Looks like a great trip. This post adds fuel to my campaign to get out on one of Oregon's Scenic Bikeways<http://rideoregonride.com/inspiration/scenic-bikeways/> for a few days this summer.
--Andy On Tuesday, June 12, 2012 7:08:17 AM UTC-7, Kelly wrote: > > Dawn and I just got back from a week along the Katy Trail in Missouri. I > wanted to explore a bit so left on Friday and went to Lee Summit Missouri > and then checked out the new connector (the parts that are finished) from > Kansas City. > I meandered with no particular place to go for a couple of days as the > distance to meet my wife and friend in Sedalia was two comfortable days and > I had 2 1/2. I enjoyed some gravel roads that are lacking in St Louis, > and the freedom to just go one direction for a few hours and then change my > mind and go someplace else. With limited vacation or time on these > journeys it's difficult to get that truly free feeling. Tired of riding > head winds, turn around and ride the other way today. However this quick > trip to meet them at the train was close. Even with my meanderings I > managed to get to Sedalia a day early. With rain coming in I chose a > rehabbed historical motel that had the most comfortable bed I had ever > slept in I think. > > I've ridden the Katy Trail several times, and mostly on my way home from > someplace else. The times I've ridden just the Katy were to get it over > with one could say with 85 and 107 mile days to get from Sedalia to St > Charles fully loaded. This time we were going to enjoy it and see things. > The first day was a comfortable 65 miles to one Katfish Kates along the > river. We setup camp and had chili and hotdogs at the campsite. The next > day we went and toured Columbia Missouri visiting bicycle shops and meeting > a friend for lunch. The connector from Columbia to the trail is about 18 > miles round trip plus whatever milage we did in town. Great day followed > the next day by a trip into Jefferson City Missouri, were we visited the > capital building and got to see / experience the new bike path and ramp to > the hiway bridge. hard to explain... here is a photo of the ramp... > http://www.flickr.com/photos/tksleeper/7167529573/in/set-72157630082138300 > Last time I went into Jefferson City I was on the bridge with 50 mph > traffic, no shoulder and a smile that I was still alive.. :) Another great > day. > > Long story short the slowed pace and good company made for a fantastic > trip. We visited and met many great people and saw some fun bikes. A > gorgeous Thorn here .. > http://www.flickr.com/photos/tksleeper/7352734118/in/set-72157630082138300 > > Finally saw one of the extra wheels in the wild. It appeared to be working > great and the owner had many miles on it. here.. > http://www.flickr.com/photos/tksleeper/7167526859/in/set-72157630082138300 > This photo was at a hostel that we stopped at. It was too busy not to > visit and see what was going on. As it turned out there was 4 groups of > us that would start at different times and stop at different places but > seemed to meet up during the last 3 days or so here and there. It was fun. > > When trying to get the ride over with or get someplace the Katy Trail can > be monotonous and tiring. When making it up as you go and stopping to see, > smell and experience things around you it is quite different. Not having > an agenda and giving ourselves 4 days more than we needed to just ride it > was great. We left Sedalia Mo on Monday and got to our homes on Friday. > Dawn and I live about 18 miles from the trial head. > > So if you decide to ride this great trail system I recommend not over > planning but making it up as you go with a general to do list. Be sure to > get into the connecting cities at the very least Columbia, Jefferson City, > Booneville and Herman, enjoy the brewery in Augusta and then meander on > into St Charles. I generally ride it West to East as I like riding to > home. > > *Here is the picture set on flickr* > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/tksleeper/sets/72157630082138300/with/7167526859/ > > I posted about a door jam bracket I used to mount a tubes lowrider rack on > Dawns Atlantis. It worked great and may be the long term solution for > future rides at this point. Here is her bike loaded down. She listened to > me and I didn't listen to myself by putting the rain covers on the > panniers. Hers thus stayed clean and mine were dirty and had to be cleaned > when I got home. > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/tksleeper/7352739970/in/set-72157630082138300 > > Well sorry for the long post.. we had a great time though. July is the > Denali Adventure with Adventure Cycling then the Allegheny / C&O first week > of October. There are four of us doing that now. We'll be riding to DC > and be shuttled back to Pittsburg. > If you would like to join us let me know. It will be self contained > unsupported, and we'll probably be doing 45 to 55 miles per day. > > Later > > Kelly > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/oHlyJB1UlAIJ. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
