• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Janesville man pedals his way into new hobby

Photo Gallery

Classic Two-Wheel Collection

View Gallery

JANESVILLE — Tom Skinner’s affinity for old things has spun into a new favorite pastime—collecting vintage bicycles.

Over the past two years, the 62-year-old retired high school guidance counselor has acquired nearly two-dozen bicycles from the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s.

“I love their art deco style,” Skinner said.

His fondness for the heavy—around 70 pounds—bicycles is this: “I think they look really nice and bring back memories of childhood.”

The bicycles represent a time when things were high quality and American made, Skinner said.

Skinner refers to himself as a preservationist and collects only bicycles he and his wife, Susan, can ride.

“It’s a fun hobby, and you can get exercise, too. It’s easy to make them work if they need to be fixed. I can redo a bike in a day. It’s a great hobby to keep me busy in the winter, and we ride them in the spring, summer and fall,’’ he said.

Skinner is a member of the Rock County Historical Society and its offshoot Citizen Advocates for Preservation.

Among bicycles in Skinner’s collection are a:

-- 1951 Monark Super Deluxe red and burgundy bicycle. It has crash bars to protect its seat and tank plus a silver push button to sound a battery-powered horn. Everything on the bike is original except its tires and license plate.

“It’s completely untouched/unaltered,” said Skinner, who also own the bike’s matching blue girl’s bicycle.

-- 1956 J.C. Higgins girls bike, named after Sears’ head accountant at the time. It has a skirt guard and original tires. The navy blue and tan bike features a beehive-shaped shock absorber with a rear reflector fashioned after the automobile industry.

-- 1938 Elgin with a Milwaukee license plate. This was the first year Milwaukee issued bike license plates, Skinner said.

-- 1953 Western Flier with its original paint and luggage rack.

-- Two 1936 Monark Silver Kings—one made for a boy and the other for a girl. They are the rarest and oldest in Skinner’s collection. They have aluminum frames, stainless steel fenders and blue Bohemian cut glass fender lights.

Skinner acquired the Silver Kings from a local man, who with his sister received them as gifts when he was 8 and she was 13. He gave Skinner all the original documentation for the boy’s bike, including operating instructions, a certificate of guarantee, a brochure, forms to order accessories and two letters from the Mead Cycle Co. of Chicago on how to care for it.

“It just makes the bike more special. Most people throw this stuff out,’’ Skinner said as he carefully replaced the paperwork in its original, yellowed envelope.

Skinner has found bicycles from as far away as Ann Arbor, Mich.—a more than 700-mile round trip—to as close by as garage sales, flea markets, the dump and people aware of his fondness for vintage bicycles.

His favorite is the 1938 Black Elgin with a chrome hood ornament.

“It’s not been repainted or changed. I want bikes that look old and like bikes that are not perfect and show their wear and tear,’’ Skinner said.

Skinner has presented programs about his bicycle collection to historical societies and local service clubs and will display as many as five of his 1930s bikes during the historic gas station open house at 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at 101 N. Franklin St.

Selling the bikes he collects isn’t something Skinner even considers.

“I just enjoy working on them,” he said. “And when I’m done, ride them in nice weather.’’

IF YOU GO

What: Historic gas station open house.

Tom Skinner and some of his bicycles will be among the attractions.

Jim Draeger, author of “Fill’erUp: The Glory Days of Wisconsin Gas Stations,’’ will speak at 10:30 a.m.

A display will showcase period cars featured in the soon-to-be-released “Public Enemies” film starring Hollywood movie star Johnny Depp, vintage motorcycles, Skinner’s vintage bicycles and filling station memorabilia.

Free popcorn and cookies will be served.

When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 16.

Where: 101 N. Franklin St., downtown Janesville, next to the Janesville Police Department.

History: The gas station opened for business in October of 1930. City staff had recommended the building, which the city owns and is eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, be torn down, but officials decided against that in November.

Community members, including members of Citizen Advocates for Preservation, are working to find a new use for the historic gas station.

To learn more: Contact Shannon Ahrens, chairwoman of Citizen Advocates for Preservation, (608) 362-8818.