WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC-Cover Story: Putting Cycling on the Map

Cover Story: Putting Cycling on the Map

In our Cover Story we're looking at cycling in the Carolinas.. and plan to put the area on the map.

Cycling believe it or not has a long and rich history in the Carolinas.

In Rock Hill in the early 1900s historians say the entire town would shut down on a race day.

Crowds would gather to watch track cycling, biking around an oval track sometimes made of up wooden boards and they would draw bigger crowds than baseball.

Fast forward 100 years.  Rock Hill could be bringing back the boards.

Robert Baker, whose family owns College Cycles Bike Shop in Rock Hill says, "Velodrome or track racing. It's NASCAR with bicycles."

At the College Cycles Bike Shop in Rock Hill, what's going around is talk of the city landing a velodrome.. a banked oval track for bicycle racing.

There are only about 20 in the U.S.

Baker says, "It's fast. It's pretty quick and there's always going to be a few crashes."

Here on the site of the old abandoned Celanese plant in Rock Hill cycling enthuasists hope to build a $4 million dollar cycling center that would attract bicyclists from across the country and be a place to play for locals.

Organizers have lined up a half a million dollars from an anonymous donor..

And developers of "Riverwalk" a mixed-use project along the Catawba River are pledging to donate land for the velodrome..

According to Carey Smith, Rock Hill City Manager,"Based on the value of the land, you're looking at probably $600,000 in land value that could go towards this project."

Officials say the cycling center could have a $4 million dollar economic impact on the area and could compliment the sports tourism Rock Hill already has on the ground.

Organizers point to the US National Whitewater Center in west Mecklenburg county as a model. Build on county land by a non-profit group, the Whitewater Center became an official Olympic training site.

Cyclists hope the Rock Hill Velodrome could host events like the Pan American Games and Olympic trials.

But already it's been five years in the works and even diehard fans have their doubts it'll get off the ground.

Says Robert Baker, "I'd love to see it.. and the moment they start moving dirt or pouring concrete 25 track bikes will be in this store. Love to see it though. But I can't jump up and down and say whether or not it'll happen."

On August 25, the Rock Hill City Council is expected to decide whether to enter into a preliminary agreement with the Carolina Velodrome Association, the non-profit group heading it up.

If council says yes-- organizers would likely have until next spring to line up financing and see if they can get commitments to host major racing events at the cycling center.

It is not a done deal.  Rock Hill is looking at using revenue from the city's hospitality tax to help fund the project.