Bicycles on stamps

File:Stamp of India - 2017 - Colnect 753898 - Cycle Rickshaw.jpeg

File:Stamp of Albania - 2016 - Colnect 628736 - Europa - Think green.jpeg

File:Stamps of Germany (BRD), Olympiade 1972, Ausgabe 1972, Block 1, 25 Pf.jpg

The definition of what constitutes a bicycle stamp is open to interpretation.{{cite book

| last1 = Malone

| first1 = Steve

| last2 =

| first2 =

| title = Illustrated bikes on stamps

| publisher = Reprinted from Bicycling Magazine, April, 1995

| date = 1996

| location =

| pages = 148

| language =

| oclc =

| url = https://archive.org/details/IllustratedBikesOnStamps1996Edition/mode/2up?view=theater

| isbn =

}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.bicyclestamps.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1313:what-is-a-bicycle-stamp&catid=42&Itemid=130

| title = What is a "bicycle stamp"?

| last = Rehm

| first = Arnoldt

| date =

| website = Bicycle Philately

| publisher =

| access-date = 30 April 2024

}}{{cite journal

| url = https://rpsc.org/tcp/cpresults.php?file=236&vloc=Search

| title = Bicycles on postage stamps

| last = Wiedman

| first = Carl S.

| year = 1990

| journal = The Canadian Philatelist

| volume = 41

| issue = 1

| pages = 30-36

| access-date = 15 August 2024

}} A bicycle stamp has one or more of the following characteristics:

• It depicts a human-powered cycling machine. This includes a whole (or part of) bicycles, tricycles, unicycles, toy cycles, tandems, rickshaws, exercise/standing bicycles, etc. It excludes powered or unpowered wheelchairs and motor-driven or motor-assisted cycling machines, e.g. motorcycles, mopeds.
• It depicts a bicycle or cyclist in a social context. For example, a cyclist in a street scene, cycling as an energy-efficient, green, mode of transport, or cycling promoting road safety.
• It depicts a building used specifically for cycling sport, i.e. a velodrome.
• It depicts a person notable for being a cyclist, e.g. a winner of the Tour de France, or cycling events at the Olympic Games.
• It depicts the process of manufacturing a bicycle, or a notable bicycle manufacturer (individual or firm).
• It depicts the word "bicycle" in the local language, even if the image of a bicycle is not included. The word triathlon without an image of a bicycle is excluded.

The following types of material are excluded (although they may also be collected by bicycle stamp enthusiasts):

• Postal stationery, e.g. a postcard depicting a bicycle with a non-bicycle stamp affixed.
• Cinderella, local, private or personal issues, i.e. unofficial stamps.
• Non-postal stamps, e.g. revenue stamps such as the French 1940s "Impôt sur les vélocipèdes".{{cite journal

| url = https://www.bicyclestamps.de/BSClubMagazine/BS_008_1990.pdf

| title = An update on some French timbres fiscaux

| last = Salmon

| first = Guy

| date = 1990

| journal = Bicycle Stamps Club Magazine

| volume =

| issue = BS 8

| pages = 18

| access-date = 30 April 2024

}}

• Stamps issued by non-existing/unrecognized countries and/or in excess of actual postal requirements.

The first bicycle stamp of the 20th century was a 1900 stamp issued for local postal delivery during the siege of Mafeking, depicting Cadet Sgt. Major Goodyear on a bicycle.{{cite journal

| url = https://www.bicyclestamps.de/BSClubMagazine/BS_011A_1991_9433843880B_1894019804Y.pdf

| title = Mafeking: The Mafeking Blues

| last = Schapefhouman

| first = Bert

| date = 1991

| journal = Bicycle Stamps Club Magazine

| volume =

| issue = BS 11A

| pages = 11-15

| access-date = 28 April 2024

}} The United States issued a special delivery bicycle messenger stamp in 1902. Bulgaria issued a cycling stamp as part of a set commemorating the Balkan games of 1931. In 1935 the USSR issued a bicycle stamp to commemorate the World Spartacist Games. Denmark issued a stamp showing King Christian X on horseback as part of his silver jubilee celebrations in 1937; in the background of the street scene are three cyclists.

These early issues illustrate the wide variety of subjects depicted on bicycle stamps.

Mafeking Cape of Good Hope 1d used 09.04.1900 RE14516.jpg|Siege of Mafeking local stamp 1900

US bike messenger stamp 1902.jpg|United States special delivery bicycle messenger stamp 1902

Bulgaria 1931 SG 313.jpg|Bulgaria Balkan games racing cyclists stamp 1931

USSR 1935 SG 697.png|USSR World Spartacist Games 1935

Denmark 1937 SG 309.jpg|Denmark street scene 1937

File:Bulgaria 1947 SG 672.jpg

Cycle sports include:

• Indoor
• Cycle racing
• Velodromes
• Outdoor
• Event racing, e.g. cycling to raise money for charities
• Tour racing, e.g. the Giro d'Italia

File:Stamp of India - 1991 - Colnect 164168 - Road Safety.jpeg

File:Stamp of Finland - 1979 - Colnect 46886 - Shopping Street.jpeg

Subjects depicted on non-sport bicycle stamps include:

• The history of the bicycle
• Bicycle industrial manufacturing
• Bicycle mail transportation and postal delivery
• Bicycles for commercial delivery
• People transportation e.g. by rickshaw
• Bicycle military use
• Bicycles as toys
• Bicycle tourism
• Bicycles in street scenes
• Bicycles to symbolize alternative, energy-efficient transport
• Bicycles depicting or encouraging road traffic safety

{{reflist|group=Note|refs=

A perfin meeting one or more of the characteristics is a valid bicycle stamp.

Some collectors believe that the existence of human-powered parts, such as pedals and a bicycle chain, in the pictured bicycle should make the image acceptable as a bicycle stamp, even if the machine is power-assisted.

}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Sudbury

| first1 = Ronald F.

| last2 =

| first2 =

| title = The bicycle and the postage stamp

| publisher = Harry Hayes

| date = 1976

| location = Batley

| pages = 62

| language =

| oclc =

| url =

| isbn = 9780905222141

}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Sudbury

| first1 = Ronald F.

| last2 =

| first2 =

| title = Stamp collecting for the cyclist

| publisher = Harry Hayes

| date = 1981

| location = Batley

| pages = 60

| language =

| oclc =

| url =

| isbn = 9780905222424

}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Mangin

| first1 = Jean-Pierre

| last2 = Geslin

| first2 = René

| title = Le cycle et la poste

| publisher = J.-P. Mangin

| date = 1988

| location = Bar le Duc

| pages = 319

| language = French

| oclc = 465817564

| url =

| isbn =

}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Gindling

| first1 = Dan

| last2 =

| first2 =

| title = Bicycle stamps: bikes and cycling on the world's postage stamps

| publisher = Motorbooks International

| date = 1997

| location = Osceola, WI

| pages = 144

| language =

| oclc =

| url =

| isbn = 9780933201781

}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://www.bicyclestamps.de/ Bicycle Philately: The home of bicycle stamps collectors]
• [http://www.bicyclestampsclub.org/ Bicycle Stamps Club]
• American Topical Association [https://americantopical.org/ ATA]
• [https://www.britishthematic.org.uk/ British Thematic Association]

{{Topical stamps}}

Category:Stamp collecting

Category:Topical postage stamps

Category:Philately

Category:Bicycles