We also have social rides that have absolutely nothing resembling a paceline. There is, simply, more room between riders. Many of the riders are really glad that there is a chance to go for a ride and not have to have an extra skill set (and there's the occasional person who's been in a crash and is gun-shy... ). Sometimes there are 30 or 40 of us ... but it doesn't take long to become subgroups and we *do* talk about & encourage & dare I say enforce not being a traffic hazard with creative clumping.

Just a word in defense of outliers... many people overestimate their averages because they sort of interpret it to mean "the speed you spend most of your time going." Most faster riders (and it sounds like your club's easiest rides are pretty fast) use the actual average that the speedo gives... which means (at least around here, where we generally have to go a bit in traffic to get out to the ountry) that most of the time we're riding significantly faster than the "average." It's a constant communication challenge. (I can also sympathize with hoping that the easiest club ride would actually be in the range of a relative beginner.)