A man who served as president of the Siouxland Cyclists organization has died on this year’s RAGBRAI ride. Seventy-four-year-old Frank Brinkerhoff was found dead in his tent early this morning at RAGBRAI’s overnight stop in Mason City.

Dick Billings, vice-president of Siouxland Cyclists, says Brinkerhoff loved cycling and enjoyed sharing the sport with others — especially children. “He was very passionate about biking. He made and fixed up bikes and gave them away,” Billings said. “In fact, just this last Sunday, he gave a bike to a kid who had lost his bike in flooding.”

The cause of death wasn’t immediately known, but officials do not suspect foul play. Billings said friends of Brinkerhoff are taking solace in the fact that he died doing what he loved. “RAGBRAI was something he’d done for many years…he was just having fun and it was just his time,” Billings said. Brinkerhoff was married and had a stepdaughter. He was retired after working many years at Riekes Equipment in Sioux City.

His legal first name was George, but most everyone called Brinkerhoff by his middle name of Frank, according to Billings. Brinkerhoff is the second participant to die on this year’s RAGBRAI route. Sixty-two-year-old Tom Teesdale of West Branch died of a heart attack while riding near Graettinger on Monday.