We co-led a 38 mile ride in Little Compton, RI, Westport, MA yesterday. Beautiful scenic route with ocean views.
What a group. We had about 20 people of varying abilities, wherein lay the problem. It was the leader's first ride where he had to screen participants, as he had only helped us lead or done show and go rides. I gave him my set of questions and he did pretty well, but didn't follow his instincts with 3 or 4. The majority were fine, but there was a group of 5 or 6 riders who were extremely slow, and more concerning, 2 didn't even know how to shift their bikes. One of these crashed, thankfully, only skinning her knee. DH and I took turns staying off the back, but in the end, he ended up being last, with the 2 or 3 that really needed coaching. I stuck with the few who were just slower. DH ended up teaching one of these ladies how to use her gears, but the other one told him she "couldn't learn after riding for 40 years."
Then there was the guy who came wearing sandals, shorts, and a jersey that was so small on him that it looked like a sports bra, with his huge gut hanging out . It was 42 degrees out and I honestly don't know how he could ride in sandals. I rode behind this guy for quite awhile and his shorts were so worn, there was nothing left to the imagination.
It was still a gorgeous day out, and I did get a workout, despite the fact I probably was riding at 5-10 mph the whole time. Good thing my cue sheet was covering my computer.