Resolved: The multi-use path bridge at X is the bumpiest, most bike and body-rattling ******* bridge in town.

The debate resolution above can lead verbally forensic Burque cyclists to many places around town, and countless bone-jarring memories, but perhaps no candidate for bumpiest bridge was stronger than the little, but deadly, one at the west end of Arroyo del Oso Golf Course across which teeth-loosened users, in abundance, bounce their way from Osuna to Academy and vice-versa.

Here’s the location of what was a very, very strong ******* candidate:

You know the one. Such an important little stretch, so often traversed, such a bastard of a bridge.

But no more.

For in just the past few days (my last previous horror ride across it was only three weeks ago), Albuquerque Parks and Recreation (or somebody) has replaced the gnarled, uneven wood with silky smooth new boards.

How much do riders like it? How much do Burque cyclists appreciate the City (or someone) for renovating this little bridge? Let’s ask the man on the street cyclist on the bridge for a visual reaction:

Photo: John Fleck (cyclist, unknown; sorry we should have asked his name)

The more cynically perceptive among you might notice a bridge imperfection here and there, but look at this guy’s smile! It’s like riding over brand new pavement before the road opens compared to the old bridge. It’s like the best day of riding you ever had. It’s like b-u-t-t-e-r.

Big thanks to Albuquerque Parks & Rec. for doing this work, and if it wasn’t Parks & Rec., even huger thanks to the good Samaritan who cut some boards and yanked out the painfully old ones. I’m thinking it was Parks & Recreation. Thanks!

Of course, that’s only one bumpy bridge down, many, many more left to go.  Working toward a more complete resolution of the citywide problem, Parks & Rec. is conducting a formal study of all multi-use path bridges in town, work which then lead to prioritizing bridges in need of repair quickest. We cyclists shout “Huzzah!,” “Godspeed!” and “Posthaste!” regarding this effort (because we are reading a biography of U.S. Grant at present and our brain is full of 19th Century word preferences).

We cyclists also have more than a few candidates for first-order prioritization, but one very small, yet very important, bridge is now scratched off that list. Huzzah!