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Reply to Mileage expectations

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Kat from NWA on 8/10/2015 1:28:53 PM:

My husband and I are planning to ride the Katy Trail over 4 days. Tentatively we're thinking of taking the Amtrak from Sedalia to Machens(?) then riding to Augusta (39.5 mi). Not a problem for us. But then the next two days are Augusta to Hartsburg (87.2 mi) and Hartsburg to Sedalia (75.4 mi), with the last day finishing from Sedalia to Clinton (35.6 mi) but we have to ride (or catch a shuttle?) back to Sedalia to get our cars (71.2 mi) We are training for a 100 mi bike race in NWA, so we're used to distance, but not back to back. Of course, we're normally riding on Ozark hills, so is this plan too ambitious or will we be fine (and not completely exhausted and sore each night)? I chose the stops b/c of lodging and average miles (the first day including a car ride up and the train ride). Any thoughts or suggestions from seasoned roadie's?

Scott from SW MO on 8/10/2015 5:12:08 PM:

The mileage is easily done. Since you are from NWA AR I would say if you can easily do the Razorback greenway in 8 hours then the mileage you plan on doing will be easy.

I ride the greenway about once a week and ride dirt roads here at home.

The main problem is I think the closet Amtrak station is in Kirkwood which is over 30 miles I think from machens. Many bike paths in St Louis but you may want to shuttle.

Scott from SW MO on 8/10/2015 5:13:41 PM:

On the Greenway I was talking about round trip.

ArkyKenny on 8/11/2015 9:10:45 PM:

I suggest you think about your mileage expectations in terms of how much time you want to spend on the bike. Take 2mph off the average speed you would ride on asphalt and multiply how long (in time) you want to go. Take 3 mph off if you normally ride unloaded, and will be carrying a load.

I normally ride at about 15-16 mph on the road, which means I average about 12-14 mph on Katy. So for me, 60 miles on Katy is 4 1/2 or 5 hours of riding time. Add in lunch, time for pictures, taking in a beautiful view, having a cold one at Coopers Landing, reading, etc. and a 60 mile day ends up being 6-7 hours.

So I suggest you make your plans on how fast you ride, how long (in time) you want to ride, and what you plan to do: Not on what you think you can cover in a day. Then, remember to drink when you are not thirsty (even if you are not thirsty), and eat when you are not hungry (even if you are not hungry). Have fun

jim on 8/11/2015 10:05:31 PM:

And don't forget to sleep when you're not sleepy. :-)

Kat from NWA on 8/12/2015 12:50:13 PM:

Thanks guys! We did the Greenway, one way, on opening day in 2.5 hours easy. Big Dam Bridge 100 was 17.5 mph average last year. Now we're thinking we should take our mountain bikes instead, though?! Packing light, but not sure how the road bikes will handle the terrain, especially if we run into rain. Thoughts?

ArkyKenny on 8/12/2015 3:21:37 PM:

Tires and bikes are a subject of much discussion on this forum. Everyone has at least one opinion..............

To me, the "Ideal" Katy bike has 700 x 32c tires if unloaded, and 37's if loaded. 28's will work, but they won't be much fun if it rains, and they may be a real bad idea. Road crossings, debris, loose areas, etc. may make you wish you had bigger tires. So a hybrid or a touring bike with at least 32's would be best.

If I could not put 32's on my road bike, and if I didn't have a hybrid, I'd pick a MTB with semi-slick tires over a road bike. Spend as much $ as you want to on nice touring or hybrid tires (they are great), but cheap semi-slick/hybrid/path tires can be purchased at Wal-Mart/etc. too, and they will work well for the Katy. Knobbies will make you wish you had some semi-slick tires.

You may also consider this as your excuse to go buy a path bike: Everyone needs how ever many bikes you have, plus 1.

Ron on 8/13/2015 7:05:41 AM:

I would agree with Arky. I ride 28-32s depending on which bike (single speed vs. geared) and how much I'm carrying.

And FOR SURE you don't need knobbies...no matter the width.

And..I opt for really good flat protection. I HATE changing flats!

17.5 on Big Dam Bridge is pretty impressive as far as I am concerned. I thought that was a challenging ride. You'll have a blast on the Katy.

Anonoh on 8/16/2015 7:32:21 AM:

If you haven't done many back to back 70+ days I would add another day. Riding 70-100 miles in a single day is different than riding 3-4-5 days of 70-80 miles. Fatigue could get you hurt.

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