This year marks the 25th anniversary for the king of Texas bike tours. I have ridden many of them starting back when the ride started and finished at the stadium on the southwest side of town. Often I rode when the temperature was so hot you could hear the asphalt sticking to your tires. I also remember one year when I thought I was going to freeze when the temperature at the start was about 50 degrees and only reached the upper 80’s by the end of the ride.

The first year I rode was amazing with about 13,000 riders it took 25 minutes when my position finally started to move after the starting cannon shot.

One year I rode a white Cannondale R600 with a Skil jersey. My mother still has a picture from that era on the side of her refrigerator.

Now that the ride starts at downtown and goes clockwise around the course there is a different look from the earlier years.
The Houston Chronicle Cycling Notebook by Steve Sievert recaps the ride’s history in today’s issue.