Tricycle - Luke Dancy | Daniel Garcia

[Cliff|Bumgardner]

Price: $19.95
Available at: MJM Magic (Click Here)


Effect: The logo on a Bicycle card box visually morphs into the name of a selected card.

There are also numerous other reveals possible with the Tricycle card box, including a reveal in the bar code, reveals on the sides of the box, and a brilliantly out-of-the-box (pun intended) reveal on the box flap.


What You Get:
1 Tricycle Card Box (must be easily constructed, packed flat for shipping)
1 11 page instructional booklet with the basic routine, all required moves, and extra ideas.

Thoughts: Since I first purchased Tricycle several years ago it has always been a personal favorite of mine. It is truly an epitome of maximum impact for minimum work. You can literally take Tricycle and add it into your close-up set without adding any props or giving up any pocket space. The gimmick simply sits in waiting as your usual card box, set to go whenever you need it.

After getting hooked on this effect I used it nearly every time I performed, and always had great experiences with the routine. I stopped using the effect after my gimmick was nearly destroyed from constant use and I was unable to find the effect anywhere. Luckily, I recently found Tricycle at MJM Magic (many other stores also carry the effect, MJM is simply my personal favorite) and am adding it back into my card work.

One of the largest complaints that I have heard is the fact that you are paying $20 for a card box that, with use, will break down over time and will have to be replaced. However, if you take care of the box (no card clips, kids), and are simply careful with it, it will last you quite a while. As I said, the box that I purchased over 2 years ago is, though raggedy, still completely usable. $20 every few years, or even every six months if you were brutal with these things, is absolutely nothing for a strong workhorse routine like this is. I see it no different than having to pay $20 every time you run out of Elastic Thread.

After Tricycle was released, a huge amount of controversy arose. Luke and Danny were blasted for releasing this effect that "could never work" or was "too bold". Those claims, however, were nothing but unfounded opinions from desk jockeys who never performed the routine. True performers greatly appreciated the effect, and were, in part, responsible for keeping this gem an almost underground success.

Take it from myself, someone who has performed this effect many times, it works. The gimmick is beautifully bold, and the entire effect hinges on your ability as a performer. Essentially, nothing actually happens. You take something that is already there and simply show the magic that it holds, which is a wonderful concept. If you are at all worried, however, about someone spotting the reveal too soon, let me calm your fears. Out of all of my performances, this has only happened once. The guy who spotted it literally had a hyper active brain and takes in every detail he sees. I am not even kidding. I have had others stare at the box, burning it because of a previous effect, and they never spotted the reveal. The psychology behind the way the reveal is written plays on people's expectations and familiarity with Bicycle card boxes, it is extremely solid.


Though I typically do not gauge an effect on the possibility of David Blaine style screaming reactions, I would be ignorant to not mention how hard this effect hits on spectators. You are taking something permanent, the very ink in the card box, and manipulating it. The impact this has on an audience is huge, not to mention that you are also revealing their card as well. The included booklet includes an idea for a routine where you fail to send the card to the box during a card to box routine, and then do the reveal as making the card go "to the box" instead of inside the box. This handling just further deepens the mystery and impact.


All in all, I cannot recommend this effect enough. It is truly a workhorse routine that you can pour your creative juices and performing prowess in to. If you are a card worker, give this routine your highest consideration.


Thanks for reading, feel free to ask any questions you have.
C

 

[KevinReylek]

I'll throw in my vote for this as well. It's a terrific effect, a real worker.

I picked this up in 2006 when it was first released, and still have the same box. I put the cellophane from another deck around the bottom 90% or so of the box, and keep it in a Porper clip. The thing is in great condition, and it's been used a lot.

Very easy effect to do, but has a lot of impact on audiences.

 

[chriswiehl]

i kinda wanna get this, but the only problem is that its a box, now i understand that for magicians perhaps and some laypeopel, that would be neat, but the laypeople cant comprehend it, and it wont really be a trick they talk about. now if you took their coin and melted it into a 3 of clubs (wont happen) but they would remember that forever! cause you take their object and change it and give it back. the box is cool , but its just a filler i feel.
i may pick this up, but im not sure if i really am 100% into it.

 

[Cliff|Bumgardner]

Chris, I must respectfully disagree. This effect is not filler in any way. Actually, it was my opener for a very long time.

The strength in this effect lies in that you take something familiar to people and use that familiarity against their senses. I'd say that close to 95% of people have played cards for most of their life in some capacity, and Bicycle is the most popular deck in the world. I've yet to meet someone who didn't recognize a deck of Rider Backs. Again, this effect uses that knowledge to create a strong impact upon them. You alter an item that they have seen, used, and know about.

I'd advise you to give this a shot, if you're a performer I almost guarantee you will fall in love with this effect.

C

 

[chriswiehl]

it just seems too unpersonal. im not saying its not powerfull and a good reaction trick, but i cant see anyone going up to their friend later and telling them about this trick, unless they themselves have some kind of "relationship" to a deck of cards.
i am seriously thinking about getting this tho just to see what i can get out of it. its in my cart right now, im just gonna sleep on it and see if i choose to or not.

 

[cm763]

Although I don't have the effect Tricycle, I did purchase a gaff deck from E which has this effect built into the box. I must say, it is indeed one of my favourite opening effects (next to Redline, of course--that effect just kills).

I purchased the Ghost Gaff deck, which some claim opens you up to a lot more watchful eyes. I take that added "heat", and build it into the effect. I'm not sure of how the actual Tricycle effect starts out, but the Ghost Gaff version has an extra prop that allows you to call attention to the front of the box, if you like, and then proceed with the effect from there. This is useful for introducing the Ghost deck (as a Bicycle brand deck), which I like to sometimes use, and actually takes heat off of the Ghost deck for any of the effects that I follow up with.

Given that the two are similar (essentially the same--the Gaff box was based off of Tricycle, after all), I'd have to agree with you that this is a great effect, especially as an opener. I would also highly suggest it.