Confessions of a Newbie Rider

[Lawrence]

In a group ride, do not fixate on the bike in front of you. Watch where the road is going and look out for potential hazards as normal. You will see plenty of the leading bike in your peripheral vision to know where he's going, how close you are etc. That's one of the best tips I've been learning more about lately on all the rides I've been doing.

This applies when filtering too, don't just follow the bike in front.  Make sure that you're aware of what's going on as things change all the time and by the time you get to where he was, the traffic, gaps etc will have changed.