There is no such thing as a typical bicyclist, but there are certainly bicycle types.  You have your die-hard cyclists, who pour their sinewy bodies into neoprene suits, ride their bikes every day and regard automobiles with derision.  You also have your weekend riders, who aren't necessarily competitive like the die-hards, but might spend big bucks for a brightly colored off-road bike.  And then you have the newbies, the amateurs and the lazies - who may ride occasionally, rarely, or not al all since their parents sold their banana seat Huffys at neighborhood yard sales 20 years ago.  But if there' one issue that bicyclists around Pierce County can agree on, it's that the Tour de Pierce bike ride is flat out fun. And if flat is your speed, skip the 30- and 50-mile routes and enjoy the flat, easy 12-miler.  The ride begins at the Gold parking lot of the Washington State Fair in Puyallup and winds through Puyallup, Sumner and adjacent farmlands.

TOUR DE PIERCE, 7:30-11:30 a.m. start, staging area closes at 2:30 p.m., Washington state Fairgrounds, South Meridian and 10th Avenue, downtown Puyallup, $18, $54 family, $20 T-shirts, 253.841.8515