Remembering the Iron Ride

July 21, 2024
more than a dozen soldiers with rifles on their backs riding bicycles across the plains, each with large parcels of gear on the handlebars
Members of the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps, 1897. Source: Montana State Library, Montana Memory Project, photo 73.0031.

By Justin Horn

Standing outside the Bar in Arvada, Wyoming and gazing at the Powder River, one is left wondering, “How did they do it?”

How did they ride 1,900 miles on iron framed, one-speed bicycles, while carrying 50 pounds of ammunition, 120 pounds of supplies and 10-pound rifles? They had to contend with rattlesnakes, thunderstorms and severe hail, deep mud, and non-potable water over the course of their journey. It went over rough terrain, from Fort Missoula, Montana; through Wyoming, Nebraska and Missouri; and into St. Louis. It was 1897 and bicycles were a relatively new invention. How did they do it?

We can start with the “they” in the question. They were the “Buffalo Soldiers” of the 25th Infantry, one of several legendary African-American units of soldiers who served in the U.S. Army out West during the “Indian Wars.” In addition to the nickname Buffalo Soldier, the bicycle ride earned the 25th another nickname, the “Iron Riders,” for both the iron frames of their bicycles and the iron toughness needed to bike 1,900 miles across country.

In one sense, the name Iron Riders answers the question of “how did they do it?” Grit and determination: They pedaled their bikes – or carried them, across rivers and streams or when the mud got too deep – 1,900 miles in 41 days, for an average of 47 miles a day. No doubt the racial tensions of the late 19th century played a role too. Driven by a determination to prove they were just as tough and just as capable as any White soldier, the Buffalo Soldiers triumphantly pedaled into St. Louis on July 24, 1897.

Saying the Buffalo Soldiers were tough – likely an understatement – may cover the “how,” but there is also the “why?” Why ride bicycles across the country?

The Iron Ride from Fort Missoula, Montana to St. Louis was part of wider testing the military was conducting. The late 1880s and early 1890s witnessed rapid advancements in bicycle technology. The invention and use of pneumatic tires, a rear freewheel allowing the rider to coast, hand-operated pull brakes, and the vertical pedal arrangement and locking hubs all took place in a few short years. These features took the bicycle from the realm of novelty, to potentially being valuable for military use. One believer in the bicycle, Lieut. James A. Moss, wrote articles for Spalding’s Athletic Library touting the use of the bicycle in the military. Lieut. Moss – finishing last in his class at West Point, was given the least desirable assignment at the time, commanding a group of Black Buffalo Soldiers – organized trips to test the effectiveness of the bicycle. Lieut. Moss’s first test, in 1896, went from Fort Missoula to Lake McDonald, Montana, a four-day, 126-mile ride. They next rode from Fort Missoula to Fort Yellowstone – where they posed for photos on Minerva Terrace and by Old Faithful – a 325-mile trip completed in 8 ½ days. After this success, Lieut. Moss began planning for the ride from Missoula to St. Louis.

But saying they were tough doesn’t quite do the Iron Riders justice. To understand just how tough they were, one would need to bike 1,900 miles across the West themselves. “Bicycle Nomad” Erick Cedeño did just that. In 2022, Cedeño retraced the Iron Ride. While passing through Gillette, Wyoming, Cedeño took time to give a presentation at the Rockpile Museum on the ride. Cedeño’s ride brought awareness of the history of the Iron Riders to northeast Wyoming, giving “Dignity and Truth” to the accomplishments of the 25th Infantry.

Cedeño’s ride also sparked interest in Sheridan, Wyoming and prompted the Sheridan Community Land Trust (SCLT) to create a trail guide and GPS audio tour of the Iron Rider route through Sheridan County. On Juneteenth 2024, the SCLT unveiled their audio tour of the Iron Ride. Attending were the “Bicycle Nomad” himself Erick Cedeño; along with Bobby McDonald, Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the 9th & 10th Horse Cavalry Association; Nina Amos, Executive Director, 9th & 10th Horse Cavalry Association; Kevin Smith, Park/Site Historic Specialist, Missouri State Parks; and Kevin Knapp, SCLT History Program Manager.

After unveiling the SCLT’s audio tour, the group set out to recreate – albeit, in SUVs – the Iron Ride from Sheridan to Gillette. And this brings us back to the Arvada Bar. Meeting the Sheridan group halfway – at the Arvada Bar (because let’s face it, in a town of 33 people, where else are you going to meet?) – were Rockpile Museum Director Robert Henning and Museum Assistant Justin Horn to lead them the rest of the way into Gillette. Upon reaching Gillette, the Rockpile Museum hosted a meet and greet event, and unveiled a new exhibit commemorating the 25th Infantry’s Iron Ride.

Ultimately, the “how” they did it, is not as important as remembering “that” they did it. The Rockpile Museum’s new exhibit and the SCLT’s audio tour help to shine light on this little remembered chapter in northeast Wyoming’s history and help us remember the Iron Ride.

Read Touring Wyoming “Awheel”: Boneshakers to Bicycles Built for Two

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