Hi, Jamie. You're more than welcome to join us on the ride and will fit in just fine, especially since it sounds like you have plenty of group-riding experience already.
We're a diverse group with a lot of riders of all levels, young and old, men and women.
The ride to Highland Park is strictly "no-drop" and goes at a fairly social pace, around 18 mph. From there, groups will form at the coffee shop. There will always be groups going long and fast, but there will also be a group that heads back to the city at a recreational pace.
More details are available
at this page. Let me know if you have any other questions. (Note that in a few weeks we'll be switching to our winter hours. I don't know which Saturday that will take place, but there will be an announcement made on the front page once it's decided.)