I'm old enough that it seems to me that the essential issue is in the shift in the type or kind of cyclists on the road today compared to 20 or more years ago. It's a more broad-based activity now, and group rides are not like minded in the sense that they're all aspiring, current, or ex-road racers, which is how it seemed to me back in the '80s and early '90s. Today the groups are largely enthusiasts, some with sporting aspirations, but most don't look upon the group ride as a training ground, but rather the as the main event.

The shift seems to correspond with the maturation of the MTB boom; I wonder to what extent that great explosion of cycling "democratized" the road ranks, because there really were no rules or hierarchy on the trail scene (understandably), so when those riders began to cross over to the road, did they bring a particular cultural eye with them?

All that said, the two groups I ride with are good to very good, and use the road in a uniform fashion, i.e. as a single group. They both are performance oriented (one race oriented) so probably the skills are more a focus both because it's the most s nsible way to operate, and because it's the only way for personal ambitions to be realized.