@CraigHew Similar to you, I class myself as a fair weather rider and looking forward to getting back to biking with care. The standards of driving is just awful these days as well as the state of the roads here in the South East. (Speeding, using their phone while driving, not using indicators, tailgating, middle lane hogging on motorways for example) Lack of police cars on the road that do not see what i see is really frustrating! Having to report potholes to the local council is just ridiculous, I have never seen the roads in such a state! The council mark the potholes with white paint and eventually someone comes along fills the hole but fails to address another pothole just a few feet away from the hole they have just repaired! Rant sort of over for the time being
I have found that with everyone in the group having a decent comms kit group riding is so much more enjoyable than bimbling along on your own, even if you are in a group. Safer too.