Ho Ho Ho to you too.
Think you've been given the info you need to find what you want. If you don't like working through riding groups, then reverse it and hunt for riders at the Friday hotspots.
I chose the other way - local recreational club with a few thousand members. Within the group there are many factions dedicated to touring rides, fitness rides, recreational rides, etc. There's a group and special focus for almost every day of the week and regional location. Some fitness rides are Thursdays after work, others are every Saturday morning. Groups break up based on speed - usually tiered from 16mph to 22+. Many of the hammerheads in the faster groups race as members of a local shop velo club or formal race club. Fitness ride connections led me to TT practice ride nights. Many of those participants are active in competitive sports of all kind. Most people that I ride with belong to at least 2 or 3 cycling organizations/clubs. Through all the connections, it is very easy to identify a specific type of ride/rider in any area of the region - " give so and so a call or show up at XYZ on Wed eves and they'll set you up... "
I ride frequently with people aged 22 to 70+. There are doctors, carpenters, general contractors, stock brokers, teachers, engineers, undergrad and grad students, salesmen, welders,shop owners, restauranteurs, retired medical professionals, retired teachers,, yada .... you name it. Now that I think about my "peer group" it is pretty limited and singularly focused .... on cycling. .
You want to make it hard, keep looking for the needle in a haystack. Want it to be easy - start making connections.
Merry X-mas!
