HARLAN, Iowa ( KETV ) -- Through the hills of western Iowa, friends of a friend who lost to suicide a year wago rap up a 200-mile bike ride Thursday.

It was the fourth consecutive day of riding, so they expected to be especially exhausted.

"Every time I’m tired, I just look down and I see my buddy," said Nate Payne of Red Oak, referencing stickers on his bike that spell out "Kicks," the nickname of the friend.

"He’s one of those dudes you call for anything," Payne said.

Payne and his friends rode from Spirit Lake, Iowa, on the northern state line, to Red Oak in four days, camping along the way. Detours to get to their stops make the trip around 200 miles long.

Jeff Masters and Kicks' brother, Gabe, both of Omaha, rode alongside Payne Thursday.

After Kicks’ death, Payne wanted to he

See Full Page