On May 28, thousands of cyclists will descend upon Flat Branch Park in downtown Columbia to embark on a soiree on wheels along the MKT and Katy Trails. Cyclists participating in the annual Pedaler’s Jamboree will make the 35 mile trek to Boonville’s Kemper Park on Saturday morning. Riders will be greeted with a celebration at the terminus of the journey complete with food, beverages and a plethora of live music, including (among many others) Flint Eastwood, The Royal Furs, Hounds, The Kay Brothers and Violet and The Undercurrents, fronted by Columbia’s own Violet Vonder Haar.
Bike decor, good times and costumes are enthusiastically encouraged. The Pedaler’s Jamboree Rider Pass is $50 and includes the transport of all bags to Boonville so that participants are free to ride at their own pace, unburdened by heavy gear. Non-Riders are also welcome and can purchase a pass for the celebration at Kemper Park for $15. For $6, cyclists can enjoy a pancake breakfast on Sunday morning, during which riders can refuel before the return ride to Columbia. Shuttles are available to whisk cyclists and their bikes back to town, should they need a lift.
Is the anticipation too much to bear? In the meantime, get acquainted with your trusty steed and all its two thousand parts with Chris Sidwell’s “Complete Bike Book.” Jam-packed with beautiful color photographs of bikes of all stripes, basic maintenance techniques and bicycle shopping advice, this book is invaluable to those at any level of the velo obsession spectrum. Sidwell also details methods to improve riding skills, including riding on rough and uneven terrain (for example, the ever-tricky cobblestone), as well as what tools and implements to pack for a long ride.
For the uninitiated, Doug Donaldson’s “Bike Touring: Everything You Need to Know to Travel Anywhere on a Bike” provides some comforting self-supported touring knowledge. Essentially a bible of bike touring, this book covers absolutely everything to gear up for the big ride. Donaldson offers in-depth training schedules to get the body strengthened, toned and tour-ready. There are tips for dealing with on-the-fly bike repairs, incredibly thorough packing lists and even touring gear selection advice. Traffic is easily the most stressful part of a long-distance ride, and there is excellent advice for sharing the road successfully, including riding alongside cars and how to ride in heavy traffic.
In “Biking Missouri’s Rail-Trails,” Shawn Richardson provides detailed maps guiding the Katy through-cyclist from town to town and what to expect from the topography during each segment of the trail. Richardson also includes a handy chart that indicates mileage between each town and an estimate of the time necessary to complete each leg. The informative guidebook also covers several other trails throughout the state, including a portion of the Route 66 Bikeway, which follows the entire length of historic Route 66, stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. It passes through Missouri from St. Louis to the Oklahoma border just west of Joplin.
Rocheport’s own former mayor, Brett Dufur, wrote an excellent and indispensable guide to the Katy Trail entitled “The Complete Katy Trail Guidebook.” Dufur highlights attractions in each distinctive town that lines the Katy Trail. Campgrounds and campsites, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, wineries, historical sites, and other points of interest are all covered for each stop along the trail in this thorough guidebook. The author provides an intriguing snippet of history about each town, bringing them to life for the traveler.
This year’s Pedaler’s Jamboree promises to be an ecstatically good time for all. Those willing to make the long haul will be rewarded handsomely with music, brilliant memories and a tale to share. For more information and to register, visit the Pedaler’s Jamboree website.
