Cycling Facts: Did You Know?

Fair Haven Mayor Ben Lucarelli is an avid cyclist. He has said it many times. Everyone who knows the mayor knows that.

What they may not know are some interesting facts that about cycling and that the mayor shed light on for last year's Tour de Fair Haven.

"If you don't think cycling is dangerous, put on your pajamas and jump out of the car," Lucarelli said, reminding people of these tidbits:

• If you're not an experienced cyclist, you may not have realized that the "zzZZIIiipp" and "whiiiizzZZ" sounds you hear as each group of cyclists speed by the start/finish line probably during the Tour de Fair Haven emanate from the 40-mile-per-hour speed at which they were traveling. Yes, 40 miles per hour. Wait, isn't that above the speed limit on River Road?

• The cyclists in the Tour average 30-mile-per-hour speeds while rounding corners. In a car, the mayor said, if you rounded a corner at 30, you'd probably be doing so on two wheels, like, yes, the cyclists.

• There were 290 cyclists competing in the Tour de Fair Haven 2012, some hailing from as far away as Colorado and Virginia.

• The woman who won the race last year was 57 years old and an 11-time national champion who said the Fair Haven course was a favorite of hers.