Before sunrise on Saturday, riders unloaded bicycles, checked tire pressure and chatted with friends beneath the oak trees in Buffalo Gap.
Some were preparing for their first Tour de Gap, while others were returning for another year of one of the Big Country's longest-running cycling events.
This year's event featured routes ranging from eleven miles to 100 kilometers, with proceeds benefiting the Presbyterian Medical Care Mission.
First held in 1983, Tour de Gap is described as "the classic midsummer ride," and it attracts riders from across Texas.
BikeTown owner Jim MacDonald has volunteered with Tour de Gap for more than 20 years, helping organize everything from rider safety to course timing.
"This is a fun, enjoyable bike ride through a really pleasant area in South Taylor County," MacDonald said. "Lots of trees, a little bit of hills, a little bit of breeze."
MacDonald says the ride is designed for cyclists of every skill level, including families with children.
“You don't have to be a Tour de France level rider to do this event,” he said. “Most of the people are just normal people coming out to have a good time and have fun."
That welcoming atmosphere is part of what keeps families coming back year after year.
Eleven-year-old Kassadee Grimsley says biking with her dad has become part of the family's summer tradition that she looks forward to.
"You do get a little nervous, but once you start riding you just calm down and it's just fun to ride," Grimsley said.
The event also serves a larger purpose, raising money for a local nonprofit. This is the second year proceeds have benefited the Presbyterian Medical Care Mission, which provides healthcare for local uninsured patients.
Executive Director Brady Harwell says the clinic works to keep care affordable, even though the actual cost of providing that care is much higher. Patients typically pay about $15 for a doctor's visit, lab work and medications, even though delivering that care costs the clinic closer to $200 per patient.
Harwell says community support, including events like Tour de Gap, helps cover that difference, allowing the clinic to continue serving uninsured patients without passing the full cost onto them.
The ride's impact extends beyond the dollars it raises. Cyclists say the friendships and traditions built over four decades are what make Tour de Gap worth returning to.
Hardin-Simmons rider Aiden Seekins finished second overall in the 50-kilometer race after winning the event last year. But even for one of the day's fastest riders, competition isn't what defines Tour de Gap.
"The goal is to have fun, which Tour de Gap does an amazing job doing," Seekins said.
Seekins says riders leave with the same sense of accomplishment, regardless of how far they ride.
“You all finish together, and at the end of the day, you did 11 miles, 31 miles, or 62. And so for me, it's just people getting to move makes things better," Seekins said.
By late morning, almost 300 riders had crossed the finish line, collected medals and door prizes, and gathered beneath the trees to chat about the race before heading home. Organizers say they look forward to welcoming riders back to Buffalo Gap next summer for the event's 44th ride.