Comments on: The Riddle of the Untouched Bicycle and the Missing “O” http://benabuya.com/2007/04/02/the-riddle-of-the-untouched-bicycle-and-the-missing-o/ looking for alternative explanations Sat, 14 Apr 2012 19:53:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Retro Bicycles http://benabuya.com/2007/04/02/the-riddle-of-the-untouched-bicycle-and-the-missing-o/#comment-6433 Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:02:04 +0000 http://deba.wordpress.com/2007/04/02/the-riddle-of-the-untouched-bicycle-and-the-missing-o/#comment-6433 Give me an old cool bicycle, and I’ll ride around the city for days.

]]> By: Kathy http://benabuya.com/2007/04/02/the-riddle-of-the-untouched-bicycle-and-the-missing-o/#comment-1010 Sun, 15 Apr 2007 00:03:48 +0000 http://deba.wordpress.com/2007/04/02/the-riddle-of-the-untouched-bicycle-and-the-missing-o/#comment-1010 o o o o …….I found these on my computer keyboard. I have loads to spare if you want more. Just ask and I’ll forward them on.
Mum
P.S. What did I tell you about riding a bike in traffic??? Why don’t you listen to your mother?

]]> By: Daniel http://benabuya.com/2007/04/02/the-riddle-of-the-untouched-bicycle-and-the-missing-o/#comment-911 Sat, 07 Apr 2007 15:00:50 +0000 http://deba.wordpress.com/2007/04/02/the-riddle-of-the-untouched-bicycle-and-the-missing-o/#comment-911 I note that despite first impressions, my comment was not quite as long as the original blog entry. I still have my pride.

]]> By: Daniel http://benabuya.com/2007/04/02/the-riddle-of-the-untouched-bicycle-and-the-missing-o/#comment-910 Sat, 07 Apr 2007 14:56:54 +0000 http://deba.wordpress.com/2007/04/02/the-riddle-of-the-untouched-bicycle-and-the-missing-o/#comment-910 I can’t believe you overlooked the most logical explanation.

Your bicycle, after you not only showed disdain for its ability to keep you safe in traffic but demonstrated your sheer pedic wheellessness by attempting to mount the curb in an improper fashion, warned you once by throwing you onto the pavement.

Once it saw that you inexplicably did not take the hint, it bided its time until the next opportunity to escape presented itself. At first, cuffed to the post, it almost lost hope. But after a while, it figured out that if it twisted its axles just so, it could probably get free. All Wednesday night and Thursday it twisted its contortions, trying IF I CAN JUST GET MY … CROSSBAR UNDER THERE but not succeeding, complicated all the more by the prying eyes of neighbours, accomplices, stool-pigeons – the other members of the chain-gang – and, of course, your periodic, watchful gaze.

On Friday it lost hope. Resigned itself to a lifetime of numb slavery. Gave flight to its dreams of being a mountain bike, having a job that at least had travel opportunities. Despair.

And then it happened. The sunset came, the first stars emerged, and your bicycle began to hear some whispered words. Hushing, shushing words mumbled under breaths “…liknershelshoveit” WHAT? “…hadlik ner shel shove it” SHOVE IT?! It shoved. And broke free.

Almost.

Its back unshackled, all that remained chained was its front wheel. ALL? HOW THE HELL CAN I DO ANYTHING WITH ONE WHEEL? I’M A BICYCLE, FOR GIANT’S SAKE! Desparate, it pulled out one of its own spokes and started chiselling at the chain. It hacked, stabbed, sliced with all its might – but nothing. The chain of its servitude served its purpose.

And then your bicycle made a decision it never thought it would, could ever, ever make. It decided to gnaw off its own front wheel. It had seen it on the Discovery channel once, in a previous incarnation as a spelunker’s adventure bike. A biped in a cave, its leg trapped. Deciding to sacrifice the part to save the whole. It bit.

It hurt. A lot. But it was worth it. A unicycle – yes; but a unicycle with the taste of freedom and coated aluminium in its mouth.

Saturday morning broke. It hastened to hobble away. And just then, you came out. Its heart sank to the lowest of its gears.

Imprisoned again, but torn with unwanted feelings of gratitude that you had reattached its phantom limb, your bicycle’s mind began to race again. How could it get away? This time for good? Ideas, plans, unceasing dread at being trapped this time perhaps forever. A staged kidnapping. An abduction. That’s it. Here was the plan.

You would come downstairs, to find a note that read as follows:

ONCE YOU HAVE READ THIS NOTE, YOU SHOULD NOT TRY TO FIND YOUR BICYCLE. IF YOU DO, TERRIBLE THINGS WILL HAPPEN TO YOU. LET IT GO.

And that would be it. By the time you figured out the truth, it would be far away – perhaps in Randwick, already.

But how would it construct the note? It knew that, traditionally, abduction notes are pieced together from cut-outs of newsprint. But you don’t get the newspaper, you don’t need it, if you want to know the news, you read it on your computer. THAT’S IT. THE COMPUTER. PLENTY OF LETTERS THERE. (Yes, there were obvious faults in its plan, but hey, it’s a bicycle, give it a break).

And in any case, it only got as far as taking the “o” …

As I said, I can’t believe you overlooked the most logical explanation.

]]> By: Dov Goldring http://benabuya.com/2007/04/02/the-riddle-of-the-untouched-bicycle-and-the-missing-o/#comment-883 Thu, 05 Apr 2007 06:14:40 +0000 http://deba.wordpress.com/2007/04/02/the-riddle-of-the-untouched-bicycle-and-the-missing-o/#comment-883 B”H

Hey Shimon!!!

How are things going? Its been so long! I love your blog… Some really awesome stuff!! Drop me an email and we can be in contact more…

All the best!
Moed Tov!

]]>