I rode out of Houston two years ago and wasn't all that impressed. Though traffic wasn't bad, the small towns we rode through weren't prepared for an onslaught of riders, the police support was minimal, there was a long-ish section of unpaved road (apparently under construction), and aid stands ran out of almost everything. Thank goodness one of the last aid stands had Gatorade and PowerGel!

With the heat that day, I was in pretty rough shape when I rolled into Shiner. But, the after party was good, showers great, and the bus ride back to Houston wonderful. I didn't do it last year, but I would consider doing it again in the future.