I don't get it either. Weekend early morning rides are the number one reason I don't ride with the local club.The LBS ride starts at 7am on Sunday. No way I'm getting up early on a Sunday to ride in the cold when I can wait a few hours and enjoy it more.
I found some other clubs that start their rides until 10:00am or 10:30 or I ride with my wife around the same time.

Rode last year on Saturdays with my club starting at 10am. This year I am riding with another group at 7:30 and I prefer it. Nothing like knocking out 50 before 10am. Leaves the rest of the day for the family.

I have noticed the 7:30 group is, on average, 20 years younger too. I guess 10 is early in the day when the kids are all grown and out of the house.

Plus there is significantly less traffic that early in the morning. As far as temps go, just ride harder and you won't be cold.

On the bike yesterday morning at 5:30, met the group at 6:00, back home around 10:00, just in time for Car Talk.

this.

start at 5:30 -6:00...back by 9...make breakfast for the wife and daughter while theyre getting out of bed...everyones happy...

My weekend club rides start at 7:30-8:00, and in order to get some hills in, they're a 90 minute drive away. What's the problem, Nancy? :)

With my local club all the rides start at the same time. Makes things much easier on the administrators. Since ther is almost alwauys a century it jsut makes sense to start at 8. They also leave the route slips at the start for any latecomers and then pick them up wjhen they have returned, so anyone could start at least as late as 10:00.

I have sex in the morning, then go out for a ride while the gf runs a few errands. We meet up for a late lunch and head to the beach mid afternoon.

I have it good.

One of my riding buddies does 7am rides and lives an hour away. I've ridden with him twice since '09.

Our club, SDBC, starts the Sat. morning rides at 8:30a but many ride in so they're on the road at 6:30-7:30a. I can barely make 8:15a so any earlier is pretty much out. The one time I will get up that early is for a race like this Saturday. Start time is 7:15a. GL