Stamp in a form of a bicycle wheel

 

 

Date of Issue : 19 February 2015

125 Years of Bicycles in Iceland - Self-adhesive stamp

Stamp in a form of a bicycle wheel – an extraordinary issue by Iceland Post

Here is an an extraordinary stamp issued by Iceland Post celebrating 125 years of bicycles in Iceland. Postphil believe that issuing a special stamp is a nice way to mark the occasion and celebrate this environmentally friendly means of transport.

The first reports of the use of bicycles in Iceland appeared in the magazine Fjallkonan in 1887. The article dealt with the abilities of women and indicated that they might even excel men. The first bicycles known to have been imported to Iceland were seen in 1890. Knud Zimsen, later mayor of Reykjavik, had a Velocipede bicycle which was a popular type at the time.

At the time, bicycles were owned only by a few and caught the eye in the midst of the horse traffic. The first decades of the 20th century saw a considerable increase in cycling. In 1920, nearly 900 bikes were in use in Iceland. Following the oil crisis in the Seventies, cycling became more popular the world over.

Bicycles have never been as popular as they are today with general increase of interest in the benefits of physical exercise, be it cycling, jogging or walking. Since 2003, the Sports and Olympic Federation has supported the campaign “Bike to Work”. The main objective is to raise awareness of cycling as a healthy, environmentally friendly and efficient means of transport.