Originally Posted by
eric044
Also see that at least in one spot there is no night cycling allowed. How difficult is it to do a little bit extra night riding on somewhat parallel roads?
Pretty difficult to ride on parallel roads near the Katy. There are a few, Hwy 94 comes to mind, but mostly the Katy is out in the boonies and not near parallel roads. The part near the Missouri River isn't even wide enough to have both a road and trail at the same time for many miles. You'd have to ride up on the bluffs which is really hilly. Really Hilly.
Hwy 94 is mostly a 2-lane highway with fast traffic. I avoid riding on it in the daylight, much less at night. Ironically it is used at night for RAAM (Race Across AMerica) in June; however, these cyclists are trailed by support vehicles with flashing lights so that drivers at least know that something is going on ahead.
It can be hot and humid on the Katy during the summer months. The trick is to get going early and ride while it's cool still. I had one day where the temp was forecasted to be 103°F. I was on the trail at 5 am.
If you would like a supported ride, here's the one that I do.
https://mostateparks.com/2017ktride
In 2018 we should start in St. Charles as it switches directions every year.