Originally Posted by
Wogsterca
You should contact the ride leader though and ask them, don't accept a half answer like slow to moderate. Slow to moderate for one person is 5 MPH, slow to moderate for another is 25MPH. Ask about average speed, or distance and riding time, which will allow you to compute the average speed yourself. Also ask if they have a no-drop rule. Some groups will have a sweeper who will hang back with the final rider, others will take off like a bunch of drag racers and your left on your own if your not up to their speed. What I hate the most are collection points, where you get fast riders who go like nuts, then wait for the slower riders to catch up, and as soon as the slowest rider comes into view, they take off again. If your the last guy, you don't get any breaks, been there, done that, quit riding with my brother-in-laws group because they always did that.....
Not all groups are like this with regroup points. SFVBC sure was not. Though thinking about it there were 2 regroup spots that made up at least 80% of all regroups (excluding the midride major stops, which meant brunch or lunch depending on how long a ride was). One at the top of a climb on Mulholland and the other at a park about 1/2 mile from the end of the decent going into Simi Valley. Neither was ever last insight and gone, but the hilltop stop had far less waiting once the last rider arrived. Oh enough to get a foot down and take a drink. But the park regroup allowed much more time for the slow riders to actually get some rest.
My advice is to the OP is error on the slow side. You are doing this to get more social. If you get in a ride that is 'too slow' yuo can talk to and get to know some other cyclists. Heck if it turns out the C ride is too slow you might get lucky and find another rider who is thinking of stepping up (or who alternated B and C depending on how he feels and what else he has on tap for the day). Then when you try B ride yuo get to try it with someone you know. If yuo then find the B ride is too fast it is less apt to be a disaster.
One other thnig for the OP, it seems you are used to riding alone. If the group has decent route slips then what is the worst that happens? Yuo get dropped and have to ride alone on a new route. If the route is decent you still come out ahead on the deal.