Yeah, when I was a kid, the local municipality issued bike plates (later stickers), and they charged maybe $3 for them. It wasn't mandatory, but was rather a form of theft protection.
As far as the lovely state of N. Dakota goes, it was the last state of the lower 48 that I got to visit back when I drove over-the-road. A rather unremarkable state, if you ask me. Wide , flat praries, wind, wind, and more wind. Back roads were often held up by "Hoots" (Hutterites) driving trucks pulling mountain doubles (that's one 48' trailer, followed by a 28' pup trailer) filled with hay. They looked for all the world like Amish truckers.....
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Je vais à vélo, donc je suis!