Celebrating one of the world's most popular sports, these two stamps were sold together in a souvenir sheet format. The stylized designs, which capture the speed and excitement of this high-performance sport, will be displayed on the jerseys of the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team when they compete in the 1997 races. Both stamps bear the 50¢ international postcard rate.
America’s First Bicycle Club
On February 11, 1878, the Boston Bicycle Club (BBiC) was founded. It was the first bicycle club in the US and it organized the first bicycle race in the country, among many other firsts.
Bicycling first became popular in Boston around 1876. That year Alfred Chandler attended the Philadelphia Exposition and saw one of the new high-wheel bicycles that were already popular in England. He ordered one for himself and rode it around the streets of Boston. Other local businessmen took notice and ordered bicycles for themselves. Among those who did was Frank Weston. Weston is considered the Father of American Bicycling – he would play a large role in importing bikes and organizing groups and races. He also created the first bicycling magazine in the country, the American Bicycling Journal, in December 1877.