Legendary cycle races: Road bike versus steam locomotive at the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic

​The history of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic began with a simple bet between two brothers. In 1971, Tom Mayer was living in Durango, Colorado, and was a keen cyclist. He regularly undertook long training rides at the weekends, often accompanying the famous train to Silverton – not least because his brother Jim worked as a brakeman on the train. When Tom once again announced that he was going to cycle to Silverton, a friendly bet ensued: Jim doubted that his brother could beat the train; after all, the railway line was five miles shorter and considerably flatter, whilst Tom had to cross two mountain passes over the 76 kilometres. The stake: a chocolate bar.

Laying the foundations for a cycle race

Tom won the bet. He arrived in Silverton well ahead of the train and waited there for his incredulous brother. His brother could hardly believe that Tom had cycled the entire route in such a short time. After all, the route is a tough one: over the 76 kilometres, two mountain passes at around 3,000 metres have to be crossed. In total, a climb of around 1,800 metres must be tackled at an altitude where oxygen is scarce. A year later, in 1972, Tom Mayer had the idea of turning his favourite route into an official race. However, the road to achieving this was anything but easy: the traffic police in Durango initially rejected his plan outright, considering a race on the highway to Silverton far too dangerous. It was only through the mediation of the manager of a well-known outdoor shop that the authorities could be convinced of the benefits for the region.

Tom organised prizes by going from shop to shop in Silverton and asking for donations. As well as jewellery and small souvenirs, Rick Scarborough from the Iron Horse Chuckwagon offered a special deal: anyone who beat the train would receive a free lunch. Word of the race spread quickly through his network in Albuquerque, Phoenix, Tucson, Denver and Salt Lake City. In the end, 36 riders took part in the first year – and only five of them beat the train. What began as a spontaneous bet over a chocolate bar developed into one of the best-known cycle races in the USA, which today attracts thousands of riders from across the country and around the world. The race has also given a boost to the MTB tradition. In the wake of the road race, an MTB boom emerged, which brought the UCI MTB World Championships to Durango in 1990.

Iron Horse Bicycle Classic today

The cycle race took place again in 2026 – including separate races for gravel and mountain bikes. The Road race The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic was won by local rider Kai Lokey in 2:14:44. In the women’s race, Lucy Harris won in 2:40:33. Both were impressive performances, considering that Coal Bank Pass and Molas Pass are at an altitude of around 3,000 metres. To this day, the format of the race has remained unchanged: at the start, a steam locomotive with carriages and the cyclists are sent onto the course simultaneously. After the start, they even ride almost side by side for a few minutes.