The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic has been over for a week now, but it’s still affecting me, and I didn’t even pedal from Durango to Silverton or through Steamworks Brewing Company.
It’s one of the longest days of my year, and the earliest, which is tough because anyone who knows me knows I’m a night owl. In fact, I’m typing this sentence while most of you are sleeping.
But the lack of sleep and early start are worth it because of the wonderful feeling you get being in that atmosphere of tradition, perseverance, joy and beauty that special Saturday and Sunday in late May provides in this beautiful part of the country. I still have that warm feeling thinking about the event and the experience of covering it in the chase car.
The IHBC weekend still delivers with its purity and potential, 54 years after Tom and Jim Mayer’s race to beat the train to Silverton became an official challenge for 36 riders.
What’s so pure about the IHBC? The tradition is a good starting point. Think about how much has changed since the 1970s when the race began.
There were no cellphones, no internet, no home computers, no AI. The Vietnam War was still going on. Songs like “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack, “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green, “Heart of Gold” by Neil Young and “Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul were at the top of the charts in 1972. Charley Johnson was the Denver Broncos’ starting quarterback, and the Denver Nuggets were called the Denver Rockets in the American Basketball Association.
All of that has changed since then, except the Iron Horse’s road race starting in Durango and ending in Silverton, passing stunning mountain peaks with snow still kissing the top. It feels pure to know that generations of locals and outsiders alike can share the experience of huffing and puffing up Coal Bank and Molas Pass. There might be some changes with technology with the bicycles, GPS devices and more, but the act of pedaling on two wheels for those 47 miles remains the same, which is rare in today’s world.
It also feels pure just being up there. Parts of that route feel stuck in time when you’re up in the mountains. Fans are still cheering for riders as they did 50 years ago. When you’re as lucky as me to be in a chase car next to the leaders of the pro field, it feels pure to climb through the mountains that feel like one of the rare places that haven’t been overchanged by civilization. How many places are there like that anymore, let alone that hold a cycling race?
Another reason the IHBC still delivers is because of the potential stars in the field. Gone are the days of the top pro cyclists and mountain bikers flocking to Durango to take part in the Iron Horse festivities. There are too many events that have more importance to athlete financially and to their sponsors; events like Unbound Gravel and UCI Mountain Bike World Cup races take precedent.
However, there are still plenty of rising stars to be seen in the Iron Horse every year. It’s a proving ground for some of the top stars to come out of Durango.
Guys like Sepp Kuss and Quinn Simmons have won the Iron Horse road race before going on to race in Grand Tour cycling races like the Tour de France. Riley Amos won the Iron Horse road race before going on to become an Olympian and men’s elite mountain biker. Recently, Cobe Freeburn won the Iron Horse road race, and he is becoming one of the top off-road cyclists in the country.
So, with the long history of strong, young riders winning the Iron Horse becoming stars, it’s worth it to keep watching the Iron Horse and supporting it. You never know who the next Sepp Kuss or Christopher Blevins will be, but it’s highly likely that the next Durango star will ride in the Iron Horse. Then, you can look back when they win a Tour de France stage, like Sepp Kuss, and say you saw them do the Iron Horse before they reached their potential.
Plus, it’s a lot cheaper to see these rising stars now than to spend a ton of money to go to Europe or even to an event in the U.S to see them after their Iron Horse successes.
Speaking of potential, it’s not just riders, but there’s still potential with the race. It’s no secret that the prize purses haven’t increased in a while, or there hasn’t been consistent growth in participation. So, there’s potential for the race to grow with bigger prize purses and by attracting more up-and-coming riders from this part of the country. Heck, if the prize purses were to increase enough, you could get some more established riders to prioritize it more.
But all of this takes quality leadership at the top to capitalize on the tradition, the purity, the scenery and the warmth and support of the people of the beautiful land. While this column to this point has been a glowing review of the Iron Horse experience, there are questions over the future leadership and how effective it will be. The weekend is a business, and that business can be ruined like a broken chain or a flat tire if the leadership doesn’t get its act together.
Until then, the Iron Horse is still an event that delivers a special experience. There aren’t many events like it today, and nothing is guaranteed tomorrow.