# 53 bicycles: A lateral thinking puzzle **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 9, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868 "2017-07-09T19:51:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1 "2017-07-09T19:51:32Z")
For those not familiar with lateral thinking puzzles, one person gives a brief setup, which everyone else has to try to explain. You’re allowed to ask yes-or-no questions to narrow it down (no limit on the number; this isn’t 20 questions). In addition to yes or no, the answers might also be “I don’t know” if the question has no bearing whatsoever on the solution, or “probably” or “probably not” if it could work either way, but the nature of the solution suggests a likely answer. Careful phrasing of the questions is important, since some things might not mean what you think they mean: If your question contains an assumption, then you probably want to verify your assumption before you ask. Since this is a text medium where all the answers are recorded, I’m going to be a little stricter in my answers than if I were playing in real life. The precise wording of a question might be important; refer back to how it was phrased when asked. I’ll go first, with my favorite such puzzle. If you know it already, please don’t spoil it. After someone solves it, we can do another, if interest is there. The puzzle: “A man is found dead, surrounded by 53 bicycles. What happened?” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2 "2017-07-09T19:54:26Z")
He died in a bicycle shop. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3 "2017-07-09T20:12:29Z")
\*\*He died in a bicycle shop. \*\* No. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/4 "2017-07-09T20:34:16Z")
The bicycles are playing cards. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/5 "2017-07-09T20:38:58Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > The bicycles are playing cards. Ooo…and there’s an extra one because the dead man was cheating at cards and was killed for it. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/6 "2017-07-09T20:42:59Z")
53? And all these years I thought the answer was 42. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/7 "2017-07-09T20:45:45Z")
OK, **Telemark** , be honest: Had you heard this one before? I really wasn’t expecting this to be solved quite that quickly. EDIT: Should I start another one, or would someone else like to? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/8 "2017-07-09T20:48:52Z")
[spoiler] It should really be 106 bicycles. [Each card has two.](https://cdn3.volusion.com/artgw.hyvvw/v/vspfiles/photos/CB00741-3.jpg?1498196872) And that’s not including the jokers. [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/9 "2017-07-09T20:55:12Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > OK, **Telemark** , be honest: Had you heard this one before? I really wasn’t expecting this to be solved quite that quickly. It’s possible I’ve heard it before, but 53 is an unusual number and I play a lot of cards, usually with Bicycle brand cards. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Sanchez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rick\_Sanchez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Sanchez)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/10 "2017-07-09T20:58:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > OK, **Telemark** , be honest: Had you heard this one before? I really wasn’t expecting this to be solved quite that quickly. > > EDIT: Should I start another one, or would someone else like to? In fairness, that would have been my first guess, but that’s because I like doing card tricks so I’m familiar with the brand. Anyway, here’s another one (not original to me): I bought an egg and threw it as hard as I could against a brick wall but when the egg hit the wall, it didn’t break. Why not? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/11 "2017-07-09T21:01:24Z")
Was the egg biological in origin? Was your ability to throw hampered in any way? Was there anything unusual about the brick wall? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Sanchez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rick\_Sanchez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Sanchez)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/12 "2017-07-09T21:02:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was the egg biological in origin? > > Was your ability to throw hampered in any way? > > Was there anything unusual about the brick wall? 1. Yes. 2. No. 3. No. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/13 "2017-07-09T21:02:57Z")
Ooh, and Does the “it” in the phrasing of your riddle refer to the egg? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/14 "2017-07-09T21:03:28Z")
Is “it” the brick wall? Edit, ninja’d ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Sanchez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rick\_Sanchez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Sanchez)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/15 "2017-07-09T21:12:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Ooh, and > > Does the “it” in the phrasing of your riddle refer to the egg? Nope, and well done 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Sanchez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rick\_Sanchez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Sanchez)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/16 "2017-07-09T21:13:02Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > Is “it” the brick wall? > > Edit, ninja’d Correct. You can’t break a brick wall with an egg. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/17 "2017-07-09T21:14:12Z")
Next up: A man walks into a bar, and orders a glass of water. The bartender then draws a gun from underneath the bar, aims it straight at the man, and then puts it away. The man thanks the bartender and leaves. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/18 "2017-07-09T21:19:01Z")
hiccups ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/19 "2017-07-09T21:21:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Next up: > > A man walks into a bar, and orders a glass of water. The bartender then draws a gun from underneath the bar, aims it straight at the man, and then puts it away. The man thanks the bartender and leaves. Why? He had the hiccups. The man gave him a scare which took them away. Next up: When London was bombed during the blitz in World War II, St. Paul’s Cathedral, in the center of the city, was never hit. Why not? Aarggh! Ninja’d! ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Sanchez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rick\_Sanchez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Sanchez)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/20 "2017-07-09T21:46:15Z")
Was there any kind of special protection around St. Paul’s, like extra anti-aircraft guns or something similar? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=2)