I agree that Owlie will be able to ride faster in a paceline, but if this ride is her first introduction to group riding, I'm not sure getting into a paceline--at least not a tight or fast one--is the wisest thing to do. I'll admit that I'm sometimes overly cautious, but I think the first step is to do some group rides where the group is pretty loosely formed. Get used to having cyclists near you such that develop a certain degree of comfort and awareness. From there, I would advise learning how to ride in a small paceline. Get used to being on someone's wheel and having someone on yours. Work on holding a steady spin and a light touch on the brakes. Learn how to use hand and voice signals effectively. Once you get comfortable with that, I think you can safely join a bigger and/or faster paceline with the understanding that you still have to be pretty darn careful.

Of course, if this group is willing to keep the ride more social and relaxed for her benefit, then that would be ideal. I was lucky in that many of the people I rode with as a new rider were happy to slow down a bit to bring me along. Couple that with some caution on my own part about keeping my distance from their bikes until I was more comfortable and a better bike handler, and I was able to learn the ropes pretty quickly.

I will say this, too. I think guys have a tendency to be somewhat protective of women riders. Call it paternalistic, sexist, or chivalrous, but most of the guys I ride with are happy to help the women in our group keep up. Of course, it was long my goal to be able to keep up without their help, but I can't say that it ever bothered me when my stronger male riding buddies were willing to pull me in or slow down when I couldn't otherwise make it. If Owlie joins this ride--now or in the future--my guess is that she might encounter a bit of that, too.