Originally Posted by
goldfinch
One issue is how slow I am. I average only about 13.5 on long rides. If I reduce my speed for the event by a couple of miles an hour that will be mighty slow. I have to think about that.
That is a pretty low average unless you're doing a lot of city riding then stops will bring that down and 13 may not be bad. Contact the touring company and find out what the average speed range is, then find out if it's too much. If it's a fast pack and their averaging 16 mph for all those miles then you may have problems, if they have a range from 12 to 20 then you'll be ok because you'll simply be in the slower pack that will separate themselves from the faster packs.