BREAKING NEWS – Syracuse, New York – Bob Barnes, the man who has been cycling to all 50 U.S. state capitals in one year, spotted two major landmarks while he was riding through South Dakota and North Dakota recently.

But beyond that, happy memories of his positive interactions with residents of these states and his experiences in both states have stayed with him. 

“I think South Dakota was the friendliest overall state that I’ve been through,” he said. “The worst state by far, was Illinois. When I went through Chicago, a couple of guys literally stole the front tire of my bike… while I was riding it. I was so scared, I didn’t stop and have it replaced, instead I did a wheelstand until I got to St. Louis.”