next May an old friend and I are planning to head to St. Charles, MO and ride the Katy trail to Clinton and back. We will be riding loaded and I know May puts us in the very likely chance of getting to ride in the rain.

the question is what tire should I run?... I'll be on a 700cc disc trucker... I'm 300lb so I'm leaning towards the wider side of the spectrum... i'm leaning towards 38c or 42c tires but what? I understand that smooth center section is a big plus and belted protection of some sort is just about a requirement.

so thoughts and opinions? i know there is some experience here on this trail
thanks
mark

I like the continental travel contact 700X37, good personal experience, here.

I would also think the schwalbe lil ben would be an excellent candidate.

G'luck.
Let us know how your choice works out for you.

I just put some 700x40 wire bead Marathon Mondials on a bike that goes on dirt and road and am pleased with them. Smooth tread may or may not be a plus, it's the whole design that matters.

700x42 Continental Travel Contact is another possibility. I had a 26"x1.75 Travel Contact on a lightly loaded bike and really didn't like them on the road, I figured they were for very heavy loads, then I rode on some hard packed rutted dirt roads with lots of gravel and they were great.

There are other heavy duty tires but for the money these are a good value.

Whatever you get, you will probably want high pressure at that load. On my 700c LHT, I have run Hutchinson Globetrotter 37mm width tires, I have run the rear at 80 to 85 psig. They are rated at 87 psig. Front, I ran at about 70 psig. I got good mileage out of them. I think they are no longer in production, but still available. I am considering buying a couple more while they are still available.

yes as it stands I run my Panaracer Pasela 32c rear tire at about 100psi with just the bike and my own weight... ading another 40lbs or so AND less smooth limestone path I don't think they would tolerate it... so i'm seeing 37c as the smallest I would consider, a 42c isn't out of the question for this ride....

Clement's X'PLOR MSO.

I'm 220 lbs and have done the KATY end to end the last 3 years. I ride on 700x32 tires, but I'm riding unloaded. I can't remember the brand, but they are pretty smooth. You don't need much in the way of tread on the KATY. There were very few people getting flats on the ride, so belted protection for the Katy isn't a necessity; however, you're going to ride it elsewhere.

I'll probably be buying new tires before next spring so the answers of others will interest me.

If you can wait until June, I highly recommend this group. Below is the info for 2013. In 2014 we will be starting from St. Chuck and heading towards Clinton. Of course this group is only going one way, but that wouldn't stop you from riding back on your own.

Signups are suppose to begin on March 1, 2014. Last year the ride filled up in 4 days.

https://mostateparks.com/2013-katy-trail-ride

Oh! Don't forget to do the relatively new part from St. Charles to Machens.

ya the smooth thing is what I've read even on the katy trail forum... the problem I've found is that there is such a large cross section of people that ride it... a few go end to end in a day (in under 14 hrs I might add as I recall lol) others stop in and check out all the little towns and sleep at the B&Bs along way... some use road bikes, some CX and a lot of MTB or hybrids... I know there are at least a few on this forum that have done this trail so figured being that I'll be riding it in a similar fashion (loaded) I'd get a good answer here.


when my friend originally talked about it I assumed he was talking about the organised ride you linked to... I'm sure the supported ride would be a hoot but I'm looking forward to the self supported ride myself... we'll spend a bit more time riding (as we should as it's both ways)... his schedule is open in May so we'll be doing it then... prob be more fun anyway as we haven't seen each other in about 15 years outside of online stuff.

I just incorporated the Katy into my last trip, rode it both ways, from Clinton to Machens and then back a few days later.

Used 32mm vittoria rando crosses. There were a few soft spots where I had to put more effort into it, I weigh 220 with a sixty pound total rig. If speed is not your goal then a wider tire would be better. I was looking for a compromise with a couple hundred paved miles or riding on each end, so stayed with 32s.

The biggest thing to look out for is black walnuts on the path, they were just starting to fall when I was coming back on the 12th. They can be more pesky than horse droppings. Should not be a problem in may though.

Random stuff on the trail:

It is a lot easier going west to east.

There is no camping really from Herman to Machens. I pulled that leg all in one day both ways, but that meant that where I stayed in Machens was not really approved. There is nothing there at all though, and I got there at dusk. Be advised that if you do "rest" there for the night there is a train switch right next to it, there will be trains idling and thundering past all night... I rode on to St Louis and there really is nothing at all there, so if you do want to do it end to end probably figure on staying in St Charles. Its a neat town.

Biggest advise is to use a dry lube on your chain. I messed up and ran some wet, took a few years off my drive train with all the dust it picked up. Fenders are best, IMHO. Even with them things can get really dirty.

Coopers landing looks really horrible, but it can be a fun place to stay.

I have run into people doing twenty miles a day to 100. Road bikers in huge groups, cross country riders just using the trail as a route, all sorts. The other riders you meet can be interesting.

+1 I've done shorter sections during the winter months when the trail is softer and nothing more than 32 is really needed. A larger tire up to 40 would be a good option, but not truly needed. No tread is needed either.

I would use the Vittoria Hyper in the 700x32, 35 or 38.