Originally Posted by
Bald Paul
The group has no issues with an 'old guy on an e-bike' riding with a group faster than his level of fitness IF he has the skills to do so. There is no legal way (that I'm aware of) to tell someone they can't ride with you, and having an entire group of riders not ride to avoid being taken out by one bad rider on his e-bike isn't really an option.
You bring up a conundrum. On one hand you (and the others) have every right to tell someone you don't want them riding with you until they can do so safely. Yet on the other hand I'm unsure of what recourse you have if the individual ignores that and continues to ride along with the group if their actions don't rise to the level of harassment.
Yes, It is impolite for the guy to ignore your (firm/clear) request that he ride with a different group (or ride at the tail) until he gains sufficient experience.
The goal though is to do what you can to keep your group safe. Assuming your concerns about safety have been clearly & firmly brought to his attention, I'm not sure what you can do other than adjust the group riding. Maybe everyone behind him drops back to allow for reaction time. Maybe change the B group pace/structure/time/place for a while. Maybe everyone just pulls over and tells him to go on ahead, making it as awkward for him as you can.
None are good options, and it's unfortunate you may need to do something like this for your members safety, but I'd also hate to have to call a friend's spouse to the hospital due to his inexperience.