Sorry I haven't had a chance to check the messages since I originally posted . Loong work week so far and exhausted. Anyway, I managed to squeeze in an hour of training at Stone Mtn Park yesterday and observed the peleton as they came through. They ride 2 abreast and always before dark. My friends who ride with them state they ride single file if they are doing 22-25mph but they do not exceed the posted speeding limit of 30mph.

I would post pics of the park to provide a better pic of the layout conditions etc but I'm not on my home pc right now. I'm not one of the riders in the group but I work in the healthcare field and have seen more than enough cyclists versus motor vehichle accidents to be concerned that the maneuver may be a bit extreme with a high potential for an ugly outcome. Another police officer who runs at the park has stated that the officers at the park are "known to be really grumpy" and they are known to single out cyclists for minor stuff even though there are people running in the street versus designated pedestrian side walk and lanes.

While the PD have always been polite and pleasant to me, I can relay one conversation with an officer who was trying to "help" the cyclists out. A female cyclist had been hit by a car over the weekend while observing all the rules, etc. I asked about the incident because we had mutual friends. The officer told me to "tell my cyclist friends to be careful because there are cars in the park." The implication being that she was somehow careless. I agree with him that we have the burden to make sure we stay safe. However, I might add that the cyclist was hit because a car made a u-turn right in front of her. I have had a similar event occur within the last month as well. I have always been told that they would prefer that cyclists not use the park, etc. I can honestly say most non-park regulars are clueless about sharing space with cyclists.

I am not against law enforcement by any means as I always seem to end up dating them somehow. Something about guns and a uniform??? . naaah!!
Yes, it may mean re-routing the group ride but I still have to wonder at their methods.