one thing I should clarify, road conditions really matter for group riding, especially in our Santa Barbara area. Although there has been improvements, there are still many roads/sections which are very broken and can be dangerous. Riding solo or a small group makes it easier to navigate without great impact on your riding group.
But in a larger group, riding mid-pack, you're often at the mercy of pack dynamics. If I know the route and roads, I plan ahead. Worst place to be on rough and deteriorating roads is in the wheel tracks of cages/motor vehicles. Those 2 main tracks on each side between yellow and white, are the most dangerous. One thing which seems less of a problem around here is the center 'oil' track. Many roads are rough and coarse enough for 'oil' to not have a real 'surface' down the center. LOL !
I try to anticipate well ahead to NOT be in those tracks...
Ride On
Yuri