news-record.com

GREENSBORO — The U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame decided to go west.

The hall and museum plans to move to Davis, Calif., a city with a rich cycling history.

“I think it speaks well of Greensboro that we made it to the final two,” said Neil Belenky, leader of a task force trying to lure the hall and museum to Greensboro.

“We beat out nine other cities and competed in the end against the No. 1 cycling community in the U.S.”

Efforts to reach Bill Brunner, who led the hall of fame search committee, were unsuccessful.

Belenky said he had been notified of the outcome Thursday morning, but could not say what issues had swung the decision Davis’ way.

Officials at the hall announced a year ago that they wanted to leave their longtime home in Somerville, N.J., after the location was sold for redevelopment.

Davis, which bills itself as “the bicycle capital of the United States,” provided stiff competition.

According to city news releases, there are more bicycles than people in Davis. The city pioneered the creation of bicycle lanes in California more than 40 years ago. Its logo features a high-wheeled bike.

The city is also the home of the California Bicycle Museum, a nonprofit that is working to establish a bicycling history and education center in Davis, a city of 64,000 near Sacramento.

In addition, the hall of fame has a history with the city, holding its most recent induction ceremony there in November.

Contact Don Patterson at 373-7027 or don.patterson@news-record.com