If there's one name synonymous with playing cards worldwide, it's Bicycle. The brand has been a fixture in homes, casinos, magic acts, and card games for nearly 140 years. But how did a playing card brand become this iconic, and what makes Bicycle cards the global standard?
Here's the complete history of Bicycle playing cards.
The Beginning: 1885
Bicycle playing cards were first produced in 1885 by the United States Playing Card Company (USPCC), founded in Cincinnati, Ohio. The USPCC had been established in 1867, but the Bicycle brand became their flagship product and remains so to this day.
The name 'Bicycle' referred to the bicycle craze sweeping America in the 1880s. The bicycle was a symbol of freedom, modernity, and progress — naming a card brand after it was a marketing masterstroke that captured the spirit of the era.
The Rider Back Design
The iconic Rider Back design — featuring a Victorian-era cyclist surrounded by an intricate border — has remained essentially unchanged for over a century. This consistency is part of what makes Bicycle cards so trusted: players worldwide instantly recognise the back design.
For magicians, the familiarity of the Rider Back is a genuine advantage. Audiences don't fixate on a deck they recognise. It's unremarkable in the best possible way — and that invisibility is exactly what card magic requires.
World War II: The Secret Escape Map Deck
During World War II, USPCC partnered with the US government to produce a remarkable secret deck: when the cards were soaked in water, they revealed parts of a map designed to help Allied prisoners of war escape. The full story remained classified for decades — a remarkable chapter in the brand's history.
The Air-Cushion Finish
One of USPCC's most significant innovations was the Air-Cushion Finish — a system of microscopic embossed dots that create tiny air pockets between cards, allowing them to fan, spread, and handle with exceptional smoothness. This finish transformed card handling and became the standard against which all other playing cards are measured.
Special Edition Decks
Over the decades, Bicycle has released numerous special edition decks that have become collector favourites:
- Ghost Deck — iconic in the magic community
- Guardians — dark, detailed design beloved by collectors
- Dragon Back — an Eastern-inspired classic
- Metalluxe — metallic finish for a premium look
- Stargazer — celestial design with stunning artwork
The Cartamundi Acquisition (2019)
In 2019, USPCC and the Bicycle brand were acquired by Cartamundi, the Belgian playing card giant and the world's largest card manufacturer. Quality has remained consistent, and the Bicycle brand continues to be produced to the same exacting standards that made it famous.
For anyone beginning their journey with quality playing cards in India, Bicycle Rider Back remains the essential starting point — the deck that every magician, cardist, and collector owns first.
Shop Bicycle playing cards at Magic Encarta — India's home for premium card decks.