I'm glad to hear you're none worse for the wear today, but like you said that's NOT the point. I would be angry as well as intimidated were I a very new rider to the group and the ride leader take off completely from the stated/mapped route without my prior knowledge possibly leaving me stranded in the middle of nowhere not knowing where I was or how to get back to where I started from. I'm glad you said something to the president of the club. Someone doing something like that wouldn't make me feel very welcome to come back for a second ride. Of course most of the CIBA rides I've gone to locally, I end up riding for the most part by myself and my big gripe is when there are to be SAG stops available and on the rare occasion I don't have ample extra food or water with me because I thought it was to be available the SAG leaves before I get to the stop. It has happened to me a couple times and I did complain to both the people who were listed as being the ride leaders/SAG providers (I actually saw the SAG pull away minutes before I got to the stop on one occasion and rolled up to find nothing but a pile of melting ice where the SAG was to have been) I've also posted my complaints on the local forum for the club where it turns out I wasn't the only one with those concerns. Of course there were those who are/were much like this guy appears to be that say well if you can't keep up why are we supposed to babysit etc. I've mentioned that if they don't want anyone but a certain speed or bike type to come to the rides they need to state that you're on your own as far as support goes.. Here's your map good luck, good riddance