Reply to Best weeks to bike the trail

I will be biking the trail and am wondering about the weather in August. How hot is it in Missouri at that time? Any suggestions?

Check this link from this website:

http://www.bikekatytrail.com/weather.asp

It is hot in August.....I'm native and used to it so to me it's not unbearable. Prime time tho is Spring and Fall when it's a tad cooler.

What Trek Biker said... it can be HOT in August, especialy early in the month. I would plan on starting as early as possable each morning to get most of your riding in before 2pm. Many areas are shaded in the morning due to trees and/or bluffs next to the trail. Top off your water bottles whenever you have the opportunity. Are you in Wisconsin?

Yep, August can be hot and humid. While the actual temp can do you in the humidity can be a big factor too. Sweat does not evaporate as quickly in humid air and the body can not cool itself as well. I've seen larger-sized folks suffering from heat exhaustion even in the shade (greater mass = more heat retention). Bring plenty of water, not only to drink but to pour on your head to cool you off. Be sensible and you should be OK, I bike almost year 'round and my least favorite time is Spring when the pollen is flying...

It is hot in August...and very easy to get dehydrated, regardless of your size. My favorite
times of the year to ride the Trail are in early May and October...I enjoy the changing seasons
and the weather is usually more temperate. If you go in August, drink lots of water and mix
in some Gatorade to help replace the electrolytes you sweat out. Sharon

I biked the trail in August of 2006. The temperature hovered right around 100 degrees the entire ride, topping out at 104. The first two days were torture because I drastically underestimated my fluid needs. But the last two days were cake once I figured out a hydration method that worked for me. I stuffed my camelbak and two spare bottles completely full of ice, then filled up with water and powdered gatorade. I put the bite valve in my mouth and didn't let it drop until I stopped riding. I drank slow small sips constantly all day. I never went more than a few second without taking a sip. I think that going solo helped me to stay better hydrated than people riding in groups, because I didn't have to worry about talking to anybody. I could keep the bite valve in my mouth all day without it ever getting in the way of a conversation. I topped off at every trailhead to assure I wouldn't run out. I tried alternating one camelbak of gatorade with one camelbak of water, but the water just didn't replenish me enough in such extreme heat. I felt much better when I stuck to gatorade, so I drank it constantly when I was pedaling and switched to water after I stopped for the day. Believe me, if you hydrate yourself correctly, you will be amazed at what you can do! During those last two days of 100 degree weather, I rode faster than I ever have before and barely seemed to notice the heat or the miles slipping by.

We rode the trail the first week of October last year. The first 4 days were around 95...record heat each day. The last days were cooler, but still not bad. My point is...you never know about the weather. I would make sure to be prepared for everything...hot, cold, rain, etc. Spring and fall are the best times to ride though...in general.

My husband and I rode during the third week of August. We had a great time (celebrated our 30th anniversary) and loved the weather! We were very disciplined about drinking water and replacement beverages. We started around 9am, we rode hard in the mornings, read most historical signs (good opportunity to hydrate), stopped in most towns, ate late lunches in restaurants/cafes, finished daily around 3 pm, stayed in B & B's. We almost had the trail to ourselves the entire time - 6 riders and 2 walkers...total! In my opinion - ride during August!

august is usually ALWAYS hot.
one thing to remember.. many of the accomodations along the route are closed in the heat of summer due to low turnout/population of users.

you must keep that in mind for lodging, food and most importantly water.

while most of the trail markers have a water station, it's not cool/cold. and some markers are absent of water posts.

GOOD luck ...hope you enjoy it was much as i do