Not all rides are like this tho. If it is a smaller event the spacing is usually quite workable, but even in the smaller rides of say 200 or so there's still bunching that occurs at points. For some of the larger ones, you will almost never be alone. By larger I mean ones with thousands of registrants. If you have decided to do a large ride as your first event as I did, you must be a little nuts (ok, I mean that I was a little nuts ).

The PMC for example is just about shoulder to shoulder for the first 7 or 8 miles (so it feels like anyway). The ride had some 1500 at the start I used. After that it thins out, but I was always surrounded by avg of 5-7 others right near me. That's part of what made it neat but there's a great picture of me at the start last year that my husband took. I am rubbing my chin and have a decided look of "uhm, what have I gotten myself into" as I stand around a thousand super experienced looking cyclists, or so I thought anyway. I figured for sure I was out of my league.

For me one intimidation factor was not knowing how other people would ride (answer: some ride well. some ride very sloppily.). Like cars, or dogs, or holes in the pavement, you just have to watch out for all obstacles. On a big ride that means other cyclists.

But by the same token, I've been on group rides with three or four people where everyone knows everyone, and two of em still nearly run into each other. Distraction just has that effect, doesn't really matter the #....

So, my thoughts are:

-Do it - it is always motivational to have a goal
-Pick a mileage you're aiming for
-Adjust based on how you feel day of
-Ride carefully, like you would any other time
-Have a blast!