Cyclists from all walks of life sign up to take part of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic every May – a hallowed tradition of Durango’s cycling scene that goes back to 1971.
They are drawn by the iconic event’s five races – the crown jewel being the McDonald’s Citizen Tour, in which intrepid cyclists race the train from Durango to Silverton along the 50-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 550, through the low-lying Animas River Valley and over soaring passes in the San Juan Mountains.
Participants range in age, competition and backgrounds, and share one commonality: a passion for pedaling.
But the bikes people ride in the Iron Horse can be as diverse as the riders themselves, varying in age, material, size, shape and color. The bikes can also tell stories, about memories of families bonding over the sport, triumphs of past competitions or distances traveled through stunning scenery.
Ahead of this weekend’s festivities, here are the stories of some of the riders and their bikes taking part in this year’s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.
One of the biggest draws of Durango for Joel Bouma is the biking – particularly Fort Lewis College’s cycling team, events like the Iron Horse and the copious amount of world-class road and mountain biking in and around Durango.
2026 will be Bouma’s third time competing in the Iron Horse, and this year he will be riding in the race’s pro category on his Factor Ostro Vam road bike. He has made a lot of memories on his bike through group rides with his co-workers and friends, and he said he is excited to ride it in the Iron Horse.
“This bike is pretty much a pure speed machine,” he said. “All it’s made for is going fast.”
Human-powered speed is one of Bouma’s main draws to the sport, he said, especially on a bicycle. That love and the passion that continues to push him to keep riding was passed on to him by his father, Joseph Bouma – who is traveling from out of state to take part in the race.
“He got me into it when I was young, and we raced bikes together all throughout my high school career,” Bouma said. “He really helped me develop as a cyclist, so it’s going to be really special to be able to do one of my favorite rides and races with him.”
He said rides on his Factor with people like his father or his girlfriend are some of his absolute favorite memories.
“I’ve met so many friends and so many awesome people riding bikes,” Bouma said. “And riding bikes itself is just a super-special way to experience the world around you.”
John Hartley and his 9-year-old daughter, Betty, have ridden in the Iron Horse together for the past five years.
But 2026 is special. It marks the first time Betty will be pedaling it with her father. And to ease into her first time, the father-daughter duo decided to ride on a modified Co-Motion tandem bicycle.
The reason they went with a tandem, John said, is so they could share the ride while letting Betty actively participate in the pedaling aspect.
“This is the first Iron Horse where she’s in charge of some pedaling too,” he said.
The Hartleys sought out the sleek black tandem bike because most tandems would be too big for someone Betty’s size. Theirs has 26-inch wheels, a sloping down-tube and just the right geometry to fit a junior rider.
“We’ve been totally nerding out,” John said. “This is kind of a tough frame to find, and it’s pretty unique for it to be able to fit a kid.”
The pair modified it to make it their own.
They mounted special crank adapters to fit Betty's legs, and lowered the bike’s gear ratio to make it easier to pedal. Each chose their own special grip tape to wrap around their handle bars – Betty went with the tape displaying doughnuts, while her father chose tacos. Special computers mounted to each set of bars track their speed and distance; a Bluetooth speaker keeps the jams pumping and spirits high.
Betty said she is excited for the race and to do it with her family. Their team name is “mustard,” because when they start cycling, they are faster than her mother, who they nicknamed “ketchup.”
John said the goal is to have fun, keep it casual and ride together as a team. And to eat plenty of snacks.
‘Our goal is to stop at as many rest stops as we want, get as many snacks as we want, stretch our legs,“ he said.
Rick Cobb and Lisa Coash fell in love, at least in part, over bikes. The two have pedaled together since meeting in Vail in the 1980s, and have ridden in the Iron Horse every year since moving to Durango in 2019.
“Biking is what we do,” Coash said. “It was on our wedding invitation, and our Christmas card every year is us with bikes.”
She bought her first mountain bike in 1985. What attracted her to riding was the freedom of it, its approachable speed and the freedom of riding on two wheels.
And for Cobb, biking’s social aspect has helped them build and maintain friendships that have lasted for years. The Iron Horse is a great example of that, he said.
“The Iron Horse is a group ride with several hundred of my closest friends – all just out for the ride,” he said.
Coash and Cobb’s life spent outdoors has taken its toll, namely though knee injuries.
That’s why the pair plan to ride e-mountain bikes in the Iron Horse, their Trek Fuel EXs. Riding with electric pedal assist still allows them to participate in rides like the Iron Horse, while being easier on their bodies and increasing the amount of time they can spend on a bike.
“The e-bikes are great to extend the range of things, and it takes the edge off some of the climbs,” Cobb said. “It just really can extend people’s riding lives.”
Coash said their e-bikes have allowed them to continue participating in big community rides like the Iron Horse, and to keep making memories with their friends on two wheels.
sedmondosn@durangoherald.com
