Davis, Calif. wins bicycling hall sought by Madison

Sun April 19 2009
Posted Apr 19, 2009
13,857

Davis, Calif., has been named the new home of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame that was sought by Wisconsin's state capital. The hall of fame is currently in Somerville, N.J., and had to move because its building was being sold. Madison was one of 11 finalists on a list that was pared down to two finalists -- Davis and Greensboro, N.C. -- in late March. The state capital area is home to several significant bicycle or bike product manufacturers -- Trek, Pacific Cycle, Saris and Planet Bike -- and is the planned hub city for Olympic bicycle competition under Chicago's bid to win the 2016 Olympic games. The University of California Davis has a collection of antique bicycles dating to the turn of the last century, but that collection is housed in a storage closet with limited public access. The city had been considering opening its own bicycle museum even if the Hall of Fame had chosen a different city. Davis's victory for the Bicycling Hall of Fame was a fitting match with the city that bills itself as the most bike-friendly in the country The Hall of Fame could open by the end of the year in a city-owned building. The hall has various jerseys of winners in its collection, and it names a new cyclist to its hall annually. Davis this year was the starting point for the first stage of the the Amgen Tour of California, the statewide cycling race.