The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic McDonalds Citizen Tour from Durango to Silverton drew over 1,000 cyclists on Saturday for the IHBC’s 52nd race.

Some riders set out on their first attempt to beat the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train to Silverton. Others approached the ride more casually.

Ed Alelyumas, 70, said he’s competed in the IHBC for the last 20 years. This year, he decided to ride in the 25-mile Quarter Horse event, which starts in Durango at the same time as the Citizen Tour and ends at Purgatory Resort.

Alelyumas rode a Pinarello carbon fiber frame bicycle on Saturday. The bicycle lacks hydraulic brakes and is rather light, making it hard to contend with winds that pushed cyclists around during their climb to Silverton.

But he still had a good ride, he said.

The Quarter Horse is not as daunting as the ride to Silverton, but Alelyumas said he could have made it all the way.

“I would have had to go a little slower,” he said.

He said he knew for sure he couldn’t outpace the cyclists leading the way on Saturday.

Alelyumas said his best time from Durango to Silverton is about 3 hours, 20 minutes.

“That was years ago,” he said.

He laughed.

He said he set that personal record when he was about 50 years old.

“That’s when I was a little stronger,” he said. “I used to run when I was a kid, but my knees got bad. So I started riding my bike.”

An experienced IHBC competitor, Alelyumas is familiar with the punishment awaiting fellow riders.

“Cyclists conquer two mountain passes higher than 10,000 feet on this point-to-point ride, along with more than 6,000 feet of vertical climb and two breathtaking descents,” as described by the IHBC.

Alelyumas said the ride is exhausting, but rewarding.

He remembered feeling bone-tired reaching the finish line.

“Tired, like your legs are noodles,” he said, laughing shortly after. “And the elevation kind of gets to you. But you persevered and you made it. And that’s the thing. This year, I didn’t make it. But I did make it halfway.”

IHBC organizers reduced the scale of events in 2023, returning to its roots and reevaluating what the traditional cycling classic has to offer.

This year, the IHBC returned with the competitive race to Silverton and the Citizen Tour’s race against the train, along with a new event called the Hill Climb Challenge.

For the Hill Climb Challenge, riders raced 238 feet up East Eighth Avenue to Fort Lewis College. The short route consists of a series of steep switchbacks.

Iron Horse Race Director Ian Burnett told The Durango Herald on Friday the new event was well received.

“Trying a new event is always a challenge, but we’re excited to be able to build on it and involve the community more,” he said.

cburney@durangoherald.com