newcastlecycling

. Good Riders (as in skill) know where to ride in a bunch who to be in front of and who to avoid.

2ndWheel - agree.  However, in F and E grade you get a lot of new never raced riders mixed in with slower experienced riders.  What do you do when you are in a bunch made up predominately of  inexperienced riders who have superior fitness?  You can not, because of inferior fitness, be in front of all of them, and if you avoid them you might be riding solo.  I think it is, with respect, a different issue in the lower two grades than elsewhere - the lower grades get nearly all of the first time racers.  By the time they work their way up to the C grade most riders have acquired some rudimentary skills.

The answer, IMHO, is skills training for new riders and some degree of mentoring.