# 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:** 138
**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:** [March 12, 2018, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2741 "2018-03-12T23:23:25Z")
OK, since we’re apparently not done yet: Is Pete’s appearance that of a real-world animal which could reasonably be found wild in the filming location? Is Pete’s appearance that of a real-world animal which would be found in some other part of the world? Is Pete’s appearance that of a real-world animal which is now extinct? Is Pete’s appearance that of a legendary, mythical, or otherwise fictitious animal? Is Pete’s appearance that of a nonhuman sapient creature? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2742 "2018-03-12T23:55:23Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > OK, since we’re apparently not done yet: > > Is Pete’s appearance that of a real-world animal which could reasonably be found wild in the filming location? NO > > Is Pete’s appearance that of a real-world animal which would be found in some other part of the world? NO > > Is Pete’s appearance that of a real-world animal which is now extinct? NO > > Is Pete’s appearance that of a legendary, mythical, or otherwise fictitious animal? YES > > Is Pete’s appearance that of a nonhuman sapient creature? Yes. Kk ---
**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:** [March 13, 2018, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2743 "2018-03-13T02:01:41Z")
Is Pete’s appearance that of a supernatural creature (e.g., a demon, djinn, ghost, or faerie)? Is Pete’s appearance that of an alien? Is Pete’s appearance that of a mortal fantasy race (e.g., elf, dwarf, hobbit)? Is Pete’s appearance that of a cryptid? Is Pete’s appearance that of a sasquatch/bigfoot? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2744 "2018-03-13T02:12:39Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is Pete’s appearance that of a supernatural creature (e.g., a demon, djinn, ghost, or faerie)? NO > > Is Pete’s appearance that of an alien? YES > > Is Pete’s appearance that of a mortal fantasy race (e.g., elf, dwarf, hobbit)? NO > > Is Pete’s appearance that of a cryptid? YES > > Is Pete’s appearance that of a sasquatch/bigfoot?YES Note: Pete is not portraying a sasquatch, but the appearance is like enough. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2018, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2745 "2018-03-13T02:21:56Z")
Ah. Chewbacca? EDIT: And in case you want someone to put it all together, Peter played Chewbacca. When there was a break in filming, it was feared that locals might see him and mistake him for Bigfoot or perhaps some dangerous wild animal, and shoot him or otherwise inflict violence on him. So he had to wear a bright-colored vest to make it obvious that he was just an actor in a suit. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2746 "2018-03-13T02:29:51Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Ah. Chewbacca? > > EDIT: And in case you want someone to put it all together, > > Peter played Chewbacca. When there was a break in filming, it was feared that locals might see him and mistake him for Bigfoot or perhaps some dangerous wild animal, and shoot him or otherwise inflict violence on him. So he had to wear a bright-colored vest to make it obvious that he was just an actor in a suit. All true and correct! Solved! ---
**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:** [March 18, 2018, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2747 "2018-03-18T20:17:19Z")
\*\*W’s value is twenty-five times as much as L’s. L’s value, meanwhile, is five times as much as W’s. Neither is zero, though many say that L might as well be. What am I talking about?\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2748 "2018-03-18T21:54:43Z")
Scrabble? ---
**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:** [March 18, 2018, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2749 "2018-03-18T21:58:44Z")
No. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2750 "2018-03-18T22:27:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > No. Related to a game of any kind? Is it related to Roman numerals? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2751 "2018-03-18T22:28:50Z")
Are “W” and “L” the first letters of words? Are the values referenced monetary values? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2752 "2018-03-18T22:40:59Z")
Is rounding involved in the first sentence? Because W (Tungsten) is element 74 and Lithium is element 3. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2018, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2753 "2018-03-19T00:40:20Z")
Related to a game of any kind? **No** Is it related to Roman numerals? **No** Are “W” and “L” the first letters of words? **Yes** Are the values referenced monetary values? **Yes** No rounding, and it’s not lithium and tungsten. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2018, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2754 "2018-03-19T01:16:44Z")
Do “W” and “L” stand for “win” and “loss” (or any words closely related to these, such as “winner” and “loser”)? ---
**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:** [March 19, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2755 "2018-03-19T23:55:32Z")
Do “W” and “L” stand for “win” and “loss” (or any words closely related to these, such as “winner” and “loser”)? **No** ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2756 "2018-03-20T00:40:33Z")
Are W and L currency denominations or currencies? Are W and L tangible items? Could the average person purchase them? ---
**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:** [March 20, 2018, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2757 "2018-03-20T01:07:11Z")
Are W and L currency denominations or currencies? **Yes** Are W and L tangible items? **Yes** Could the average person purchase them? **No** ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2758 "2018-03-20T10:15:34Z")
Are W and L stamps? ---
**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:** [March 20, 2018, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2759 "2018-03-20T14:00:00Z")
Are W and L stamps? **No** ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2760 "2018-03-20T14:15:17Z")
Are they currency as in they are money? Coins? Bills? Are they American currency? European? Asian? African? South American? Are they valuable because they are collectible? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=137) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=139)