INSPIRATION FUELS THE IRON RIDERS

Contributed by
Mona Hoyle
Inspired by a ceremony given during a friend and fellow officer’s funeral, Lt. James Moss convinced the US Army to experiment replacing horses with bicycles in the winter of 1895 and 96.
Stationed with the 25th Infantry Buffalo Soldiers, Lt. Moss became intrigued with the idea of using this new form of transportation while on leave for his best friend and fellow officer’s funeral, where the Honor Guard rode bicycles.
Upon returning to duty at Ft. Missoula in Montana, Lt. Moss pitched the idea to his superior officers. The concept intrigued his command officer and all the way up to Washington where it eventually gained approval.

Lt. Moss then convinced the Spalding Bicycle Company to donate the bicycles to the military. The soldiers would spend the spring and early summer of 1896 learning to ride. The bicycles weighed an average of 75 pounds, once loaded with equipment. These single speed bikes had iron frames, wooden rims, and leather spring saddle seats.
Lt. Moss and his men had to figure out how to adopt equipment to fit the bikes. They built their endurance with short rides of 14 to 40 miles a day, doing 14 riding maneuvers and drilling in how to cross fences and ford streams.
In the summer of 1896 they would ride from Ft. Missoula to Yellowstone National Park, earning them the name Iron Riders and making them the first African American Mountain Riders.
The 26th annual Pioneer Day festival will host the Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers at its annual celebration on March 22 on the grounds of the Frio Pioneer Jail Museum. The annual event presents a slice of South Texas history and offers a celebration with music, food and crafts, games and fun.