So, we led the AMC New Members' ride today, our 8th year... if it's sunny, we usually have between 35 and 60 people, hence, we have 4 leaders and 2 groups. We changed the ride to a different location last year, much less traffic and pretty, too. So, today, we had only 15 people! It is gorgeous out, on the way to 80. We made the decsion to go out together, and keep the pace a bit below what the faster group does, and have one of the other leaders stay in the middle, and one be the sweep. There were people who were more in line with the back of the slower group speed, so this worked out well. DH and I rotated being on the front, and then one of us would stay at a corner until the sweep came by. We also regrouped a few times.
So 4 of these people are friends my friend who is a regular friend, that I helped start riding a few years ago. They are experienced cyclists, but are not good climbers. We have ridden with them once before. The 2 women would not shut up. Bragging about what they can do, etc. One (the one who is friends with my friend) kept going in front of DH at the beginning of a climb, so she "wouldn't fall back" and then generally passing us on downhills. We were moderating everything, so everyone would be happy. Finally, as we were going down a longer hill in Boxborough, she said to us, "I never put my brakes on, on a descent." I flat out told her that is not good strategy for a group ride, and generally dangerous. This woman had a very serious crash commuting to work a few years ago, and broke her neck. I know it was on a downhill in the city I grew up in, very close to Boston. A place where you have to be foolhardy to commute, as the drivers are terrible. She got it, and then, besides her constant yapping, it was better.
AMC is more safety oriented than traditional bike clubs, and it really irked me. But, everyone ended up happy. I think there were less people because it's a week later in the season than usual, and there are lots of things going on. Well, next year, it will definitely be the first Saturday in May, as DS#2 is graduating from Claremont McKenna College, after his 9 year detour from U of A, on the second Saturday.