Sponsored by Niner Bikes
Presented by Erick Cedeño aka Bicycle Nomad
Sunday Oct. 30th, 10:30 AM
Seminar Room 125 (Ground Level in hallway behind bike valet)
Riding the wave of popularity and utility sparked by the creation of the “safety bicycle,” The Bicycle Corps aka the Iron Riders were commissioned in 1892 by the U.S. Army with the purpose of traveling throughout the country, collecting geographic and topographic data, documenting road conditions, sources of supplies, and other information that could be useful to the military.
This summer Erick Cedeño, aka Bicycle Nomad , embarked on a journey to uplift the truth behind the monumental ride of the 25th Infantry Buffalo Soldier Bicycle Corps. On June 14th, 2022, Erick retraced the journey of the 20 Black soldiers that formed one of the four regiments known as Buffalo Soldiers in the U.S. Army. In 1897, the 25th Infantry was tasked with testing the feasibility of bicycles for military operations. 2022 marks the 125th anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers’ 41-day, 1,900-mile bicycle expedition from Missoula, Montana, to St. Louis, Missouri. Erick used his ride as an opportunity to acknowledge the role Black soldiers played in our nation’s history by retracing their journey. Erick again used his bicycle as a conduit to another era, drawing upon curiosity and a desire to surface stories that have yet to be told.
