The city of Davis broke away from a pack of cities Friday to be named the new home of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame.

"I'm ecstatic," said City Councilman Stephen Souza, echoing comments from others in the bike-crazy city of 64,000 residents.

The joy wasn't limited to Davis, however.

"I'm so excited I can hardly stand it," said Cheri Elliott of El Dorado Hills, a BMX biking Hall of Famer. "It's huge."

Canton, Ohio, has the Pro Football Hall of Fame; Cooperstown, N.Y., hosts baseball's immortals. And now, Davis, often called the "bicycle capital of the United States," will have its own artifact-filled museum where star athletes will be inducted each year.

Those who lobbied to bring the Hall here dream of incorporating it into a facility that would also include the California Bicycle Museum and a San Francisco Exploratoriumlike attraction combining cycling and hands-on exhibits.

"This is the linchpin of those grand plans," said Dan Kehew, president of the California Bicycle Museum, which spearheaded the campaign to bring the Hall of Fame to Davis.

Davis beat out Greensboro, N.C., to capture the Hall, which for the past two decades has been in Somerville, N.J., a town with a population under 13,000.

Bill Brunner, who chaired the Hall of Fame search committee, said that Davis was chosen because it embraces the bicycle like no other U.S. city.

Davis has more than 100 miles of bike paths and lanes. Davis Mayor Ruth Asmundson noted that the Hall's relocation is logical given that the town was recognized as the first "platinum level" bicycle-friendly city by the League of American Bicyclists.

The Hall asked communities to submit proposals in light of redevelopment planned for the current location in Somerville. About 50 communities were interested and 11 submitted proposals.

Greensboro and Davis were visited by selection team members.

"The distinguishing difference between Greensboro and Davis was that Davis was so bicycling friendly," said Brunner. "All those bike lanes and the sheer number of people who use the bicycle as a method of transportation or recreation or sport."

The Hall inducts bicycling stars every year and has filled its museum with artifacts like trophies, jerseys and bicycles from greats such as Major Taylor and Greg LeMond.

"When we started this home search process, our intent was to be the Cooperstown of cycling," said Brunner.

Councilman Souza said that there are several possible temporary locations being discussed, including one city-owned site at Third and B streets downtown that houses a teen center.

A permanent site could be on the block contained by Third, Fourth, E and F streets, said Souza. The Hall could be in temporary digs by the end of the year, he said.

Kehew thinks it can be open by October – "by the time this year's Hall of Fame induction takes place," he said.

The California Bicycle Museum had temporarily occupied the basement of the teen center building, where it was visited by crowds during the the Amgen Tour of California stop in February.

The news of the move to Davis was also noted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said in a press release:

"No other state embraces the fitness and environmentally responsible lifestyle of cycling more than the Golden State."

Supporters hope the decision to move the Hall will accelerate plans and funding for the bigger facility, but the benefit should be reciprocal.

The Davis cycling environment and proximity to the highways linking San Francisco, Sacramento and Lake Tahoe should help the Hall gain visitors, said David Takemoto-Weerts, bicycle coordinator for UC Davis.

Elliott, who had never visited the New Jersey location, agreed.

"That's why they're moving it to the West Coast," she said.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.