I just paid $130 to ride my bike around Lake Tahoe. Seems like a lot of money to go for a bike ride, but when you consider it includes a couple meals, SAG, SWAG and use permits for a couple thousand of my closest friends, it's a bit more palatable. I don't do many group rides - maybe a couple per year. They are fun in their own way, and I'm sure the cost will continue to go up just like the movies, concerts, sporting events, etc.
I guess if I didn't want to pony up the $130 I could have taken a Weekday off and rode around the lake myself with less traffic. There are restaurants and I can pack some snacks... so I guess I decided to pay for the social thing.