Understated Club ride descriptions

[JennK13]

http://www.deercreekchallenge.com/event_info.html
Not only should the title warn you that it's hard, and the fact that the elevation profile looks like an EKG print out, I haven't seen another ride that tells you what gearing you should have "Bike gearing for climbing - we recommend 39 on front and 28 on back, triple or compact."
They do a great job warning you, and most rides here do give you an elevation profile.
As for group rides, as a weekly group ride leader, some responsibility falls to the riders attending. Our store only has one ride a week, and we mix up the intensity, distance and climbs. Rides are posted on our blog, Facebook and the main company page in advance so people know what we're doing. While they are "no drop", and we do wait for the slower riders, there are those who really shouldnt be on certain rides yet. When it's just me and a partner with 15 people, if you cant make it and decide to go back, we cant leave our group for one person. I have friends who come and ride sometimes and I tell them "yes, you'll be fine" or like yesterday I told my buddy "hey, no shame in not coming today - we're doing some serious climbs"
We had one gal come on her hybrid, a new rider who had ridden once before with us. She enjoyed the company, but cant complete the routes yet. She gets to a certain point, cant go any more, thanks us for riding with her and goes back to her car. She learns something each ride, gets better, but knows her limits.
We aslo had a couple new ladies who told me at the shop that they were slow riders, but that they ride a lot. Yes, one of us hung back with them on the ride, but they had no problems whatsoever with the distance or climbs - they just averaged 12mph. My partner and I talk and strategize on the rides, one will lead the pack to a certain point where we can wait for the rest of the group to catch up. Works well for us, and everyone is safe and has a good time.

[Crankin]

Jenn, that's the way DH and I lead our rides. We do 25-40 mile rides, with some climbing. They are billed as intermediate level, with an average of 13.5-15. What usually happens is that there will be a faster cluster of riders behind DH, who is leading and a group that is about 2 mph slower, that I stay behind. DH waits at the top of bigger climbs so we regroup, or at designated points.
On one ride we lead, the "slower" contingent didn't show. I got caught at a light in the beginning and was struggling to catch up (it was an early season warm up ride and I definitely was not in the shape I am in now). They waited a bit and then DH slowed the pace... quite a few of these people struggled on the one big climb and after that, we stayed at a more moderate pace... until a rest stop when DH sort of took off. I just couldn't keep up. There was a headwind, too. But, since I was the sweep, it didn't matter. Normally, there would have been a group struggling in the back, and I seem to be able to coach people through this. In the end, I got back only a couple of minutes after the group, but I missed having the range of diversity on this ride.
Our rides are more "social," and we tell people this specifically, even if the pace is brisk. And most people say they love it and that it is a change from the usual club type rides.