(corrections and additions listed here)

Cycling Inside the Loop is a book about what to see on a bicycle (or in a car or on foot) more or less inside the 610 loop in Houston, Texas, with particular emphasis on Houston history. This book will be of interest to anyone, cyclist or otherwise, who wants to know more, and see more, about how Houston came to be. Literally every aspect of Houston’s history, its major industries, and the men and women that made it all happen, can be visited at designated historic sites, cemeteries, ethnic communities, parks, art works, universities, street names, buildings and neighborhoods. Other sights in the book include scenic, artistic, architectural, and humorous sights; unique religious institutions, sites of notorious crimes, and many more points of interest. To put some structure on this rich legacy, the sights are presented within a historical narrative. For a more complete look, see the Table of Contents and read book excerpts about The Texas Revolution in Houston and The Civil War and Its Aftermath in Houston. 

This book is published electronically in Kindle format here on Amazon.com. Of course you can read it on a Kindle or other E-book reader but you don't need one. You can download a free E-book reader here for your computer, tablet or smart phone. 

Amazon lists the page count as 815; about 521 is actual text and photos, and the rest is references. There is almost one picture per text page, and most are in color. You can read the book on a black and white Kindle, but will enjoy it more on a color EBook reader, or on your computer  or tablet using the free Amazon Kindle reader download. 

The book includes extensive links to background information and to nearly 150 compelling vintage photos. Many of the links to vintage photos are broken but correct links are listed here in (corrections and additions listed here).

Permanent photography made its appearance in 1839, three years after Houston was founded, so almost all of Houston’s history is captured on film. A few examples of linked vintage photos:

• Sam Houston's "executive mansion" as President of the Republic of Texas in 1837

• One of Houston's earliest cycling clubs, the Lords, shown in 1897 at 109 Chenevert, now a parking lot

• Drilling crew at Pierce Junction (at Holmes Road and Almeda),1928

• Black Panthers, just moments before the shootout with police at their headquarters at Emancipation Avenue (formerly Dowling street) and Dennis (southwest corner) in 1970, in which their leader Carl Hampton was killed

As a complement to the book, this web site includes suggested route maps, photos of sights and a few additional historic write-ups including excerpts from the book. Route maps cover most sights in the book; all sights are marked and annotated on the maps. To read the sight notes on the maps, click on the sights listed on the left margin of the maps, or click on the map pips.