[oscar2]

Can anyone shed some light on the Katy Trail Conditions and potential speed? I'd like to try an out an back ride in 6 days in August. Is 70-80 miles a day doable or is the surface too slow?

 

[Carverbiker]

I do not know the Katy Trail specifically, but I ride alot on hard crushed limestone trails around Minneapolis often riding 25-40 miles. I would strongly suggest running as big of tires as your bike can take, especially if you are a bigger rider or carrying gear. I am 225 lbs and usually ride 25-28c on the road and use my cross bike on these trails with 35c at around 75psi rear and 70 front. Makes a huge improvement in comfort and speed. Also, if the weather is dry, crushed limestone gets very dusty so you may want to run a dry vs wet lube. The limestone dust is very abrasive so I would also recommend wiping down and lubing drivetrain each day. I like boeshield T-9 or White Lightning clean ride lubes. As for speed, I notice about a 1-1.5 mph decrease in speed for a given level of wattage. Although not terrible, rolling resistance is higher than pavement and coasting does not get you very far before you notice a drop in speed and need to pedal. I always feel as though it is just slightly harder to pedal than pavement, enough that you know it is there but not like tying to pedal through mud, more like running tires really low on air, just sluggish vs road.

 

[slowcross]

My wife and I rode it 3 weeks ago, and found it to be great to ride on. You CAN do 70 miles a day, but my advice is to take time to look at the scenery and visit with the folks along the way. Much of it follows the Missouri River, and along the rock bluffs, which make it gorgeous. The facilities along the trail are clean, and there are maps and history displays at each trailhead. Many eateries and a few bike shops are along the trail as well. Missouri did it right!

 

[oscar2]

Thanks for the responses. I ride on crushed limestone trails often, so I am at least familiar with the surface, but there is often quite a difference in compaction level. I will be using 700x 35 tires on a hybrid bike.

What are the camping opportunities like along the way. Since I'm not familiar with the towns, and I want to maximize each day's ride distance, I think it would be easier to just camp If there are sufficient areas.

 

[DrRoebuck]

70 miles is a lot to tackle on that surface in one day. I did the trail in October and between the surface and the weight of all my gear, I was crawling at around 10 mph. Plus, looking back, my only real regret was that I didn't stop to smell the roses more often. So with the mileage you're talking about and the fact that some of these towns shut down by 4 pm, it doesn't seem like you'll be able to take much in.

Here's my ride report, btw: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/co...-few-pics-included-293255.html?highlight=Katy

 

[oscar2]

Nice review and pics. Thanks for the input.