Originally Posted by
jon c.
I have a lot of groups who come to my area to ride. I usually ride solo. I think I benefit from absolution by lack of association. There's not a lot of traffic, but the roads turn enough that it can be very hard to pass 20 riders. You can get stuck for 2 or 3 miles. Drivers see a single cyclist and feel a sense of relief as one rider is easy to get by.
I won't do a group ride that may result in cars getting hung up behind us for a protracted period of time. The group I ride with when I do my occasional group rides are very respectful and accommodating of motorists. A group can add a safety factor. A group of cyclists is more likely to steal the attention away from a distracted driver and a hot headed bully less likely to mess with a group.