# KATY trail ride



## Indyfan (Mar 30, 2004)

OK, so I've been trying to decide if I should post these pictures and do some kind of ride report. And I guess tonight's the night.

I rode as mechanical support for the first 2 days of the Missouri DNR's ride across MO on the KATY trail. The KATY is a rail/trail that currently stretches from St. Charles MO (just W of St. Louis) to Clinton MO (SE of Kansas City). This year the ride went from West to East, so we started at a convention center in Clinton. We had about 350 participants this year including a group of inner city middle-school kids that were in a cool program that gave them bikes and some training before the ride. I had to include the first shot. It shows a little of the flavor of the area. I hadn't intended to be in the next shot, but a rider was kind enough to take it, so I couldn't decline. It was flat (railroad grades don't usually exceed 3%), dusty and hot. Fortunately there were some really nice "green-tunnels" as my son calls them.


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## Indyfan (Mar 30, 2004)

The first day was about 61 miles and we stopped the first night at a little town called Pilot Grove. They had us set up in the city park, and a few of the ladies from town made a really nice meal for the lot of us. My wife and son came out for a short visit that afternoon and he helped me with some tube changes for a while. The next day dawned hot and humid with about 62 miles ahead of us. I enjoyed the ride with the limitations I was given; wait until everyone was gone in the AM, ride pretty much in the back and ride through the heat of the day (upper 90's with 90% humidity). I got to talk to some interesting people and saw some interesting sights - people riding with their small dogs in trailers behind them or coolers with things like beer and watermelons??? I really felt sorry for the dogs. Anyway I had a nephew's wedding to go to or I'd have ridden the whole thing. Maybe next time. So we rode over I70 once, under I70 once and over the Missouri river once during my 2 days.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

“**** hunters”, eh? :shocked: :nonod: So it’s a white man’s town or something?


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## Indyfan (Mar 30, 2004)

The KATY trail runs beside the Missouri river for a few stretches and provides some pretty views. There are also bluffs along parts of the trail, some more than 100' tall with vines growing down them. There were several places I would be riding along and a gust of cool air would hit me and I would realize that there was a cave entrance behind some of those Trumpet vines and trees. Day 2 ended at a city park in Jefferson City (the state capitol). From there the ride/trail continues on through old German settlement areas and the next night was spent in a neat town by the river called Herman. There are several wineries there, many good German restaurants and they have a great Oktoberfest later in the year. Hmmmmm, beer! Then on to St. Charles. But I had to leave the ride and didn't get to partake of any of that. Again, maybe next time...


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## Indyfan (Mar 30, 2004)

Actually it's (rac)**** hunting. They use various hounds, sometimes a headlight mounted on a hat and shoot them out of the trees. I guess it's considered "sport". I can't imagine they would want to eat them. I understand the meat is really greasy and not all that tasty. Unlike venison or various game birds. Then again I knew people who hunted squirrels of all things. They cooked and ate them too. I tried it once. Not my idea of a good source of meat, a little too small. By the same token I don't like wasting time with crab legs when for almost the same cost you can get lobster... 

Bob


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

There was a very nice full page article in our local paper this past Sunday on the Katy. It highlighted the wine country around Herman. Last year, while at the ToM in St. Charles, I rode a few miles out and back on the Katy. I'd like to come back and spend several day on the trail.


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## Indyfan (Mar 30, 2004)

It's a nice trail. Packed gravel, easy grades and a lot of amenities at all the little towns along the way. Some of those little towns were slowly dying off before the KATY was created. As we look back, it's funny how in many cases the locals were concerned about the "bad element" that would come along the trail. Now many of those people are profiting from the business created from a defunct railroad. 

I'd recommend riding in the Autumn when the temps are moderate, the leaves are turning colors and many towns have a harvest festival to enjoy.

Bob


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Indyfan said:


> ...I'd recommend riding in the Autumn when the temps are moderate, the leaves are turning colors and many towns have a *harvest festival* to enjoy.
> 
> Bob


You know, that sounds pretty darn nice.  

BTW great photo story. :thumbsup: 

BTW2 perhaps they just wanted '**** skin hats. :idea:


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## fasteddy07 (Jun 4, 2007)

I have to agree with your son,

Love the shots of the green tunnels.

Great post. Thanks for taking the time to share it with us.


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## varoadie (Feb 4, 2005)

Very cool. I plan on riding the Trail this Summer or next. Great photos. 

KD


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## messyparrot (Sep 17, 2007)

Thanks for the review I have never done anything like that.
Sorry if this is a silly question but what kinds of bikes do folks use on a packed gravel surface generally??

Sounds like it was hot.


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## Indyfan (Mar 30, 2004)

messyparrot said:


> Thanks for the review I have never done anything like that.
> Sorry if this is a silly question but what kinds of bikes do folks use on a packed gravel surface generally??
> 
> Sounds like it was hot.


It was hot. NOT a silly question at all. The city I live in has a 8 mile spur called the MKT that used to connect to the original rail line and it's been converted to the same surface. There are people in town that only ride that trail and the KATY. If you say you're a trail rider here you have to specify if you don't mean packed gravel.

So that was to preface my answer about bikes. I was on a Gunnar Sport with 700X28 Conti Contact tires and I was great. If you ride drop bar bikes I'd say a sport tourer (like mine), a touring bike or a 'cross bike. The main issue being that you want a fairly tough tire a little wider than a normal road bike runs with some tread on it. If you aren't into drop bar bikes our shop will put you on one form of a hybrid or another. In fact those are well suited to it. Another runaway hit for those trails are "tadpole" recumbent trikes. We carry the Catrike, but there are many others around. One nice feature I thought of when I first rode one is; if you get tired you pull over and stop. You're alread in a pretty comfortable seat...

Bob


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

I don't think I'd like the heat but that trail looks pretty awesome.


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## Indyfan (Mar 30, 2004)

It is pretty nice. It's currently about 225miles long. With all the little towns along the way, it's a natural for a really mellow credit card tour. You could probably make it all distances of as little as 40 miles/day or turn it into 2 century+ days. And during the more temperate times of the year, it wouldn't be all that grueling if you made it 2, 3 or 4 days with appropriate distances to finish. 

Bob


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