Bolding mine.

I think that is the whole of being a good ride leader. What many other seem to think makes a good ride I would hate. when I ride I want to ride, not stop every few miles to regroup. I do not recall any rides I've done with more than 3 regroup spots.

Now I'd be upset if a ride is not as advertised. I'd never do a 12 mph ride for myself. But I might go on one with my wife. I'd pissed off beyond belief if they advertised as 12 mph and then took off at 15-16. With luck there would be enough people still at 12 mph that I could make something decent of it.

My rides have always sort of been the extremes, sometimes both at once. Either the local club just provides route slips or a group that stays together. (Both at once when a group of rider who know eachother simply forms in those route slip only riders).

To me there is also a huge difference between abandoning riders and not staying together. The one regular ride I did that had no slips and was just a group of guys who rode. Often a ride started with the leader leaving his house and following a known route where we would get picked up one at a time. we stayed together. One variation of the ride went to Montrose. The rest stop was at a bakery and it was at the end of a climb.

It perfectly illustrates the difference between droping and abandoning. If there was a first time rider we would stay pretty close on hte climb. If not it was ride your own pace and meet at the bakery.

Oh and the leader had one thing that made him great for me. He gave great wheel. I could average 2 MPH or more faster on a ride he led. It never seemed like he was waiting, but he never dropped us either.