I believe that I'm going to be doing the Tour de Palm Springs with a few buddies this year after not doing it last year due to time constraints. Hopefully we'll have a time share to stay in for it so we don't have to monkey around getting hotel rooms.

I have learned from doing the two Levi's Gran Fondo rides... line up early and lie about your speed so you can avoid the traffic in the back of the pack. I'd rather have faster riders passing me while I hold a straight line than me having to negotiate through the bobbers, weavers, scaredy cats and nervous wrecks who ride uneasily in a group. Damned nervous wrecks.