Iron Riders: The Story of the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps

In 1897 the all-Black 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps embarked on an epic ride of more than 1900 miles from Fort Missoula Montana to St. Louis Missouri as part of a U.S. Army experiment to determine the effectiveness of moving troops by bicycle. Dubbed “The Great Experiment” by national newspapers the journey took 41 days to complete following a route that closely mirrored the Northern Pacific and Burlington railroads through Montana Wyoming South Dakota Nebraska and Missouri. Nicknamed the “Iron Riders” due to the heavy one-speed bicycles they pedaled the soldiers faced grueling conditions that would challenge even the most experienced cyclists today. Join us as Missouri State Parks historian Kevin Smith recounts these hardships and how the Iron Riders ultimately reached St. Louis.

Host or Publisher Missouri State Archives