I have went from one end to the other and found the shade this trail has saves on the sun block ,which i don't care to much for ,it has grades wich aren't to bad as im a large man and 74 , a fat man, bike and hills don't do good togeather, but i enjoy this trial very much .There are some eating places along the way ,your cell phone don't get out the best in a lot of area but who needs phones when your out and getting away form it all .The trail is kept up well as far as im concern some bridges are not the best on the aproches ,the road bed is of a fine gravle of some kind and is a good on around 6 to 8 feet wide, and don't forget the toco run on thursday nights in menola a large amount of riders do this every week and fun for those who like this tipe of eating and refreshments from the north head it is 10 miles about 5 up and 5 down and you can go to silver city and come back north on your bike only 4 mile one way . You'll love it so do it some time.

I'd best some up this experience as similar to riding the Katy Trail, but without the fantastic scenery that trail offers in spades in its central section. Many bridges to cross and endless cornfields. I rode sections (about half) of the trail over a two-day period. I started with Coin to Blanchard. This must be the most desolate and least-ridden section as no other riders or walkers were encountered. Trees were down across the trail just south of Coin but I went through them and soldiered on. There was much tree debris on the trail that I constantly had to dodge. Don't even think of using a road bike here. Upon reaching Blanchard, I chose to ride the paved road that parallels the trail back to Coin; I encountered no vehicles travelling on the road when returning. I noticed more trees were across the trail just north of Coin so I called it an evening at point. Someone should put up a sign in Blanchard indicating the "trail ends here".

The next day I put on a Shenandoah and rode to Imogene, then back and rode south to Hwy 2 and back to Shenandoah (30.61 miles). The trail is paved going north out of Shenandoah for about a mile, which helps. There is a charming Irish bar at Imogene and a historic Catholic church up the hill from the trail in Imogene that's worth a visit if open. A meal or home-made beer at the Depot Restaurant in Shenendoah is worth stopping for.

As this was a Tuesday, I had to ride to Mineola for the famous "taco night". I came in from the south putting on at Malvern; RT to Mineola and back is 26.72 miles. Again, a section (about a mile of so) is paved leaving Malvern. This is a nice scenic ride and many others were using the trail. Eating at Mineola Steakhouse was cool (I had a table to myself outside) but I would recommend getting there early (before 6:00 pm) to avoid the crowds. Silver City, a tidy small town, also has places to eat right next to the trail if you don't wish to go all the way to Mineola.

I live in Prairie Village Kansas and look forward to returning to ride the remaining sections. Too bad Missouri chose not to save their section of the rail right-of-way; if so the trail could have been about twice as long as it is currently. But I am thankful for what was saved.

The Trace remains as beautiful as ever. I've been riding it since 1995 and continue to enjoy its beauty and near complete solitude in certain stretches. Currently I'm walking with my new adopted dog varying iterations between MP 405, Wabash Avenue, to MP 401 not far beyond Dumfries and no longer mapped formally. I've ridden between the trailhead and Malvern extensively. The varying terrain, backyards, old railroad bridges, flora and fauna are endlessly fascinating.

Trail etiquette is generally very good although some cyclists still do not announce an imminent pass. With the quality of bikes these days as well as the excellent trail condition, it's difficult to hear them coming until it's almost too late to react.

I'm from California and have lived both north and south as well as in St. Louis both with vast trail systems or on-road riding opportunities. I survived the Downieville Downhill. Still, discovering the Trace just a mile from my house has been a long-term positive experience not found even in areas with better climate.

As an aside, the path also winds from the Trailhead north through west Council Bluffs to Playland Park where you can ride or walk over the new Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge across the Missouri River. This is a beautiful suspension bridge that ends in a pedestrian mall on the Omaha side. There are further paved paths north and south of the bridge although they are currently stubs. There's a fun restaurant right at the base and you're quite close to trendy shops and restaurants [primarily evening dining] a few blocks south in the Old Market.