backinthesaddle

On a short morning training ride today, I went over (as usual) on of the very worst road surfaces I ever encounter: it's a short wooden bridge over an inlet from San Francisco Bay, with uneven planking perpendicular to the direction of the roadway. Each plank is maybe 10 inches, so I'm jostled and jaggled all the way across, worse than the worst washboard surface. Yet I get a kick of this bridge, it's such a relic in this high tech world that I gladly endure it and never avoid it.

Then less than a half mile away, a beautiful newly poured stretch of asphalt road, with a wide bike lane and newly painted bright white stripes to delineate it. Nothing like newly paved asphalt!

What a contrast, so close to each other.

deanp

When I headed out last night a side street I used had just been resurfaced. I was so smooth. Don't have any wooden bridges though.

Yossarian12

I ride the Alameda Bay Farm Loop from Lake Merrit on my easy days. Was thinking of heading up to the Berkeley Marina this afternoon, but while cruising BF before my ride I saw your post and decided to hit it up to enjoy the new asphalt. Most Oaklanders seem to turn around on Bayshore at the restrooms before the ferry, but I like to cruise through the neighborhoods just to ride over that old wooden bridge. Glad to see I am not alone!!

backinthesaddle

You got it, that's the plank bridge. Glad someone else appreciates it!

Actually the paved road I meant was Fernside on the Alameda island section, the repaving project on Bay Farm is paved now but no lane markings yet.