Originally Posted by
1saxman
OP, unless you can find a group as fit and competitive as yourself, you probably would be well-served to try and stop being 'that guy' who has to win every ride, even the 'social' ones. When I was in a club many years ago I did not appreciate the 'fast guys' taking off and leaving everybody else. This ain't the frickin' Tour, ya know? Recreational riders are concerned about fitness - its the main reason we ride, but most of us are looking for the group to more or less stay together. These rides should not be races. Its fine if you want to race, just make sure that everyone in that group also wants to race.
I never got the impression the OP was "that guy". I would say he was just the opposite. For that matter, most group rides clearly define the speed, rules and sometimes level of fitness required and the information posted on a website. In one of the clubs to which I belonged, we had a A ride that was a keep up or get dropped and a no drop B ride. If there are specific ride rules and requirements that are not met during the ride, one complains or does not return and finds another ride. That can go both ways i.e. fast guys show up for an advertised fast ride and several less fast riders show up and complain the entire ride and ruin it.