# 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:** 160
**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, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3182 "2018-06-08T22:51:52Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Is it a fossil? Is it coal? \*\*No \*\* ---
**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, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3183 "2018-06-08T22:57:08Z")
If you had to choose between calling it a sport or a game, would it be: a sport? a game? Are the playing pieces propelled only by human energy? Are they propelled by something other than human energy? Do the players touch the coffin at any time during play (not just to pick up pieces after playing)? Do the playing pieces touch the coffin at any time during play? ---
**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 9, 2018, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3184 "2018-06-09T03:12:37Z")
\*\*reply to SpoilerVirgin \*\* If you had to choose between calling it a sport or a game, would it be: a sport? a game? \*\*A game. \*\* Are the playing pieces propelled only by human energy? Are they propelled by something other than human energy? **Human energy is the catalyst. There are no gun firings, chemical reactions or the like.** Do the players touch the coffin at any time during play (not just to pick up pieces after playing)? **Probably not.** Do the playing pieces touch the coffin at any time during play? **Sometimes.** ---
**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:** [June 9, 2018, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3185 "2018-06-09T05:14:10Z")
I notice shuffling was mentioned, but not rolling. And throwing is out. So: Are the participants rolling an object at one or more targets? Is the goal to knock the targets down? Could it perhaps be bowling? Do they hit an object with another object? Is the goal to get the object into a hole? Could it perhaps be golf? Miniature golf? ---
**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 9, 2018, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3186 "2018-06-09T05:30:33Z")
**Reply to BigT** I notice shuffling was mentioned, but not rolling. And throwing is out. So: Are the participants rolling an object at one or more targets? **Yes** Is the goal to knock the targets down? **No** Could it perhaps be bowling? **No** Do they hit an object with another object? **No** Is the goal to get the object into a hole? **Yes** Could it perhaps be golf? **Yes** Miniature golf? **[Yes.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-02-27/features/9802270243_1_roger-ahlgrim-miniature-golf-unusual-golf&ved=2ahUKEwjWoeLe6sXbAhUEvlkKHTjzBUoQFjAQegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw0UPYb-KZc3ZQlNqBlPTWrT) [You got it!](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2094&ved=2ahUKEwjWoeLe6sXbAhUEvlkKHTjzBUoQFjACegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw1QSwpvydvHoks-OD6fJGtc)**. ---
**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 9, 2018, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3187 "2018-06-09T05:53:54Z")
Bravo\*\* Big T! \*\* I thought I was going to have to eventually mention the guillotine in the basement to get someone to see what was going on. \*But for fairness the original riddle did contain an unnoticed short cut to the solution! \* [The original riddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21005891&postcount=3124) might be answered more quickly if the word “putting” had quite reasonably been pronounced another way. So I don’t think this is a really a traditional wordplay trick because the puzzle works fine without it. But neverheless, an opportune hint for inspiration was there from the beginning.😉 ---
**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 9, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3188 "2018-06-09T13:41:34Z")
[QUOTE=Biotop;21010909 [The original riddle] ([https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21005891&postcount=3124](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21005891&postcount=3124)) might be answered more quickly if the word “putting” had quite reasonably been pronounced another way. So I don’t think this is a really a traditional wordplay trick because the puzzle works fine without it. But neverheless, an opportune hint for inspiration was there from the beginning.😉 [/QUOTE] Was the funeral home and the coffin all just red herring stuff? We’re talking about a mini-golf course in the basement of a funeral home? And the golf course is in the basement of the funeral home? ---
**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 9, 2018, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3189 "2018-06-09T14:02:48Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Was the funeral home and the coffin all just red herring stuff? We’re talking about a mini-golf course in the basement of a funeral home? And the golf course is in the basement of the funeral home? It’s a unique place in Illinois. See the links. They have a horror themed mini golf in the basement. At first it was just for patrons, but they opened it up to anyone because it became popular. Nowadays, scout groups and families come to the funeral parlor just to play miniature golf. I had the idea for a miniature golf lateral puzzle because of the weird collection of stuff one finds at such courses. There are a lot of articles/stories about this one, so I went from that. ---
**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 9, 2018, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3190 "2018-06-09T14:20:38Z")
The other option for the riddle was [Mayday Golf](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://maydaygolf.com/&ved=2ahUKEwiC4K_m4sbbAhWquFkKHQQKB-IQFjAgegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw2w2r4kjXt4gyu5prE75Yp7) in Myrtle Beach. But the absurdity of a popular death-themed miniature golf course in a real funeral home was hard to resist. ---
**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 9, 2018, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3191 "2018-06-09T15:16:24Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > It’s a unique place in Illinois. See the links. They have a horror themed mini golf in the basement. At first it was just for patrons, but they opened it up to anyone because it became popular. Nowadays, scout groups and families come to the funeral parlor just to play miniature golf. I had the idea for a miniature golf lateral puzzle because of the weird collection of stuff one finds at such courses. There are a lot of articles/stories about this one, so I went from that. Didn’t see the links, thanks. ---
**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:** [June 11, 2018, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3192 "2018-06-11T03:33:26Z")
Sweet! I hope no one is mad that I jumped in. I follow along a lot, but often can’t think of anything to ask, or the thing is solved before I check back in. The rolling/bowling thing just occurred to me, after thinking of things a lot of people play. Then mini golf came to me right before I was about to hit submit. Someone else can go ahead and run a new one, if they want. I’m not really that great at coming up with these, and I’m too irregular at checking in, anyways. ---
**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 11, 2018, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3193 "2018-06-11T04:22:55Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Sweet! I hope no one is mad that I jumped in. I follow along a lot, but often can’t think of anything to ask, or the thing is solved before I check back in. The rolling/bowling thing just occurred to me, after thinking of things a lot of people play. Then mini golf came to me right before I was about to hit submit. > > Someone else can go ahead and run a new one, if they want. I’m not really that great at coming up with these, and I’m too irregular at checking in, anyways. It was a good job to get that one. I feel a little like I misled **Mahaloth** a wee bit by saying there was no wordplay when indeed putting/putting was a bit of trickery. But I justified it to myself by saying that either version was technically correct. It you took putting objects as lightly hitting them with a golf club then the solution is obvious, but if you took it as placing the object in a certain spot-- while accurate, the riddle became a lot harder. I hoped solvers would miss the easy pronunciation clue… And focus on the coffin obstacle at hole 2. Any mention of the guillotine would have probably given away the show. ---
**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 11, 2018, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3194 "2018-06-11T13:37:00Z")
It looked like a fairly straightforward solving progression, to me. We worked out that you were playing a game, that the game was a sport, and that the sport was played with balls, and then it was just a matter of figuring out what was done with the balls to determine what the game was. ---
**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 11, 2018, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3195 "2018-06-11T21:37:20Z")
**Someone pulls a string following which his guest’s brother speaks to millions. Explain the situation.** ---
**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 11, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3196 "2018-06-11T21:52:58Z")
Some kind of of science experiment, or new technology? - Sound recording ? - Radio/ TV transmission ? - Talkie movies? ---
**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 11, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3197 "2018-06-11T22:23:21Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Some kind of of science experiment, or new technology? NO > > - Sound recording ? YES > - Radio/ TV transmission? NO > - Talkie movies? NO KK ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3198 "2018-06-11T23:32:10Z")
Is the guest or his brother royalty? ---
**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 12, 2018, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3199 "2018-06-12T01:27:11Z")
Is everyone involved human? Was his guest’s brother alive at the time of the string pulling? Was the brother famous prior to this? Did this recording bring the brother fame? Did the millions all hear the brother speak at the same time? ---
**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 12, 2018, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3200 "2018-06-12T01:33:46Z")
> [@MonkeyMensch](#): > > Is the guest or his brother royalty? No > [@Biotop](#): > > Is everyone involved human? YES > > Was his guest’s brother alive at the time of the string pulling? YES > > Was the brother famous prior to this? NO > > Did this recording bring the brother fame? NO > > Did the millions all hear the brother speak at the same time? YES KK ---
**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 12, 2018, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3201 "2018-06-12T02:35:11Z")
Is there cause effect between the string pull and the voice heard? Was the guest demonstrating something? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=159) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=161)