did it in five days. It was too hot. We saw very few cyclist on the trail. You might be able to do it but you sure won't enjoy it. You should also take into consideration the possibility of bad weather. JMHO

Jarred, seriously, you're looking at some miserable heat. Just curious why that time frame? The DNR trip is in late June, 5 days, one way, and the heat was a kicker. You definitely want to get an early, early start, and maybe consider stopping in the early afternoon, then starting up again around dinner time...just a thought. We camped, and the heat factor was just as bad when we weren't riding because we had nowhere to go to cool down. If you can camp in places with a swimming pool (Pilot Grove, Herman, etc.) it might be okay. Overall, enjoy the trail as you go, because there's nothing like it. Hope it works out!

What is the best 30 mile afternoon roundtrip route on the trail?Considering Rocheport east. Should we go further east to start? Not certain how much time we will have, or how long we can ride, but we may return and find we need to go the other way for a few miles to use up time.

my personal preference is rocheport, then east. have ridden as far as the north jefferson trailhead and as far west as boonville. also from st charles, 10 miles west. rocheport then east is still the best. good luck, happy ridin.

Any place between Rocheport and Jeff City would be a good trip. Go east from Rocheport or west from Jeff City. Or get on any where between and go either direction. You can't go wrong.

I like either from Mokane to Bluffton or McKitrick to Treloar

Rocheport to Cooper's Landing (Easley) is a pretty ride plus you can set at Cooper's picnic tables overlooking the river and while you have a water/soda/beer before you head back.

Does anyone know the name of the restaurant in Claysville that serves the wonderful chicken dinners?

It's the Claysville Store....they also have great pies and cobblers.

Would like to know the best weather months for biking the Katy.

Thanks in advance,

al

May (entire month is good), or move on to Autumn (October). The KATY can be done during all of the months of summer, but it gets not just hot, but REALLY humid during the summer. Pretty serious climatizing is pretty much mandatory if doing the trail in the middle of summer. Enjoy the Voyage.....Mark of the Dalton Boys

I second Mark's suggestions. Late September and October are my favorites, because you have nice weather and fall colors. Summer's great but you must be prepared for the heat. The Katy Trail Weather Guide page gives more details about temperature ranges and precipitation throughout the year.

We have also had good luck with the weather in May--but rain is always a possibility in the Spring. June is variable--can be nice or VERY hot and humid.

I like June, September & October best. April/May is severe weather season (tornados & thunderstorms), but if the weather is good it is a fine time to ride. I don't really mind July and August either, but I'm used to Missouri summers and I like to ride when its hot.

Has anyone ever run the entire trail? If so in how many days? I plan on doing it in Nov. of 2006 when I turn 70

What a great goal! I wish you much success, sunny skies and the wind at your back.

best of luck. i really hope you make. that would truly be an inspiration.

Best wishes. Sounds likes a great adventure.



I hope my Dad doesn't find this site - he's 71 - will be 72 by the time you run in November - and he'll probably want to do it with you.



HAVE A BLAST!!

Dear 70 years young ----- we are three blocks from the begining or the end of the Katy Trail (depends where you start)---- we have a Bed & Breakfast and we would love for you to stay with us (at our expense)either at the begining or end of your trip ---- we have a nice hot tub and we will arrange for a massage for you ---- come sleep in our cozy room and either prepare for your trip or celebrate your victory ----- Rhona Lococo ---Rhonaloc@charter.net

70? WOW! I am planning to walk the whole trail this fall and thought it would be a feat to do it at 43. I feel humbled! Have a good run!

That's fantastic. I hope to be in good enough shape to do the same thing when I reach 70!

One suggestion: You didn't mention whether anyone will be accompanying you, or at least meeting you at the trailheads along the way. If not, since you're on foot, you'll need to carefully plan each leg of your trip to have adequate access to food & water (or at least wear a camelback-type hydration pack and carry plenty of water). Just be aware that there are some long stretches on the trail without any businesses.

You can use the "Plan a Ride" web page to get a list of businesses and their mile points, to see where the long lonely streches are. For example, here's a link to the Plan a Ride page, showing all grocery stores, vending machines, restaurants, and water stops along the trail. If you look at the Mile Marker column as you page down, you'll see a few sections with gaps of 10 miles or more between services (e.g. St Charles to Defiance, Tebbetts to N Jefferson, etc.) Or you may find it easier to just scan down the mile markers and service listings on the Towns & services page.

Good luck, and please let us know how it turns out.

Hey great plan. Ray is correct in that even in the cooler months you would need a food and hydration supply. I am a cyclist, not a runner, but would be concerned about the distances between water supplies. I don't know if you planned to have support but I would be willing to help with your water/gatorade/eats situation using my bicycle rack-mounted cooler on the western part of the trail. It would give me another excuse to get over there. Just would need some advanced notice. Perhaps we could find others to do the same along the rest of the trail if needed.

There may be several DB's turning 70 this year, but if this is who I think it is, I will put up $10.00 that says he won't make it five miles beyond Sedalia. Perhaps this little wager will provide an extra incentive. This is the show me state.

I am the soon to be 70 year old who plans on running the Katy in Nov. I hope there is no misunderstanding..I plan to take 7/8 days doing this. Thanks for all the encouragement.

DB, seen that your birthday is in nov. can you provide me with a date, my wife and i's birthday are both in nov., and again best of luck. you are a real inspiration.

To answer some of your questions:

1.) My birthday is NOV. 6, 1936

2.) I will be doing this solo over 7/8 days from Clinton to St. Charles

3.) I have support in Sedalia and Jeff. City, the other stopws will be @ B. and B.

4.) I have been running over 45 years, and have run many marathons

5.) Hydration is always a concern but less in November.

D B, my b'day is the 13th, wifeys is the 30th. you are a real inspiration, good luck. with your b'day in nov, you are already a winner. wish i could be there to cheer you on.

I am still a little confused..Will I be able to get across the river @ Boonville on foot?

Also, the last time I ran part of the Trail through Sedealia I ended up in downtown area because of construction. Is that work completed?

To the person from Overland Park offering bike support, that would be great. Any help I could get would be appreciated.

To the B. and B in St. Charles , what a nice gesture, I sure I will take you up on your offer..will keep you posted. Thanks

Just give me some advanced notice and I'd be glad to help, as long as it is a Fri, Sat or Sun. I'm at haaghead@kc.rr.com

...and for those other two questions: yes you can get over the river on foot in Booneville using the bicycle lane on the highway bridge which is divided from the traffic by a short wall (if anyone has knowledge that pedestrians are not supposed to use the bike lane than please correct me on this). The trail is easily followed to the bridge. And Sedalia is through on the trail as far as construction as of late last summer. The trail itself does not go north immediately past the train station and from there you must follow the marked (with spray painted arrows and a few signs) city streets to get back on the trail on the northeast side of town. It's only a couple of turns and the streets aren't that busy as I recall.

I'm planning to bike the Katy Trail the end of Sept for 5 days...

I have a few questions:

#1: My sister was supposed to go with me and canceled out...am I insane to do it alone (mid-age woman)??? (I'm an experienced rider...rode down the west coast on hwy 1 from SF to Tiajuana last summer with a group of 10). I'm in great shape, can change my own flat...it's the 'woman alone thing". My husband thinks i'm a bit nuts (!)my daughter thinks it's perfectly fine. (she, who just got back from traveling in South America!!!).

#2: Road or Mt. ??? I have a Specialized Alaiz...can't imagine subjecting it to the limestone (my poor baby)! BUT...My Mt. Bike (Gary Fisher, Cake 2 duellie) just seems so heavy! I put semi-slicks on it and it's better now on the limestone trails here. I was thinking of getting a little more upright stem (it's in racing position now) and making it a really COMFY ride. Try to forget about speed and "smell the roses"(!). I know the duel suspension will be nice to have but I'm still worried about the weight. Any thoughts? Oh, i'm planning on carrying a back rack and just the bare esentials. (staying in B&B's along the way)

Thanks for the comments...bring em on! : )

i see no problem with u ridin alone. i have seen many women ridin alone on the katy. as far as the bikes go, i have a raliegh with 1"-1 1/2 inch wide knobbys that came on it. it does just fine. NEVER (and knock on wood) have i ever had a problem. what ever u do, good luck and have fun. it's a great trail to ride.

You should go ahead with the ride. The Katy Trail is under the state park system and a group of volunteers ride sections of the trail to help folks. I usually ride the section between Jefferson City and Hartsburg daily. Cell phone service usually works in most areas. Bicycle...I ride a hybrid but use a mountain bike if it rains when the trail can get soft in spots. Good luck!

I rode the entire Katy alone in 2003 (female and 50) and had no problems at all. Did it with my sister last year, and will possibly do it alone again this October. Stayed at B&Bs/Hotels and had a great time. Just be prepared for a possible flat. I've had 3 on the trail in the past 3 years. Seems like some of those tiny rocks are mighty pointy and sharp.

Go and enjoy!

If you want to read some inspirational stories about the "woman traveling alone" thing, look up the writings of Kira Salak. Most recently she rode the Alaskan Highway. She made almost the entire trip north until she blew her knee out.



Wonderful writer, incredible stories.



Big Rick

Onwhim - Riding the KATY by yourself isn't the issue....more to the point the equipment is and you are on the beam. I can only add that depending on clearance you could use your Allez with 28 or so tires and rumours of a lot of excessive dust from the pug are exaggerated. Now if the trail gets really soaked it won't be pretty, but then it is a Rail/Trail. I applaud your switching to slicks on your GF...get some Slime liners, (not Slime itself) and your tires will be nearly bulletproof. I used my trusty hard-tail Myata MTB pulling a BoB trailer, the bar was flat with bar ends. Front forks and a shock suspension seat rounded up the bike parts. Tires were cheapos w/Slime liners and had one flat, rear tire of course. Regards....Mark of the Dalton Boys

I use a racing hybred on the trail. I use a size 28 tire with no problem. I prefer a hybred road bike over a mountain bike on the trail (covers a lot of distance with ease). I also use road bike handle bars. The dust is over-exagerated. A couple of notes: 1) I do not use my bike (28 tire) on the trail when it's wet, you would probably do better with a mountain bike if rain is predicted. 2) You may not be able to use side trails with a road type bike.