Rock Island Trail Forum

will my 10 speed thin tire bike be ok to ride on the trail surface?

The trail between St. Charles and Augusta, MO I am familiar with. It is a crushed rock trail. You certainly can ride with thinner tires, I'd make sure that they are new and properly inflated. There are also several points along the way to stop and get help if needed.

You will be fine with that bike of yours my dad and i rode the trail over the summer on our touring bikes and every now and then there are some bumps by i only had one flat tire the whole entire trail and luckily is when we were being rushed for time. But the trail is very nice and we rode it during a huge storm and there were branches all over the trail but the next day it was all cleaned up wich was very nice so that tells you right there they take of the trail very well so everyone can ride and enjoy the great trail.

Make certain your tires are kevlar-belted with a width of at least 25mm but 28mm or wider would be recommended.

We used the Katy Trail Shuttle Service - they took us from St. Charles to Rocheport. They did a great job - they were on time and dependable. I recommend them.

We used the Katy Trail Shuttle Service - they took us from St. Charles to Rocheport. They did a great job - they were on time and dependable. I recommend them.

How much did that shuttle cost?

How much did that shuttle cost?

I've been an avid Rails to Trails rider my whole life. We're in the process of researching retirement areas. A must is to be located on a Trail System, like the Katy Trail.



If you could settle into a quiet, rural surrounding on the Katy Trail, and in close proximity to other bicycling trails where year round riding is available where would you suggest?



We are looking for a few wooded acres to put up a small manufactured home on the trail or adjoining trails that offer the most avialbale miles and scenic diversity while being high & dry.



Can we get this done for under 140K?

Jeff, I too am very close to retirement and the same thought has crossed my mind concerning retiring close to a Rail Trail, Bike Trail etc. First if you haven't done the KATY, you need to, and take your time so as to evaluate all of the small towns along the way. Winter will be dicey for cycling unless you do that already up in Wisconsin. Other trails for year round....Silver Comet/Chief Ladiga in Georgia/Alabama, Pinella Trail in Florida. These are pretty much the "year-round" and longer of the Rail trails....there are others in Mississippi and Louisiana both damaged heavily during Hurricanes Katrina/Rita (which would not be an endorsement by the way in terms of living there). These trails are nice and in the 30-40 mile range. I am looking at the KATY, I've done it, lots of country around, and it goes three quarters of the way across the state of Missouri! It gets chilly in the winter and can get downright am-I-in-Kansas blizzard like but its the exception rather than the rule in terms of heavy snow. Traillink.com lists almost 100% of the trails in the US which has links to world Rail Trails including those in Canada....those Canucks they are ambitious with their Route Verte which is part of their Trans-Canada Cycling route. Enjoy the Voyage....Mark of the Dalton Boys

Retiring near a Rail trail is a great idea and I would like to do so someday also. Great response Dalton Boys as you saved me some typing. Traillink.com is a great resource. I have been on the Pinellas trail and it is an urban trail with a fair number of street crossings. It is also oppressively humid in the summer, worse than here in MO but gorgeous in the late fall/winter/early spring. There are other trails in Florida but they are very flat albeit most are asphalt.If you are close to a retirement age then I would surmise that you would getting close to the age in which you have to think about easy access to medical care also. Columbia MO is a great source of such, having the second highest per capita hospital bed number in the country behind Rochester, MN. So although it may be a bit hot in the mid summer and cold in the winter, a little country place near striking distance of Columbia would be an appealing spot for an avid rail trail person. You could do weekend trips to other trails in IA and NE also.

I'm biased, of course, since I live here, but I would suggest looking into the Columbia area. There are several SMALL towns near Columbia right on the trail (McBaine, Huntsdale, Easley), where I think land would be pretty cheap. Rocheport is farther away, but more of a town. Same with Hartsburg. The spur trail into Columbia from the Katy is a very pleasant ride. Columbia itself already has quite a few miles of beautiful in-town trails, and is well on its way to developing a very good system of interconnected nature trails and bike paths/bike lanes. For information, check out www.pednet.org, or follow the links to the trails portion or the Parks and Rec page at www.gocolumbiamo.com. I ride the trails in Columbia most of the year. There are usually a few very cold weeks, and the trails can become tough riding when we get our one or two big snow or ice storms during the winter. And yes, it is hot and humid in the summer, but you are from the Midwest! You knew that!

....again have to weigh in. Left Columbia in l968 when I joined the service, came back for a couple of years and then moved to Austin, TX. when Austin was like a Columbia on steroids. Since then and a ride down the KATY with my brothers I can say that Columbia has retained that quality that I also would vote to live if looking for a place to move to. I know I will end up back in the Central part of Missouri...s-h-h-h-h don't tell everyone. I would share my thoughts of how Austin has handled growth but I can't bite the hand that has fed, and I remember who "brought me to the dance". enjoy the voyage.......Mark of the Dalton Boys

I've always wondered what was going on in the Austin Area?! My perception is Austin must be one of the most bicycle friendly areas on the planet?



Thanks for all you great replies. For some reason I haven't been able to get down to peddle the Katy. Been to busy peddling around here.



The Columbia Area sounds fantastic, I'll be checking it out.



Thanks again, going to go ride up the Lake with a 35 mph side wind!



Jeff

Jeff - you are sir, an animal to intentionally go out to do a ride in a 35 mph wind going/coming in ANY direction. Your perception is correct to a degree....the city council of Austin would have one believe that they are at, or near the top in terms of being bicycle friendly (what with Lance Armstrong living here most of the year). Austin is a little above average in that category. The cycling community puts out a lot of effort but the growth of this city is burgeoning i.e. out-of control. If you want to live where there is a Home Depot, Wal-Mart, or major grocery store chain at every 3-5 miles within the city limits then Austin, TX. is for you my friend. Of course the average temperature is 80 degrees over the course of a year and that''s attractive, and the one thing to consider is with this growth it brings more people who are driving vehicles. If Wisconsin vehicular law is like Texas, a cyclist has the legal right to "take one''s lane" and like everywhere else in the country that is urban, that makes us full-time cyclists a nuisance at best. Austin does have a very decent trail system and I do not own a car so I am acutely aware of the pluses and minuses, but contrary to some magazine ratings in this regard Austin is a little more hype than reality. As I always say to folks though....check it out yourself...you will be the best judge. Austin is better than most, true, but not as good as its billed and certainly WAY less than its potential. Enjoy the voyage...Mark of the Dalton Boys

I think that downtown st.charles would be a great place because you have they katy trail real close. Then there is the creve couer trail and that is nice because it leads you to the creve couer lake wich is very nice to sit around on hot summer days. St.Charles is a great town with historic homes and such. You have mainstreet which is very nice around christmas but also has some good restaurants.

I live in KC and I am in the initial stages of planning to do the trail next spring. I would like to do east to west. Starting near St Louis and riding to Clinton to be picked up. My plan is for 3 days. ANy advise on the best way to get to St Louis? Bus? Amtrak? Plane? And how to get to trail.



This is my first trek! I plan on doing some one day treks in March and first part of April to work out the bugs.

Karl - I am looking at doing the same thing the opposite way next fall, maybe we can help each other a bit. Get in touch with me via email (carpenter.jason@gmail.com) and lets discuss if you are interested. I could offer transportation in St. Louis, etc... for assistance on the other end.

here is a suggestion ----- drive to Sedeila ---- leave your car there and catch Amtrak to St. Louis (Kirkwood Stationn)---- we will pick you up and bring you to St. Charles Mo. and you spend the night and start out the next day (we are three blocks from the trail)---- you can ride for three days to Sedilia (where your car is ) ---- if we can be of help to you just let us know ---- website www.lococohouse.com

You dont want to go to St Louis. If alone best bet is bus which stops in st charles. Question is will they take your bike. Call and ask them.

My E-mail adress is confusedb247@yahoo.com



I do not suggest riding from st.charles the ride would be much nicer from kansas to st.charles. The reason is that you will be riding into very strong winds all the way to clinton if you start from st.charles. Second after you get to boonville it is all up hill for atleast 30 miles...this hill is not steep it just goes forever. But to answer you question i rode the katy trail from st.charles to clinton and what i did was take a taxi from clinton and they took me to boonville where i caught a greyhound bus that took us home to st.louis. That was the cheapest way we were able to find. There also is suposed to be a shuttle that will take you from one end to the other but i believe it is very expensive.

Our family was palnning on camping this weekend but it's going to be pretty chilly. Anyone have a suggested place to stay in Rocheport that is easy access to Katy Trail?

Our family was palnning on camping this weekend but it's going to be pretty chilly. Anyone have a suggested place to stay in Rocheport that is easy access to Katy Trail?

Click on Towns and Services above and it will tell all you need to know about Rocheport. Most of the B & B's are near the trail.

Click on Towns and Services above and it will tell all you need to know about Rocheport. Most of the B & B's are near the trail.

We stayed at the Yates House and it was excellent from every perspective. We recommend it.

We stayed at the Yates House and it was excellent from every perspective. We recommend it.

Thanks for the recommendations. I found out how everything in the area is booked up for monthes in advance this time of year. So, in the future we will book ahead of time. We ended up booking in a chain motel in Columbia. It will be okay I'm sure...

Thanks for the recommendations. I found out how everything in the area is booked up for monthes in advance this time of year. So, in the future we will book ahead of time. We ended up booking in a chain motel in Columbia. It will be okay I'm sure...

We enjoyed Quality Inn in Columbia because everything in Rocheport was full. We stayed one night at Ramada Inn and it was not good at all, run down and not clean. Yuk! But, Quality Inn was very nice.

We enjoyed Quality Inn in Columbia because everything in Rocheport was full. We stayed one night at Ramada Inn and it was not good at all, run down and not clean. Yuk! But, Quality Inn was very nice.

We've stayed in Booneville at the Comfort Inn and the Holiday Inn Express. Works well on weekends that Columbia may be booked (game days) or if you would just prefer quieter times. They are right next to each other and are within riding distance to the Katy. If the plan is to start your ride in Rocheport it's just a short drive down the road.

We've stayed in Booneville at the Comfort Inn and the Holiday Inn Express. Works well on weekends that Columbia may be booked (game days) or if you would just prefer quieter times. They are right next to each other and are within riding distance to the Katy. If the plan is to start your ride in Rocheport it's just a short drive down the road.

After I answered that last comment about the safety of parking at the McBaine trailhead (perfectly safe, as far as I am concerned), I got to thinking. Are there any unsafe areas on the trail? I have yet to find one. I think if anyone uses good judgement, they should be fine anywhere along the trail. Any thoughts?

We thought about a trip from McBain to Jefferson City. Does anyone have comments about parking in McBain-safe or not? Also any other comments or suggstions are welcome.

debbie, i parked there last yr when i rode to hartsburg and back. no problems at all. have fun, happy biking

I think McBaine is perfectly safe. I have parked a car there over night, and it was just fine. Lock it, of course, and don't be stupid, but everything should be fine. McBaine is not a high crime area by any sense of the word

We weren't sure where to stay in Columbia but we ended up discovering the Presidential Suite at the Quality Inn. It was fabulous and the Breakfast the next morning was very good. Much more elaborate than just cold foods and coffee. They had a wide variety of hot foods and cold. The rooms were very clean and the Presidential Suite was well worth it for the money!

We went to Les Lavandes for my husband's birthday weekend and we came away changed forever. We will always be spoiled to enjoy anywhere else now that we have had Myrta's cooking and Richard's service! We felt like we had a new family. We intended to ride on the Katy Trail but it got very cold and rainy so we spent the day walking through the Shrine next door and touring Hermann a little bit. We spent late afternoon out in the hot tub in the cool misty outdoors and then had the most delicious food we had ever tasted! We will definitely go back as often as we can for a weekend getaway or longer. They are open for Christmas, too and do an old fashioned European Christmas tree lighting with candles and carols! Thanks Richard and Myrta for showing us how Bed and Breakfasts should be!

In the month of October would the prevailing wind come out of the west or the

east?

West by Northwest

Always ride trail from west to east to takenadvantage of winds

....also field elevation is higher in the west and lower in the east, but don't think its gonna be all down hill! Enjoy the Voyage Mark of the Dalton Boys

I just competed the trail 10/26/05 and was wondering how many people have finished it in one or two days.



My wife was kind enough to drop me off in Clinton, Sunday night and actually came to get me in st. Charles Wednesday evening.

Day 1:I camped in Clinton behind the comunity center then rode to Booneville,(72.8 miles) where I stayed at the Days Inn. Day 2: Booneville to Bluffton(80.9 miles) and camped at Steamboat Junction. Day 3: Bluffton to St. Charles(71.4 miles).



Bike: Trek 1000 Tires: Specialized armadillos(no flats)

Wow, way to go! Mind if I ask a question...how old are you and what type of riding/training do you do.

Thanks. I am 36 and as far as riding I've either rode to work a couple times a week, about 14 miles or ride a 22 mile loop near my house a couple of times a week for the last 1 1/2 months.

Hey great job! I'm sure webmaster Ray or historian Brett Dufur know the answer but at least 4 people have done the entire trail in one day, including a group of three with a link on this site: http://www.triathletepro.com/katyfreedom.html
I'm haven't read about any 2-day people but I am looking to do so next season, using a chase car as you had done, and plan to go west to east also. If you (or anyone else out there) would be interested in joining me for such (or just longer day rides) then let me know,it would be great fun and a good challenge. My email address is: haaghead@kc.rr.com

Can't make any such speed claim, my brothers and I, but you picked some of the most "bullet proof" tires to do the trip. TREK isn't a shabby choice either.....'merican made. Enjoy the voyage....Mark of the Dalton Boys

Thanks MLH. But I didn't use a chase car. I started out with almost 50lbs of gear and food, more clothes than needed and not enough food.

I would be interested in making a two day trip.

See Trail Head Resturaunt:

Same great service, great food and micro-brew. Little different menu.



LG

See Trail Head Resturaunt:

Same great service, great food and micro-brew. Little different menu.



LG

Many blocks from the Katy Trail. We weren't impressed with the food, or the service. Wasn't bad, just wasn't good. Went there for a carry out pizza once- it was great.



LG

Many blocks from the Katy Trail. We weren't impressed with the food, or the service. Wasn't bad, just wasn't good. Went there for a carry out pizza once- it was great.



LG

Quaint, historic flavor. Bar itself appears very old- antique. The place is chock full of memorabilia- you wont be bored even if you are there with someone boring. Tiny place so plan on arriving 1-2 hours before the band starts playing. Full menu, although we only drink there...great on-tap line up and moderately priced draughts. We are dining there tonight- that is why I am here posting.....will keep you appraised as to the menu..



LG

Quaint, historic flavor. Bar itself appears very old- antique. The place is chock full of memorabilia- you wont be bored even if you are there with someone boring. Tiny place so plan on arriving 1-2 hours before the band starts playing. Full menu, although we only drink there...great on-tap line up and moderately priced draughts. We are dining there tonight- that is why I am here posting.....will keep you appraised as to the menu..



LG

We are locals and Trail Head is one of our favorite places to eat! Service, once seated, is always excellent and I have never had bad food there. Salmon; excellent. Burgers; excellent. Baked Beans w/ smoked brisket; excellent. Salads (grist Mill especially); excellent. The beer is great, but a tiny bit pricey. Patio dining.



Its not alwyas a lo0ng wait, but its a popular place for large parties, so sometimes there is a short to long wait (1 out of every 5 times).



Cheers,



LG

We are locals and Trail Head is one of our favorite places to eat! Service, once seated, is always excellent and I have never had bad food there. Salmon; excellent. Burgers; excellent. Baked Beans w/ smoked brisket; excellent. Salads (grist Mill especially); excellent. The beer is great, but a tiny bit pricey. Patio dining.



Its not alwyas a lo0ng wait, but its a popular place for large parties, so sometimes there is a short to long wait (1 out of every 5 times).



Cheers,



LG

I dont know what the guy in Weldon Springs is talking about, everytime we go there we

have a great experience! On weekends, the wait can be up to 1.5 hours so plan on

relaxing in the bar areas and sipping brewsky and eating an appetizer. The special beer I

love is the pumpkin beer--best around--tastes just like a pumpkin pie and full of taste!

Only avaible in late Oct. and Nov. though so hurry in and try it. Going there for my

birthday bash!

I dont know what the guy in Weldon Springs is talking about, everytime we go there we

have a great experience! On weekends, the wait can be up to 1.5 hours so plan on

relaxing in the bar areas and sipping brewsky and eating an appetizer. The special beer I

love is the pumpkin beer--best around--tastes just like a pumpkin pie and full of taste!

Only avaible in late Oct. and Nov. though so hurry in and try it. Going there for my

birthday bash!

I received the following note regarding a potential danger along the trail. I have not had a chance to check it out myself, but have notified the MO Department of Natural Resources. I thought I'd post it here to let people know to be cautious. Thanks to Brian B. for passing this info along.



I wanted to report a dangerous condition on the trail just south of the new Page Avenue bridge. My 4 year-old son and I were riding there last weekend when we approached a section just past a subdivision about a mile South from the Page bridge. There was a steep drop off close to the trail on the West side that went almost straight down about 20-30 feet. My son was riding right in front of me when the big drop off and stream below caught his eye. As he looked down at the drop off he naturally started to steer in the same direction and in a split second he rode off the side of the main trail and was heading for the edge of the drop off which was only about 10 feet or less from the side of the main trail. Luckily, he fell off the bike about half way to the edge and was unhurt. His bike continued on and stopped at the precipice of the drop off. Needless to say, this scared the heck out of me and I wanted to report it to someone in an attempt to prevent anyone from experiencing the same thing (or worse!) in the future. It really showed me how quick things can go bad with an unprotected drop off so close to the trail. I am wondering if it is possible to put up some sort of protection in this area - it was one of the biggest and steepest drop-offs I saw on the trail. If there is anyone else I should alert, please let me know.

I'm trying to check how to go on amtrak from centralia IL. to what stops it makes on the katy trail or whatever would be the closest. My bike club would be interested in going. Thankyou

Follow this link for details about riding Amtrak to/along the Katy Trail - where the train stops (Washington, Hermann, Jeff City, Sedalia), and how to get to the trail from there. This page does not tell you how to get from Centralia IL to the cross-Missouri route, but Amtrak's website should be able to tell you that (you'll see a link to their site on that page).

Thae Amtrak listed above is excellent. If you reserve ahesd of time they will install hangers in one of the cars so that you can hang your bike and keep your eye on itn Needless to say cannot keep them in the aisle and there is no longer a "baggage car". Thanks to Trail Net in StL.

Kasko

If you're looking to ride Amtrak from Centralia, that means you'll have to board the Illini or City of New Orleans to Chicago (bikes not allowed on either) and then ride the Ann Rutledge to get to Washington, Herman, Jefferson City, or Sedalia stations along the KATY trail. Alternately, you can ride train south to Carbondale, get a thruway (bus) connection to St. Louis to ride either the Ann Rutledge or the Kansas City Mule to the KATY.

The other problem, unless they've changed their policy, is that they strictly limit bikes on trains (I'm not sure the number--2 or 4,I think, so that won't work well for a bike club.