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David Scott from Lake Waccamaw, NC on 5/6/2009 7:50:54 PM:

My wife and I plan to bike the complete Katy Trail next month. My wife is new to biking but is now riding regularly. We plan to ride from Clinton East. How difficult are the first two days (120 miles) considering the change in elevation and grade?

Doug from Bluffton on 5/6/2009 8:33:21 PM:

I want to try to be tactful here. When you say your wife is new to riding but riding regularly now, define regularly. 60 mile days with gear, on the trail, might be a bit much unless regularly means at least three days a week of 30+ miles with one other long day for more than 6 weeks on unladen bikes. Even then 60 mile days for several days with loaded bikes are going to be work.

Trek from St. Joe MO on 5/6/2009 9:48:51 PM:

How difficult is it and how far can I ride in a day are common questions? Doug makes some good points and are worth noting.

To me, anything over 40 miles in a day is a production ride. We've ridden the Katy many times and rarely ride over that in a day...but we like to enjoy the wildlife, wild flowers, birds, and other riders along the way. Why travel all the way from NC to ride another production ride? Trip plans sometimes mandate some long days, but unless you are both used to production riding I'd cut the miles back a bit. If you are not yet production riders, the slight elevation changes on an old rail bed will not be your biggest issue.

How ever your plans unfold, welcome to Missouri....and enjoy your time on the Katy.

dale cannon from lawrence on 5/7/2009 9:18:05 AM:

DIFFICULT LEVEL 1 easy to 10 hard..OK..I have ridden this beast with many different bikes and wheels. 10 MOUNTAIN BIKES 4 road - 6 hybird - hybird with 700x32 tires a 5, I also recomend ICE WAX for chain lube. Bike shops will sell you an oil based product and it will gunk up like gooputty with grit. (start wih a degreased chain) any oil in chain will goo-up the ice wax. Also run Mr. tuffy tire liners and you will have no flats. The B.U.T.T problem hits everyone so pack B. medication.(this will shut you down) I prefer to ride hard and as fast as I can (town to town) the faster you go the less the vibration affects you. I then take a good recovery in the town. If you both can get over 10 mph you can draft. No value at lower speeds but great help at 12 to 14 mph. You then hit a town every hour or two. Try to avoid a big deep tread on your tires...no problem with traction when riding/straight on lime. I ride slicks for low rolling res. I tilt my seat up a touch in front to take pressure off my hands and shoulders, for longer rides. *Hope you have toe clips...enjoy your trip..Dale Cannon

jd from gkc on 5/7/2009 5:26:12 PM:

Actually the one%-or-less inclines are not difficult. One rear gear-shift usually takes care of them for the average rider. However, for whatever reasons these inclines can trick one's mind into thinking they are difficult. Be prepared for that!

You might expect 8-to-10-mph speeds with frequent warm-weather rest stops. The rest stops afford plenty to look-at on the trail. Have extra water with you near Clifton City and some of the eastern trailheads that do not have running water. Yet, water is available at most bar-grills, quick-stops, markets, filling stations, and cafes not to mention the occasional cold-soda vending machines not far from the trail.

For more information, you might read the latest ride-report under the ride/run/hike-report section on the homepage of this website. It was written by a couple of seniors who say anyone can do the entire trail successfully. Do take a camera. It's fun. Enjoy!

frog lady from Cameron on 5/13/2009 5:48:08 PM:

Last Sept. my daughter and I (57 at the time) decided to bike the trail from Clinton East. We pulled trailers (like the ones for children) and had them loaded down as we were camping. It really wasn't too bad until the second day when we hit Sedalia about noon and decided to go on. We then had to continue to Boonville. We got there right before dusk. We bike about 60 miles - waaaaaaay too much. I would keep it down to 35 or less a day. Too much to see and we felt rushed. We didn't finish the trail, but are doing that in about one day, starting tomorrow at St. Charles and going to Columbia. Take it easy and have a good time. We are just average bike riders (and she hadn't ridden at all to get ready) and we survived.

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