Techmech I too have been in that boat - we probably all have if we're honest - but I hope that you wont give the next meet a second thought about not turning up, you contributed equally to the success of the day as everyone else did.
To be fair, the first 10km of that ride were outrageously difficult to a newcomer/ anyone who hasn't spent a lot of time in the saddle in the recent past. No slant on HlaB's route given that no-one else came up with a better suggestion, myself included, but something we should bear in mind for next time.
Thanks also to Satans Budgie for the maps - it gave us all something to look at while the beautiful one fannied about looking for his mobile for 10 minutes