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Each bicycle tourist has a philosophy for touring. The route cycled manifests this philosophy as the wheels spin on the bike. My Reader’s Digest (Is that magazine even published today?) view of bicycle touring is that people, places, and experiences drive the tour rather than miles and speed. The best day is rolling into my destination after a healthy dose of people, places, and scenery along the way.

40-50 miles per day is the optimal mileage I prefer to pedal. It allows time for sightseeing and photos stops to maximize what the tour has to offer. I like to roll out after a casual breakfast and roll into my destination around mid to late afternoon.

I am a bicycle tourist that designs a more rigid route. There is comfort in knowing where I will sleep and eat. I balance my casual touring philosophy with my analytical precise personality. Touring during COVID-19 times required a greater degree of planning due to state and local mandated guidelines and practices.

The tour’s goal is to cycle the Katy Trail across Missouri from Clinton to St. Charles. I broke the route into a 7-day tour averaging 35-45 miles per day. That mileage allows me to discover Missouri, a state I have not explored. The Katy is America’s longest continuous rail-trail with the history of the Katy Railroad alive in the trail towns.

I like being an end-to-ender when touring rail-trails. This goal meant cycling 12-miles past St. Charles to a remote rural location in Machens. It would add a 24-mile out and back ride to St. Charles and our cars. The Lewis and Clark monument in Pioneer Park sans the out to and back from Machens is a fitting end for the tour. Below is a summary of my route.

Day        Activity                                             Miles
1            Clinton - Sedalia                             38.1
2            Sedalia - Boonville                        36.5
3            Boonville - Columbia                   32.9
4            Columbia - Jefferson City          40.1
5            Jefferson City - Hermann          47.3
6            Hermann - Augusta                     36.9
7            Augusta - St. Charles                   27.9
               Total Miles                                     259.7

Follow my tour

No telegraphs need as we trace Lewis and Clark’s journey into the unexplored. You can just check us out on social media: Cycle Blaze and Instagram with hashtags @tombilcze #showmeMO #katytrail.

Today's Trivia

What was the average number of miles that Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery traveled per day?

Answer: 11.78 miles