Marked Bicycle Playing Cards
Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards are one of the most used decks in the entire world, and they are the weapon of choice for many magicians. We created a more powerful version fitted with an easy-to-read marking system. Continue reading and learn about their features.
The Background
Our founder, Ondrej, had the idea of marking the iconic Bicycle Rider Backs for quite some time. The right opportunity appeared when United States Playing Card Company and its Bicycle brand organized the playing card convention, Cardtopia, in November 2023.
After several discussions with USPC, Ondrej found a way of marking the Rider Backs without infringing their trademark. USPC takes its trademark protection seriously, as it should. This is the main reason why so very few gaff decks have come out in recent years.
Ondrej took the marking system he created for Piña Playing Cards, adjusted it slightly for better visibility, and put it in the Rider Back design.
The first edition was produced as an official collaboration with Bicycle Cards, and 1.000 red decks were printed, split equally between us and Bicycle. It sold out quickly, and we knew we wanted to make these a true worker deck for magicians.
That's when the second edition comes in. We printed 2.500 of both red and blue decks. The blue edition is sold out, but the red decks are still available.
The Features
As the deck's name suggests, its main feature is the marking system. A quick glance at any card's back will tell you its suit and value.
It is a coded marking system derived from Butterfly Playing Cards. It is placed in all four corners of the back design for the most versatility.
The back also features a subtle one-way design, a useful feature for countless effects. The one-way mark is subtle, but once you know where to look, you will always see it.
The second edition Marked Bicycle Rider Backs come with two extra cards - a double backer and a Queen of Hearts with a Five of Spades reveal. The latter was the winner of the voting during our Kickstarter campaign for these.
The deck comes with an explanation of the marking system and a tutorial for a magic trick using the "reveal Queen."
If you've managed to get here, we've got a little reward for you! We've published a tutorial for a basic version of the effect on our YouTube channel, and here it is. Enjoy!
Feedback
You may think that's just us talking about the deck. Recently, we received thorough feedback from our customer, Steven. He compared the Marked Rider Backs to a few popular reader-style decks. We're sharing it here:
"These cards handle very well, the markings are well hidden, and the price is reasonable. ...
Of all the decks I purchased, I believe this is the only one that uses a code system rather than a straight reader system. ... In any event, and this surprised me, I find that the Marked Bicycle Rider Back Deck can be read as fast as any other deck I have. That includes GT Speedreader, the Penguin Maiden Back deck, and DMC Elites V4.
After working with your deck for a few hours, the reading just becomes automatic. I don’t really have to do any math in my head. ... And the suits are a piece of cake."
(Some parts were taken out as they revealed the marking system.)
The Conclusion
This deck represents a huge milestone and achievement for us. Bringing to existence a marked version of a deck that almost everybody knows was almost a dream come true.
If you decide to get them or already have them, please let us know your thoughts.
We hope you enjoyed this article! 🦋