I think having a formal "group ride" associated with a larger formal ride meets the needs of the 50+ riders who want to say they did "a ride." On the 1st Annual Ride, this was a big point of contention and some hard feelings - even though some of us got up at 7 and were on the road by 8, others got up a t 9 and were on the road at 10. TYhey didn;t want to get up early and those that got up early didn't want to wait. Also, there were extreme differences in riding ability, stamina, etc. There really were not enough homogeneous folks to do "a RIDE."
So, if there is a "formal ride" by a larger organized group, it would meet this need. I think this is a great idea - it doesn't mean that the 50+'rs who want to can't also do their own thing.