# 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:** 159
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3162 "2018-06-08T01:02:38Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Board game? **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:** [June 8, 2018, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3163 "2018-06-08T12:51:54Z")
Was money exchanged with any of the other participants? Was there gambling involved? Did the game include a significant component of luck? Did the game include a significant component of skill? Did the game include any skill at all? Is the nature of the game relevant? ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3164 "2018-06-08T14:45:15Z")
**reply to Chronos** Was money exchanged with any of the other participants? **No** Was there gambling involved? **No** Did the game include a significant component of luck? **No** Did the game include a significant component of skill? **Yes** Did the game include any skill at all? **Yes** Is the nature of the game relevant? **Yes** ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3165 "2018-06-08T15:12:43Z")
- Were the objects playing pieces? - Did each player place the object on the floor only once per game? - Is the game for two players? - Is the game for more than two players? - Does the game involve significant physical skill (like snooker or throwing hoops)? - Does the game involve significant mental skill (like chess)? - Is the object a highly regular shape (like a sphere, cube, ring etc)? - Is the object a semi-regular shape (like, say, a chess pawn)? - Is the object an irregular shape (like, say, an anthropomorphic shape)? ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3166 "2018-06-08T15:17:42Z")
Does the game involve throwing things? Aiming to hit or get close to a particular spot, object or target? Does each player have only one of the object? Or several? ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3167 "2018-06-08T15:25:20Z")
**reply to Walken After Midnight** - Were the objects playing pieces? **Yes** - Did each player place the object on the floor only once per game? \*\* No\*\* - Is the game for two players? \*\*Can be \*\* - Is the game for more than two players? **Can be** - Does the game involve significant physical skill (like snooker or throwing hoops) **Not significant, but skill** - Does the game involve significant mental skill (like chess)? **No** - Is the object a highly regular shape (like a sphere, cube, ring etc)? **Yes** - Is the object a semi-regular shape (like, say, a chess pawn)? **No** - Is the object an irregular shape (like, say, an anthropomorphic shape)? **No** ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3168 "2018-06-08T15:28:45Z")
**Reply to Peter Morris** Does the game involve throwing things? **No** Aiming to hit or get close to a particular spot, object or target? **Yes** Does each player have only one of the object? Or several? **One** ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3169 "2018-06-08T16:47:39Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Does the game involve throwing things? No > Aiming to hit or get close to a particular spot, object or target? Yes So, it’s a targeting game, but not thrown objects. What is the alternative, I wonder. Were the objects dropped from above? shot out of something, such as a gun, bow or catapult? Slid across the floor as in shuffleboard? Was the coffin the target? A particular part of the coffin? Something attached to the coffin? ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3170 "2018-06-08T17:11:15Z")
**reply to Peter Morris** So, it’s a targeting game, but not thrown objects. What is the alternative, I wonder. Were the objects dropped from above? **No** shot out of something, such as a gun, bow or catapult? **No** Slid across the floor as in shuffleboard? **No** Was the coffin the target? **sort of…** A particular part of the coffin? \*\*sort of… \*\* Something attached to the coffin? **No** * * * **I am about to go to work, but I think someone is about to get this, I think. What skill game might involve people putting some game pieces on the floor by a large coffin in the basement of a funeral home? That’s the question.** ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3171 "2018-06-08T17:31:25Z")
Was the game to see who could get their ball closest to the coffin? See who could get nearest to the length of the coffin? ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3172 "2018-06-08T17:37:06Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Was the game to see who could get their ball closest to the coffin? See who could get nearest to the length of the coffin? **No to all**. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3173 "2018-06-08T17:48:11Z")
Was the object of the game to get the pieces into the coffin (in this particular instance)? Is the game tiddlywinks? ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3174 "2018-06-08T18:06:19Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Was the object of the game to get the pieces into the coffin (in this particular instance)? > > Is the game tiddlywinks? \*\* No to all.\*\* ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3175 "2018-06-08T18:11:28Z")
Is it a sport? Do you think most people in the United States have played it? Is it Dungeons and Dragons? Is it an RPG at all? ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3176 "2018-06-08T18:18:44Z")
Was the “funeral parlour” an ancient or historical site? Was it a pyramid? The great pyramid of Cheops/ Khufu ? ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3177 "2018-06-08T18:22:11Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > **correction for Walken After Midnight** > > - is it wood or plant-derived? > **No. After a bit of checking, I don’t think the item is really wood/plant derived. But at one time it was.** Is it a fossil? Is it coal? ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3178 "2018-06-08T19:11:34Z")
Is it stone or metal? ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3179 "2018-06-08T22:42:28Z")
\*\*reply to Mahaloth \*\* Is it a sport? \*\*Broadly defining sport, Yes \*\* Do you think most people in the United States have played it? \*\*Yes, I would guess so. \*\* Is it Dungeons and Dragons? \*\*No \*\* Is it an RPG at all? \*\*No \*\* ---
**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:** [June 8, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3180 "2018-06-08T22:47:05Z")
\*\*reply to Peter Morris \*\* Was the “funeral parlour” an ancient or historical site? \*\*No \*\* Was it a pyramid? The great pyramid of Cheops/ Khufu ? \*\*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:** [June 8, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3181 "2018-06-08T22:50:36Z")
> [@MonkeyMensch](#): > > Is it stone or metal? \*\*No \*\* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=158) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=160)