The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic was the creation of Tom and Jim Mayer. Jim worked as a brakeman on the D & R G W railroad which had run the steam powered locomotive between Durango and Silverton for quite some time. Tom was a young cyclist who grew up near the tracks. Tom challenged Jim to a race to Silverton. As the train came by the house, the steam whistle screamed and Tom climbed on his trusty steel framed 10 speed and pedaled up over the rim of the old volcano and descended into the caldera to the mining town of Silverton. The train takes a shorter and easier route, but with limited speed, so it is truly a race between man and machine. When Tom became strong enough to win, the bragging rights were his, and the whole town knew it. After this, in 1972, 32 riders celebrated the first run of the train in the spring. Over the years several events have been added to the classic train race. There have been criteriums, circuit races, road races, tours, BMX races, Trials, dual slaloms, team trail rides, and mountain bike races. There has been a full weekend of events every Memorial Day for the past 39 years. Over the years several events have been added to the classic train race. There have been criteriums, circuit races, road races, tours, BMX races, Trials, dual slaloms, team trail rides, and mountain bike races. There has been a full weekend of events every Memorial Day for the past 39 years. Over the past 39 years, the Iron Horse has become an iconic race in the West