Clarence Boesenberg. (KCRG TV photo)
An eastern Iowa man who’s almost twice as old as RAGBRAI is signed up to participate in next month’s 50th anniversary edition of the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.
Ninety-seven-year-old Clarence Boesenberg of Cedar Rapids doesn’t necessarily need to train for the 500-mile, week-long trek since his daily cycling routine takes him all over the region. Boesenberg tells KCRG TV that he likes to ride to a different city every day.
“Well, I’ve got just a little under 2,500 miles right now,” Boesenberg says. “Yesterday, I rode to Anamosa and back. That was 57 miles.” Boesenberg was recently honored by an area bike club for having pedaled more than 100-thousand miles in his lifetime, though he says he’s already well over 110-thousand miles now. He attributes his long, healthy life to cycling.
“I’m sure, yes,” he says. “You know, if I had to sit around, I don’t think I’d be in the shape I’m in now.” A veteran RAGBRAI rider, he took last year off from the long journey, but says he’s excited to gear up for this year’s route, that’ll roll from Sioux City to Davenport over seven days.
“My grandson and I are going to do it,” Boesenberg says. “We rode the whole thing two years ago and we had a great time, meeting the people from all over and everybody’s got a story. It’s great!” It’s a RAGBRAI tradition for Boesenberg to place a rear-facing sign under his bicycle seat to offer a little message to those who pass him. This year’s sign will read: “This is Heaven — at 97.”