The Rock Island Trail

which bike should i take?

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godad44 from ashland, kentucky on 10/16/2006 12:45:56 PM:

i've looked at the photographs of the trail surface, and i've checked through the FAQ and comments...i'm still not sure if i should be taking my mountain bike or my road bike on the katy trail. any help from trail veterans would be appreciated.
thanks.

El Toro on 10/16/2006 2:41:23 PM:

I rode a cycle-cross bike from Clinton to St. Charles last Thursday-Saturday and thought it was perfect. I realize it is kind of in-between your mountain bike and your road bike. I would not take a road bike on the trail unless I fitted it with some heavier duty wheels and tires that were at least 28-32 cm. I rode 32 nobbies on my cross bike and thought they were just about right. I found the trail to be in great condition, but a couple days of rain right before or during the ride would soften it up considerably I think. Have a great trip!

Jason from Huntsville, AL on 10/16/2006 4:15:56 PM:

I just rode the trail a couple weeks ago on my Fuji road bike. I used 700x28cc tires. For the most past, they worked just fine. But, there were probably 10 times (in 283 miles) that I almost went down because of having skinny tires. My brother was using 700x32 tires and didn't have near the problems I did. I think that it all depends on your level of riding. I think that more experienced riders can get away with a 28cc, but beginner to moderate riders should not go that small. Hope this helps!

sbikes from Kansas City on 10/16/2006 7:32:54 PM:

Your mountain bike is the better choice. Put some skinnier/smoother tires on it for a faster
ride because you really don't need the wide knobby tires. Your road bike is not designed for
riding on gravel. While most of the Trail is fairly smooth, there are inevitably ruts, loose
gravel and rough spots that your mountain bike will just handle better. I would not take my
road bike on the Trail.

Damon from Kansas City, Missouri on 10/16/2006 8:29:42 PM:

Back in May a buddy and I rode 180 miles using our Roadies with 700x25 tires. These were the biggest tires we could fit on our race bikes. I don't get why so many people think they don't work good on the Katy Trail. We each had 1 flat and that was it. It was a complete soaker the entire first day we rode and our bikes worked great. No complaints what so ever. I have ridden the trail several times before using my Trek 4500 Mtn bike and I have to say as far as spending all day in the saddle, I liked my Roadie better. All my riding/training is done on my roadie so I naturally feel at home on it. I think anyone who spends much time on a road bike would prefer it on the Katy as well. Either way you choose, enjoy your ride!!

runkentrun from Denver on 12/22/2006 10:27:02 PM:

I did Sedalia to St. Charles and back in early June, on a road bike with 700x25 tires, bigger than what I usually ride with. If speed is a necessary ingredient to the overall success of your ride, then this setup is fine--just bring the slime tubes and a co2 cartridge. I had one flat and was on my way in about 3 minutes. That said, I have recently put less gnarly tires on my mountain bike, and find I can have reasonable speed and terrific security. I would recommend the latter if you are uncomfortable with fixing flats.

Pistolero45 from Columbia, MO on 1/24/2007 3:55:18 PM:

I've used both a road bike and a mountain bike on the trail. The former lacked a little bit of control in the loose stuff, and the latter tires seemed a little bit too aggressive for the trail surface. I am not an expert on tires, but will guess there are some good compromises between those 2 extremes which would be better suited for the trail surface.

Jason from Huntsville, AL on 1/25/2007 12:01:33 PM:

A mountain bike with "city tires" would make an excellent choice. Or, you can get wider, more aggressive tires for a road bike, depending on the style of road bike. Some road bikes will only allow for a 700x28 tire before it hits the brakes or frame.

Paulie from Knoxville on 1/26/2007 4:13:47 AM:

Just ride the bike your most comfortable with and adjust the tires accordingly. Myself, I used my mountain bike with 3" of travel and a semi slick 1.9 tire. I carried everything I had in my seatpost pack and stayed in Motels/B&B's along the way.

Good Luck, Paulie

dale from springfield, mo on 2/5/2007 12:36:36 PM:

I'd like to make the following observation:
I rode the trail on a le monde road bike with 700 x 28 tires.
have since switch to 23cm tires.

I found the trail to be just fine with the 28's. HOWEVER.....I want to point out, it's not so much the tire.. more so, it's the skill of the rider AND the condition of the trail.
The trail is GREAT. No doubts about that but,.....now and then ruts appear in the trail surface. AVOID these at all costs. no tire size is safe from these treacherous cracks.And they happen; it's just a natural element of life in a chat trail.
Loose gravel slides occur too, usually at the intersections of the trail and access roads. Please be careful, observant, and please don't try to speed the trail. It's meant to be enjoyed at a moderate pace, it's not a raceway.

Anonymous on 2/8/2007 2:43:59 PM:

I generally agree with the above comments which say either a mountain bike with narrow tires or a road bike with wide tires are just fine. The only thing I would add is that mountain bikes are often geared so low for climbing that you will be happier with a road bike. The eastern 2/3 of the trail is some of the flattest riding you will find anywhere, so it's pretty easy to maintain a nice cruising speed with a road bike.

The trail is just a little too rugged for riding with a racing bike or other frail high dollar rig, though. Don't ride something that can't get real dusty and/or scratched. There are lots of twigs and sticks on the trail and if there is a storm, you might have to portage your bike over/through a downed tree. That happened to us a couple times last year.

Malva from Mpls on 3/17/2007 10:45:50 PM:

I am a little confused. We are planning a ride, taking a bike trailer (Burley lite) for our 3 year old, and the bike we now use with that has tires that have printed on them 28 x 1 1/4. Can anyone help me figure out how these numbers relate to the recommendations I am seeing for 28 or 32 tires? Also, would the Burley lite make a difference? We usually use this on a paved trail. The tires are almost new and I don't really want to change them but will if they aren't safe on a crushed limestone trail. Thanks! We'll be going at the end of March and the first week in April.

Nails on 3/18/2007 11:28:18 AM:

The 23, 25, 28, 32 you see us continually refer to are the section width of the tires in millimeters. Since there are 25.4 mm per inch, your 1-1/4" tires are 32s. You should be fine with or without the trailer. Although I recommend they have kevlar belts for puncture resistance. BTW, I know it can be hard to read those small black on black letters on tires, but I'll bet your tires are 26 x 1-1/4, not 28.

DKJ from Springfield,Mo. on 3/28/2007 8:31:45 AM:

I have ridden the Katy full length four times and will be doing it again in May. I have a Bianchi Volpe and pull a Burley trailor with camping supplies and it works great. The tires are 32's.I do a lot of long rides including the RAGBRAI but the KATY is one of my favorites!

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