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@LongAndWinding
It would be good if everyone had a map, but I don't think that everyone's map reading abilities should be what is relied upon. I had printed a map, but not in sufficient detail to help - and with the nature of my job, I have good map reading skills (given a suitable map). The ride was intended to be all inclusive, and I hadn't expected to be that far behind that in the straights - I figured I'd see at least someone up ahead.
A backstop and a closer knit group would certainly help, with more regrouping points - particularly in the countryside. The regrouping worked during the urban areas where junctions forced us to stop, but where junctions weren't so clear it fell apart.
I belive that the point I went wrong was where road markings were either worn out, or freshly tarmaced. I would not have intentionally turned off the road. Having looked on Google maps, it is a clear right fork that should have been taken, I stuck to the road bearing left - on the understanding that if I stuck to the 'straight ahead' and following the road, I'd meet someone at a junction. As it turned out, it was 6 miles further from the point that I went wrong that the group waited. I think that was possibly a bit too far between regroup points when you're largely in the middle of nowhere.
I'll volunteer to be a backstop, as long as I'm available to do a recce. Will be learning the route by heart next time anyway.