{"id":130234,"date":"2026-05-22T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/the-bikes-they-ride-and-the-stories-they-tell\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T05:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T11:00:00","slug":"the-bikes-they-ride-and-the-stories-they-tell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/the-bikes-they-ride-and-the-stories-they-tell\/","title":{"rendered":"The bikes they ride, and the stories they tell"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Joel
Joel Bouma holds up his Factor Ostro Vam road bike on Thursday he will ride in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race in the pro men\u2019s category. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Cyclists from all walks of life sign up to take part of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic every May \u2013 a hallowed tradition of Durango\u2019s cycling scene that goes back to 1971.<\/p>\n

They are drawn by the iconic event\u2019s five races \u2013 the crown jewel being the McDonald\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Participants range in age, competition and backgrounds, and share one commonality: a passion for pedaling.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Ahead of this weekend\u2019s festivities, here are the stories of some of the riders and their bikes taking part in this year\u2019s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.<\/p>\n

Bike racing: A family affair<\/div>\n

\"Joel
Joel Bouma, left, and his dad, Joe Bouma, stand in the start line of a bike race in Arkansas. Bike racing holds a special place in the Boumas\u2019 hearts, largely because of the joy both father and son derive when riding together. The two will race the pro category in Saturday\u2019s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. (Courtesy of Joel Bouma)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

One of the biggest draws of Durango for Joel Bouma is the biking \u2013 particularly Fort Lewis College\u2019s cycling team, events like the Iron Horse and the copious amount of world-class road and mountain biking in and around Durango.<\/p>\n

2026 will be Bouma\u2019s third time competing in the Iron Horse, and this year he will be riding in the race\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis bike is pretty much a pure speed machine,\u201d he said. \u201cAll it\u2019s made for is going fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Human-powered speed is one of Bouma\u2019s 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 \u2013 who is traveling from out of state to take part in the race.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe got me into it when I was young, and we raced bikes together all throughout my high school career,\u201d Bouma said. \u201cHe really helped me develop as a cyclist, so it\u2019s going to be really special to be able to do one of my favorite rides and races with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said rides on his Factor with people like his father or his girlfriend are some of his absolute favorite memories.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve met so many friends and so many awesome people riding bikes,\u201d Bouma said. \u201cAnd riding bikes itself is just a super-special way to experience the world around you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Dynamic Tandem Duo<\/div>\n

\"Daughter-father
Daughter-father duo Betty and John Hartley will be riding a unique Co-Motion tandem bike in Saturday\u2019s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. John said he and Betty, 9, have been \u201cnerding out\u201d over the customization of the bike, and they are excited to ride it together in Saturday\u2019s tour. Betty has accompanied her father on the Iron Horse ride for the past five years, though this will be her first pedaling. (Scout Edmodnson\/Durango Herald)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

John Hartley and his 9-year-old daughter, Betty, have ridden in the Iron Horse together for the past five years.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the first Iron Horse where she\u2019s in charge of some pedaling too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Hartleys sought out the sleek black tandem bike because most tandems would be too big for someone Betty\u2019s size. Theirs has 26-inch wheels, a sloping down-tube and just the right geometry to fit a junior rider.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been totally nerding out,\u201d John said. \u201cThis is kind of a tough frame to find, and it\u2019s pretty unique for it to be able to fit a kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pair modified it to make it their own.<\/p>\n

They mounted special crank adapters to fit Betty\u2019s legs, and lowered the bike\u2019s gear ratio to make it easier to pedal. Each chose their own special grip tape to wrap around their handle bars \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

\"Daughter-father
Daughter-father duo Betty and John Hartley will be riding a unique Co-Motion tandem bike in Saturday\u2019s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. Betty, 9, customized her seat behind her father with a Bluetooth speaker, distance tracker and doughnut handlebar tape, as well as crank shorteners so she could better reach the bike\u2019s pedals. (Scout Edmondson\/Durango Herald)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Betty said she is excited for the race and to do it with her family. Their team name is \u201cmustard,\u201d because when they start cycling, they are faster than her mother, who they nicknamed \u201cketchup.\u201d<\/p>\n

John said the goal is to have fun, keep it casual and ride together as a team. And to eat plenty of snacks.<\/p>\n

\u2018Our goal is to stop at as many rest stops as we want, get as many snacks as we want, stretch our legs,\u201c he said.<\/p>\n

A life of love and cycling<\/div>\n

\"Rick
Rick Cobb and Lisa Coash have been peddling bikes together for over 40 years and will be riding their e-mountain bikes, Trek Fuel EXs, in this year\u2019s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic citizen tour on Saturday. The couple fell in love with riding mountain bikes in the 1980s, and say e-bikes have allowed them to continue doing the big rides they have always enjoyed. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cBiking is what we do,\u201d Coash said. \u201cIt was on our wedding invitation, and our Christmas card every year is us with bikes.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

And for Cobb, biking\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Iron Horse is a group ride with several hundred of my closest friends \u2013 all just out for the ride,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Coash and Cobb\u2019s life spent outdoors has taken its toll, namely though knee injuries.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe e-bikes are great to extend the range of things, and it takes the edge off some of the climbs,\u201d Cobb said. \u201cIt just really can extend people\u2019s riding lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

sedmondosn@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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