Our club is having some growing pains on its Tuesday Night ride. We get a wide variety of riders, from the local racers to the novice cyclists. Currently we split into two groups, a "no stop" group and a "no drop" group, however the latter group has such a wide variety of fitness levels that it becomes totally fragmented. We do have a sweep at the back that makes sure no one gets completely dropped, or that anyone with a flat has someone that comes along that can help.

I've been reading a bit about how different clubs run their rides. Some do A/B/C/D groups, some do average speed groups, etc. I think we can figure this part of it out. What I'm more curious about is this: Does your ride have a leader? Do they keep the group together? Does each sub-group have a leader and do those groups stay together (even if that means that someone might be going slower than they want to)? Do you have someone that calls out bad behavior or reigns in people if they pull too hard when it's their turn at the front? Is your ride a b@lls-to-the-w@ll ride or is it more of a social-talking-pace ride?

What's your best experience with a group ride?