Soldiers On Bikes

The regiment spent months training for their big trip, riding up to 40 miles per day. Soldiers learned to jump fences. They carried their bikes above their heads across fast-moving streams.

Then it was time for longer rides. They cycled from Missoula to a lake more than 120 miles away, to Yellowstone National Park nearly 800 miles away, and the Bitter Root Valley 100 miles away. The regiment became known as the Iron Riders because of the metal, single-speed bikes they rode.

The trips helped the troops figure out the best terrain to ride on and how fast they could go. They also saw how the bikes fared over long rides. When a tire popped or a frame bent, the corps’ mechanic, John Findley, fixed it. Findley had worked at a bike shop in Chicago before joining the regiment.

The regiment spent months training for their big trip. They rode up to 40 miles per day. Soldiers learned to jump fences. They carried their bikes above their heads across fast-moving streams.

Then it was time for longer rides. They cycled from Missoula to a lake more than 120 miles away. They rode to Yellowstone National Park nearly 800 miles away. They pedaled to the Bitter Root Valley 100 miles away. The regiment became known as the Iron Riders thanks to the metal, single-speed bikes they rode.

The trips helped the troops figure out the best terrain to ride on. They also found how fast they could go. They saw how the bikes fared over long rides, too. The corps had a mechanic who had worked at a bike shop in Chicago before joining the regiment. His name was John Findley. When a tire popped or a frame bent, he fixed it.

This trip was the longest made by army cyclists in the U.S. The corps rode through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and into Missouri. Averaging more than 50 miles per day, they traveled a total of 1,900 miles over the seven-week trip.

“It was definitely a strange thing for local inhabitants to see,” says Kristjana Eyjolfsson, director of education at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, which has an exhibit about the Iron Riders. “It was monumental,” she adds.

This trip was the longest made by Army cyclists in the U.S. The corps rode through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and into Missouri. They averaged more than 50 miles per day. Over the seven week trip they traveled a total of 1,900 miles.

“It was definitely a strange thing for local inhabitants to see,” says Kristjana Eyjolfsson, director of education at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. The museum has an exhibit about the Iron Riders. “It was monumental,” she adds.

During their practice rides, the soldiers pedaled through mud and up steep mountainsides. The Iron Riders endured that and more on the big trip. They cycled in snow, sleet, and scorching temperatures as they bumped over unpaved roads and bounced over railroad tracks.

Packed with blankets, food, tents, and tools to fix gears and mend chains, each bicycle weighed close to 80 pounds. When the corps got to Nebraska, the group had to walk the heavy bikes through deep sand, a particularly difficult task.

As they cycled into St. Louis, more than 1,000 other cyclists joined them, riding alongside as the corps ended its journey. A cheering crowd met the Iron Riders, who showed people how they carried their bikes on their shoulders and rode in formation.

The Iron Riders had ridden twice as fast as a horse regiment and were a third as expensive, Moss reported. Although the trip was a success, the bicycle corps never got a chance to grow. The next year, the 25th Regiment was deployed to Cuba to fight in the Spanish-American War. By the time the soldiers returned, cars were taking over the roads.

Finally, the corps was ready for its big trip. The soldiers had pedaled through mud and up steep mountainsides. In the summer of 1897, they endured that and more. They cycled in snow, sleet, and scorching temperatures. They bumped over unpaved roads and bounced over railroad tracks.

Every rider carried blankets, food, tents, and tools to fix gears and mend chains. The bicycles weighed close to 80 pounds each. When the corps got to Nebraska, the group walked the heavy bikes through deep sand, a particularly difficult task.

As the group cycled into St. Louis, more than 1,000 other cyclists joined them. They rode alongside as the corps ended its journey. A cheering crowd met the Iron Riders, who showed people how they carried their bikes on their shoulders and rode in formation.

The Iron Riders were twice as fast and less expensive than a horse regiment, Moss reported. The trip was a success, but the bicycle corps never got a chance to grow. The next year, the 25th Regiment was deployed to Cuba to fight in the Spanish-American War. When the soldiers returned, cars were taking over the roads.

Last summer, historical groups in the states the Iron Riders rode through hosted a series of events to celebrate the ride’s 125th anniversary. At the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, where the Iron Riders were based, visitors toured the museum. Replicas of the bikes were on display.

Historical re-enactors dressed as Iron Riders performed demonstrations at Missouri parks and showed how the soldiers camped. Each event celebrated a trip that was “a really amazing feat that is very unique,” says Eyjolfsson.

Last summer, historical groups in states the Iron Riders rode through hosted events to celebrate the ride’s 125th anniversary. At the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, where the Iron Riders started, visitors toured the museum. Replicas of the bikes were on display. 

Historical re-enactors dressed as Iron Riders. They performed demonstrations at Missouri parks and showed how the soldiers camped. Each event celebrated a trip that was “a really amazing feat that is very unique,” says Eyjolfsson.