DURANGO – After finishing her first bike race during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic over the weekend, 4-year-old Lexi Cowan was grinning ear to ear. When asked how long she’s been riding bikes, she said, “10 years, I think.” In a town that boasts one of the oldest bicycle races in America, Durango’s next generation is born ready to ride.  

The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic celebrated its 50th anniversary with record attendance. The main event is an old-school contest, pitting human power against steam power, with cyclists racing the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad 47 miles up to Silverton.

The cyclists have the greater challenge, climbing 5,700 feet over two 10,000-foot passes on U.S. 550, while the train chugs through the valleys. Nevertheless, pro riders and many others beat the train every year. 

For five decades both local and international riders alike have enjoyed the challenges, the scenery, and the camaraderie of the weekend races. What started as a bet against two brothers in 1971, one the brakeman for the train and the other an avid cyclist, has now evolved into a three-day bike fest with events for every discipline of cycling. After Tom Mayer beat his older brother, Jim, to Silverton on his 1968 Schwinn for the sweet prize of a Baby Ruth candy bar, they discussed making an annual race out of it in order to bring people to town during the slow shoulder season in Durango. One year later in 1972, the first official race took place with 36 riders who paid an entry fee of $1.25. 

The race, since its…