Hey Kerri,
One thing you've mentioned is knowing the road. That's important.
What scares me is the oncoming traffic (cars, pocket rocket motorcycles) and bicycles on those roads. Also slows me down is my passenger (Terry), not the added weight, but the added responsibility.
You have more skills than mine, sometimes when I lead a group, I never know if I'm boring everyone driving slow, or driving too fast. The best thing is to separate the more aggressive drivers and let them do their own pace. That works the best.
--Hal