RAGBRAI 2012: Stranded, but still trying to reach the route

The Perineium Falcons just can’t catch a break this year.

They should have been finishing up the first day of their seventh RAGBRAI. Instead, they were sitting in an un- air conditioned, broken-down bus less than two miles outside Grinnell.

After a few hours on the interstate, they finally coaxed the bus down an exit ramp and into a gas station parking lot. Now, they are waiting to see if they can get it started again.

And this is the second bus they’ve tried. Their actual team bus wouldn’t start when the team, based in Iowa City but with members from across the country, went to leave Saturday morning.

“We scrambled to find a rental bus at the last minute,” said team member Joe Whitsitt. “Killing two buses is a personal record for us.”

An hour before that, he had tweeted, “I think RAGBRAI is canceled for the pfalcons,” but they’ve made some progress since.

While they sat on the side of the interstate trying to cool down the radiator, the 18 members tried to stay cool themselves.

“It’s getting pretty hot,” Whitsitt said. “We’re in the shade of the bus now, trying to stay cool. There’s no air conditioning, so just trying to stay shady.”

The team also has two members waiting stranded in Sioux Center.

The team is rarely serious on the route, and they tried to stay positive on the bus too.

“Always optimistic,” said team captain Mike James.

As of 3 p.m., they were in a Kum & Go parking lot in Grinnell.

And if anyone wants to offer them assistance, stop by.

“We might be here for a while,” Whitsitt said.

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