Old OWLS and New FOWLS

This week marked the beginning of parallel OWLS and FOWLS rides. Here's a report on our first day.

The Original OWLS met at Sherwood Oaks Church and did its "Long Leonard" ride to west south west. We had 9 bikes = 10 riders, averaged 13.1 or so door-to-door over about 26 miles. I was often at the end but could always see the leaders. We had two new faces, which was nice. We kept together until the end, when we split over going back to town on Fairfax or taking Ramp Creek. Two of us did Ramp Creek while the others took the shorter, perhaps easier, but more traffic option.

Over at Bryan Park the Faster OWLS or FOWLS also had 9 cyclists. Tom R reports: the training ride group joined us for the first 8 miles then went on alone while we regrouped at the Vernal-Howard intersection.  The repaired surface on the final section of Vernal before the highway was most welcome.  We rode 35 miles, "enjoying" Whitehall hill along the way, engendering mutterings that I had mapped the ride in the wrong direction!  The pace was fast while we were with the training group then slowed to a more reasonable FOWLS pace once they left us behind.  We encountered a kind young lady on Reeves Road who gave a bottle of Gatorade to one of us who had run out of water possibly saving a life.  We have nominated her for a CNN "Hero" award.