Bicycle Rider Backs - Keeping them clean

[ArcticChibi]

Is it possible for me to keep my bikes nice, clean, and crisp? Most of the time, my decks get very flimsy and dirty on the sides. For new packs I open, they are very bright and the cards still make a "clack" sound when I put them back in the box.

Will hand sanitizer work as long as I have clean hands and a clean surface to put my cards on?

 

[canadamagic]

Is it possible for me to keep my bikes nice, clean, and crisp? Most of the time, my decks get very flimsy and dirty on the sides. For new packs I open, they are very bright and the cards still make a "clack" sound when I put them back in the box.

Will hand sanitizer work as long as I have clean hands and a clean surface to put my cards on?

You should wash your hands before using cards that you care about, the reason that most cards get dirty and lose their smoothness is because of the grease and oils that are naturally there. Wash your hands and they should last at least double.

 

[joshrobarts]

wash your hands like he said

and BUY A PORPER!. end all be all, if your serious about cards buy a porper. will protect your cards and help fix minor defects. Also use multiple decks and rotate them while practicing. when one starts feeling a little used, rotate it out and use another and give it time to recuperate.

 

[RikAllen]

When rotating decks I usually practice with a deck until it's 'broken in', if I practice certain things it could take an hour or it could take a few days. I then use those decks for performing until they start to get dirty and 'soft'. I always keep those decks to practice with as well until they're sticking completely together and doing bad things. After a while I'll either donate them to a party (if it's a full deck) post-magic tricks and just say 'you guys can keep these' or toss'em.

The price of bikes is so low that I never really worry about it. Card clips can help, but I do fine without, my hands are naturally moist so they wear out faster than people with dryer hands anyway, the clip might give me an extra week? Might be worth it, but I'd rather just let the box get beat up.

 

[willabbotsm]

I would use a Joe Porper card clip. I'vd got two of 'em, they're great. I keep one in a powdered blue deck at my house, and one over a red deck in my pocket next to a sharpie, for performing.

 

[Haunter]

Definitely agree with clean hands. They're going to be looking at your hands a lot anyway so you don't want to have them distracted by filthy hands, dirt under your nails, stuff like that.

I like saving old decks to give to people that show a lot of interest in learning to sort of help get them started. Incomplete decks I save for tricks that need duplicates and to make gaffs and stuff like that.