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Scott from South Bend, IN on 8/31/2015 9:53:43 AM:
I am wanting to ride the trail start to finish. I have a road bike with smaller tires. I have road a local trail at home for about two miles that is packed limestone and my bike was no problem. are there areas of the trail that are very loose that my bike would not make it through or is most of the trail fairly packed that I would not have any trouble. I do a bike with hybrid tire I could borrow but it does not ride as well as mine that I am used to and not as comfortable as a fit. Any feed back on if I should or shouldn't use my road bike on the trail would be appreciated.
 
Marc MkKoy from Collinsville, IL on 8/31/2015 12:43:48 PM:
Scott,

Never having ridden the Katy, but been on other crushed limestone trails, I would say that at a minimum you would want a 38c tire with some tread. I've ridden my hybrid with 28c Gatorskins and they do just fine, but on my end-to-end trip I'm taking my Specialized Awol with 700x42c hybrid tires (low profile tread) because I want the durability. I think high pressure tires would be less comfortable on limestone than wider tires you could run with lower pressures.

I don't have a road bike, but I would think the geometry would be a little too uncomfortable, even though I'm sure many use them on the trail. I guess a lot depends on trail condition (dry and packed or damp and soft) and mileage covered.
 
Anonymous on 8/31/2015 2:22:54 PM:
Search this forum for many varied opinions on tires and size as this topic comes up quite frequently. Of those who have ridden the trail on a variety of bikes, I think the minimum is a 28 with some sort of protection, Kevlar, Hardcase, Gatorskin, Armadillo, and on and on. Ride what's most comfortable and stay in the track.
 
Scott from South Bend, IN on 8/31/2015 2:58:43 PM:
Thank you for your comments I really appreciate it.
 
Terry from Festus on 8/31/2015 10:32:24 PM:
I am a much heavier rider. I ride a Specialized Tricross which accommodates a variety of tire sizes. The question is not whether or not you can ride narrower tires. I rode with 23's on the Katy just last week. The question is one of comfort. The wider the tire the more comfort and the more work. Everyone must find the balance they are comfortable with. Even after a good rain the trail USUALLY can handle 28's or narrower.
 
Keith from Arnold, MO on 9/5/2015 5:19:09 PM:
Last time I used 25mm tires pulling a trailer.
I would have used 28's but that's to big for my frame.
I only weigh 110lbs. and have a flat rear about every 30-40 mi. on average with this setup loaded. Not so bad if you use slime in the tubes, thick gloves and a spring seat or similar. I'm about to do it again with nearly the same set-up
 
Anonymous on 9/5/2015 10:00:20 PM:
28s are fine in my experience. I rode 80 on the trail on Wednesday (Boonville to Hartsburg and back) with 35s and it was overkill. Fine...but not necessary.

I'd worry more about flat protection than about width...unless it had been rain for a week or flooding.

Just my opinion. And there are plenty of other ones on this board regarding tire width...
 
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