# 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:** 143
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2842 "2018-04-21T15:58:24Z")
**reply to Peter Morris** Is Beethoven’s deafness relevant? **No** Is Beethoven’s music relevant? **No** \* Are Marx’s political/philosophical writings relevant? **No** \* Is the fact that they are dead relevant? **No** \* - Not directly relevant. But if Beethoven hasn’t written music, nor Marx written political works you surely couldn’t now cross a zebra with a pelican with either. Same thing with Kate Sheppard. And being dead is not a requirement, but it probably increases the chances. I couldn’t find any similar examples of anyone crossing a zebra with a pelican and a live person. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2843 "2018-04-21T16:38:14Z")
Is there some way that a person is memorialized or honored that matters? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2844 "2018-04-21T16:41:00Z")
**reply to Left Hand of Dorkness** Is there some way that a person is memorialized or honored that matters? **Yes** ---
**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:** [April 21, 2018, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2845 "2018-04-21T21:24:07Z")
Are there roads named after all of the individuals who “work” for the puzzle? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2846 "2018-04-21T22:42:12Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Are there roads named after all of the individuals who “work” for the puzzle? **There may be, but road names are not relevant to this puzzle.** ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2847 "2018-04-22T00:36:39Z")
(using the hint with Kate Sheppard) Are all of these people found on denominations of money? Would crossing mean using a zebra and pelican crossing while carrying said money? Is there any sort of crossing that is both a zebra and a pelican crossing, hence allowing it all at once? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2848 "2018-04-22T03:30:39Z")
**Reply to Big T** Are all of these people found on denominations of money? **No. (At least I don’t think so. In any case money is not the answer.)** Would crossing mean using a zebra and pelican crossing while carrying said money? **Yes and no. The zebra and pelican (puffin?) work, but not the money.** Is there any sort of crossing that is both a zebra and a pelican crossing, hence allowing it all at once?\*\*Yes. Zebra and pelican/puffin crossings co-exist. \*\* Hint: the idea for this puzzle was originally inspired by something what Marx, Beethoven and Sheppard have in common. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2849 "2018-04-22T18:20:08Z")
Is the memorialization a monument? Is the memorialization a statue? Is the memorialization the name of a location? Is the memorialization done via some product with a specific monetary value (e.g., stamp, coin)? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2850 "2018-04-22T18:33:35Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Is the memorialization a monument? > Is the memorialization a statue? > Is the memorialization the name of a location? > Is the memorialization done via some product with a specific monetary value (e.g., stamp, coin)? \*\*No to all \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2018, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2851 "2018-04-25T04:02:56Z")
\*\*Okay. The 3 famous people mentioned have something in common. Maybe there are others but they are the only famous ones I can find who are members of this common factor set. I don’t count [this one.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astro_Boy) He is fictional. Karl Marx Ludwig van Beethoven Kate Sheppard… Astro Boy?\*\* ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2852 "2018-04-27T17:37:59Z")
Is it that all the mentioned people have lived, however briefly, in the UK? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2853 "2018-04-27T17:46:40Z")
> [@MonkeyMensch](#): > > Is it that all the mentioned people have lived, however briefly, in the UK? **Good guess, but that is not the connection.** ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2854 "2018-04-28T00:01:19Z")
Are the three relevant people memorialized with a physical object? Can the physical object be used to assist in some way in crossing a road? Can the physical object be carried while crossing a road? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2855 "2018-04-28T03:26:39Z")
\*\*reply to SpoilerVirgin \*\* Are the three relevant people memorialized with a physical object? \*\*Yes \*\* Can the physical object be used to assist in some way in crossing a road? \*\*Yes \*\* Can the physical object be carried while crossing a road? \*\*No \*\* ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2856 "2018-04-28T13:05:09Z")
Would the physical object be able to fit into a box 12 inches x 12 inches x 12 inches? Does the physical object have any electrical component? Would the physical object be considered a mode of transportation? Does the physical object have wheels? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2857 "2018-04-28T13:49:34Z")
**reply to SpoilerVirgin** Would the physical object be able to fit into a box 12 inches x 12 inches x 12 inches? **No** Does the physical object have any electrical component? **Yes** Would the physical object be considered a mode of transportation? **No** Does the physical object have wheels? **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:** [April 28, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2858 "2018-04-28T14:08:04Z")
Is the physical object associated with space travel? Has Astro Boy (despite being fictional) been memorialized with a similar physical object? Is the “physical object” by which these people have been memorialized alive? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2859 "2018-04-28T14:35:05Z")
\*\* reply to Chronos\*\* Is the physical object associated with space travel? **No** Has Astro Boy (despite being fictional) been memorialized with a similar physical object? **Yes** Is the “physical object” by which these people have been memorialized alive? **No** ---
**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:** [April 28, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2860 "2018-04-28T14:48:31Z")
Is the object fixed to a particular place? Is it bigger than a bread box? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2861 "2018-04-28T16:07:35Z")
**reply to Peter Morris** Is the object fixed to a particular place? **Yes** Is it bigger than a bread box? **Yes.** At least [this one](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breadbox) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=142) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=144)