Ride Director Comments

Ride Description

Overview: Come ride the Historic Katy Trail, the tour that is on every cyclist’s bucket list.  The Katy Trail is the longest developed rail trail in the country and runs between Clinton and Machems, Missouri.  It spans 240 scenic miles with many of those miles along the Missouri River. Participants will have the opportunity to spend 6 days riding without worry of getting lost, or dealing with traffic.  Highlights of the trip include: overnighting in Jefferson City adjacent to the state capital, visiting the German town of Hermann deemed the wine country of Missouri, and sightseeing in Booneville named after Daniel Boone which was the site of a skirmish early in the Civil War, on July 17, 1861. Union forces defeated the Missouri State Guard in the first Battle of Boonville. The section of trail between Cooper County and St Charles County has been designated as an official segment of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. The trail is a treasure and well maintained by the Missouri State Park system. The majority of the trail is shaded and traverses through many small communities that hug the scenic Missouri River. 

Logistics: This tour will start in St. Charles on Saturday, October 18th and end in St. Charles on Saturday morning, October 25th.  The first meeting will be at the Country Inn and Suites, St Charles at 5:00 pm followed by a group dinner.  On day two of the tour, participants and thier bicycles will take a shuttle from St Charles to Clinton and then mount their bikes and ride to Sedalia (39 miles).  Luggage will be transported to our hotel in Sedalia.

• The nearest major airport is the St Louis Lambert International Airport which is approximately 9.0 miles from our hotel in St Charles. Taxi and Ubers are the preferred method of transport to the hotel.

• Tandems and E-bikes are welcome.

• Rental bikes are available from KATY Bike Rental & Shuttle (636) 987-2600 located in St Charles. E-Bikes weeklong = $240, Hybrid and Gravel bikes = $180.  

• Bike Boxes can be stored at the shuttle companies warehouse close to the starting hotel in St Charles. The ride leader will make arrangements for bike boxes to be transported to and from the storage.

• Long term patrolled parking is available adjacent to the starting hotel in St Charles at no cost. 

Weather: The average temperatures along the trail for a week in mid October have a daytime high of 75 degrees and a low of 51 degrees. There is an average of 6 days of rain in October so riders should be prepared to ride in any type of weather. 

Lodging & Meals: There will be 3 group dinners, 7 breakfasts, 6 social hours, and 7 nights of diverse lodging. Lodging includes historic hotels, a casino, bed and breakfast, and a few chain hotels.  In Hermann and Augusta lodging will be at multiple locations that are relatively close in proximity to each other.

Ride Rating: This roaming tour is rated a 1B! with an average daily mileage of 45 miles and 1100 feet of elevation gain.  There are two days longer than the 50 mile rating with rides of 52 miles on day 4 and 54 miles on day 7.  This tour is rated a B! as wider tires are needed and the trail has very little paved surface. No days exceed the 1500 feet of elevation.  There are 6 days of required riding with no rest days.  Bicycles with at least 28 mm tires are needed with a recommendation of 32 mm tires or larger.  Gravel and mountain bikes are well suited for the crushed granite surface.

Cost & Administration:  The tour includes the shuttle from St Charles to Clinton Missouri, luggage transport, and a fun time. Tips are included for meals, shuttle, and hotels.

Maps & Cue Sheets: A BAC RideWithGPS event will be provided 45 days before the start of the tour.  If participants want paper cue sheets they will need to print them themselves.

Health and Safety: Vaccinations for Covid are recommended, but not required. Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. Should someone's health become compromised and the group’s health and safety placed in jeopardy, a plan will be developed by the ride leader(s) and communicated to all individuals. The expectation is for the group to work together to mitigate any spread of infection or illness as a means to ensure the tour can continue as planned.

Ride Participant Responsibility: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from the Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and cleanup. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you might have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

Singles and Solo Policy: Due to lodging availability there will be limited accomodations for singles, and solo's will  only be accepted if the tour does not fill. It is recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own.  Singles will remain on the waitlist and have until February 1, 2025 to find a roommate. If they are unable to find a roommate, they will have the option to be removed from the waitlist or pay the deposit of $875.00 and the solo supplement fee of $830.00 on February 1, 2025. The Ride Leader will assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride. The solo supplement can be paid by Zelle or check. Checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check and mailed to:  Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.  To pay using Zelle:

• In your bank's website, add Bicycle Adventure Club as a new recipient, with email address treasurer@bicycleadventureclub.org, Initiate a payment and In the Message block, and enter the name of your ride.

Cancellation Policy: The BAC Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled because the number of participants registered is less than the minimum established for the tour. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations. If the canceling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the canceling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the canceling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

Insurance Statement: Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses related to accidents. This coverage applies when touring inside the US, regardless of your nationality. It’s assumed that members’ personal insurance will cover medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, so these have not been included in the BAC policy. Coverage is subject to a $1000 deductible. You may want to consider personal coverage for emergency evacuation, as this is not included. The costs of treatment or quarantine for Covid and other unexpected illnesses are not covered. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date.

Sign-up: To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the terms of the Release of Liability (ROL), and pay the Tour Deposit and the non-refundable BAC Ride Registration Fee by credit card.. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.