Rider Back, Thin Crushed, Elite, and Gold Standard. Many versions of the iconic Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards are available. Differentiating between all the versions and finding the right deck can sometimes be challenging.
This guide describes them and explains their differences. We hope it will provide enough information to help you pick the perfect deck for your needs.
What's In The Box?
Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards
- Standard United States Playing Card Company black seal
- Two advertising cards
- Two Jokers - one colored and one black and white
- Retail stock with a modern cut
Bicycle Elite Edition Playing Cards
- No seal
- Two gaff cards - a double backer and a blank face card
- Two identical colored Jokers
- Thin Crushed Retail stock with a traditional cut
Thin Crushed Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards
- Blue tax stamp United States Playing Card Company seal
- Two Jokers - one colored and one black and white
- Thin Crushed Retail stock with a traditional cut
- Heat-cured to ensure all decks feel identical
Bicycle Gold Standard Playing Cards
- Gold United States Playing Card Company seal
- One Richard Turner advertising card with Dai Vernon’s quote
- One blank face card
- Two identical black and white Jokers
- Premium stock with a traditional cut
Stock Comparison
- From thinnest to thickest
- Bicycle Elite Edition → Thin Crushed Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards → Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards → Bicycle Gold Standard Playing Cards
- From softest to stiffest (out of the box)
- Bicycle Elite Edition → Thin Crushed Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards → Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards → Bicycle Gold Standard Playing Cards
Specifics of Each Edition and Notes
- Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards
- The most affordable, used by thousands of magicians all over the world. The quality can vary between decks. One can feel amazing, and one can be average, handling-wise. This comes from the sheer number of Bicycle Rider Backs printed every year.
- Bicycle Elite Edition Playing Cards
- These feel the softest straight out of the box. If you’re looking for the best broken-in feel, these are the Bicycles for you. With duplicate Jokers and two gaff cards, they are a fantastic choice for magicians.
- Thin Crushed Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards
- When you open a new deck, take some time to break it in. They get better with time - the more you use them, the better they spread, fan, and feel in your hands.
- Bicycle Gold Standard Playing Cards
- The thickest and stiffest of them all. Printed on Premium stock, formerly known as the Casino stock, these are the most durable. With standard use, they will last a very long time.
Visual Summary
The End
We hope this guide gave you a better idea and knowledge of the different editions of Bicycle Rider Backs. If you’re still not sure which to pick or if this post left some questions unanswered, send us an e-mail.
We’ll be happy to talk!