The Ride Continues – The History of the Buffalo Soldiers film screening at The Roxy

The Ride Continues…2024
Preserving, Promoting and Perpetuating the History of the Buffalo Soldiers

By Bobby McDonald

On June 14th, 1897, Lt. James Moss and 20 members of the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps undertook an experimental endeavor to test the feasibility of using bicycles versus horses as a mode of military transportation. The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, also known as the Iron Riders, was part of the segregated U.S. Army units that came to be known as the Buffalo Soldiers.

This undertaking involved a challenging 41-day, 1,900-mile bicycle ride from Fort Missoula, Montana, to Saint Louis, Missouri.

This little-known story and adventure would later be considered the United States Army’s greatest cycling experiment ever undertaken by men in the military—and the Buffalo Soldiers performed that experiment.

Then and Now

Creating and preparing for the 125th Anniversary of the ride, a documentary in 2024, was always part of the plan.

The new documentary, Iron Riders: The Ride Continues, highlights the 125th anniversary of the ride and captures the impact the recent Iron Riders Celebration had on the local communities they encountered in the five states (Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska and Missouri) they passed through on their epic journey.

With the precision of a military operation, the Iron Riders Celebration went off without a glitch. The planning committee, reenactors, supporters and the local communities, accomplished their mission of celebrating the magnificent historic ride.

Testimonials, verbal and written, along with videos and social media, reflected the vibrant expressions of gratitude, inspiration, awareness and community bonding through state parks, libraries and community engagements across the country.

 While the celebration was geared to share historical elements, additional historic opportunities arose, including participating in the inaugural National Holiday Juneteenth observance in Missoula, Montana.

The Montana Black Collective-Missoula and local, state and national officials thanked the Quasquicentennial Committee for their support in initiating, designing and bringing to fruition the first citywide Juneteenth Celebration in Missoula, Montana.

When the Smithsonian Magazine and Apple One ran the Iron Rider story, both reported it as one of their top five stories for several days. The American Legion ran feature stories and sent a film crew to cover the events. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) sponsored several events along the route.

The 25th Infantry Tribute Band, which mimicked the size and instrumentation of the original band, played identical arrangements at the opening ceremonies and on Juneteenth. With detailed research and historical adherence, the events were successful beyond expectation.

The Iron Riders re-enactors made history as the first bicycle group ever to participate in the Rose Parade, beginning with the 2023 New Year’s Pasadena Rose Parade and 2024 Rose Parade.

The reenactors were part of the famous Flag Lowering Ceremony at Disneyland.

A permanent Iron Rider Exhibit was established at the Buffalo Soldier National Museum, in Houston, Texas.

Because of the tremendous outreach and awareness of the ride, wide-ranging groups, dedicated volunteers and associations across the nation are developing events, programs and recognitions highlighting the Buffalo Soldiers 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps Iron Riders.

Director: Bobby McDonald

Duration: 30 min