The US Bicycling Hall of Fame will relocate from its current home in New Jersey to either Davis, California, or Greensboro, North Carolina.
The towns are the finalists from among 11 that sought to house the bicycling foundation's headquarters after more than 20 years in Somerset, New Jersey.
The Hall displays bicycles, jerseys, photos, trophies and other memorabilia of more than 100 years of US cycling history. It also celebrates the sport of cycling by inducting Hall of Famers every year and coordinating annual bike races.
Demolition
Its home in Somerset is to be demolished to make way for a redevelopment project. The group has been looking for more than a year to find a new home.
Bicycling Hall of Fame officials already have visited Davis, which has a long list of advantages on its resume.
Tale of two cities
The home of UC Davis was the first platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community named by the League of American Bicyclists. It also houses the California Bicycle Museum.
In addition, the group held its last round of Hall of Fame inductions at a dinner in Davis attended by Astana's Levi Leipheimer.
When Hall of Fame officials visit Greensboro next week, they'll tour possible sites around the proposed Downtown Greenway, a $26 million recreational loop for walking, running and bicycling.
Search committee chairman Bill Brunner told the Greensboro News & Record that boosters in both cities are offering financial support to move and outfit the new headquarters.
Taylor to Twigg
Former Hall of Fame inductees include such historical figures as multiple world sprint champion Frank Kramer, who raced at the Newark Velodrome, and Marshall “Major” Taylor, the first African-American to win world pro championships in any sport. Modern inductees include the likes of Greg LeMond, Alexi Grewal and Rebecca Twigg.
The Hall requires about 15,000 square feet of usable space to display cycling memorabilia and inductee information, a conference room, work space to set up displays and restore the cycling artifacts, as well as space for a library and retail sales.
It's expected to be a magnet for pro cyclists and fans, in addition to scholars researching cycling history and sports history in general.
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