Things To Do on an eBike in Bernalillo County, NM

Where to ride in Bernalillo County

The documented rides here are two paved City trails and a few closed or restricted ones, so the guide spends as much time on where not to ride as where to.

Riding in Bernalillo County, New Mexico.

The Bosque trail is flat and 16 miles long, while the Tramway Trail is about 8.5 miles with a steep two-mile climb, so they suit different battery budgets.

1. Paseo del Bosque Trail

The City describes the Paseo del Bosque as 16 miles of paved multi-use trail, uninterrupted by roads, running beside the Rio Grande through Albuquerque. Access points include Alameda Boulevard, Tingley Beach, and Central Avenue, where parking sits at the northeast corner of the Central Avenue bridge, off Central west of Tingley Blvd.

Distance: 16 miles, paved; start: Alameda Boulevard access on the southeast side of the Alameda bridge, or Central Avenue; surface: Paved multi-use trail.

eBike access: The City opened the Paseo del Bosque and Alameda Drain paved trails to eBikes, with a 20 mph limit unless a lower speed is posted. Etiquette and planning: The Alameda lot has the only formal restrooms on the trail, so plan stops around it, and the nearby Rio Grande Nature Center does not allow bikes. Managing source: City of Albuquerque, Paseo del Bosque Trail.

2. Tramway Trail

A paved trail along the Sandia foothills that New Mexico Touring Society's route page measures at about 8.5 miles. It is hilly, with a steep climb of roughly two miles to Elena Gallegos Open Space.

Distance: About 8.5 miles; start: Elena Gallegos Open Space is at 7100 Tramway Blvd NE; surface: Paved with steep hills.

eBike access: The City lists paved multi-use trails as open to eBikes, but the Foothills trails are the City's limited experimental set, so check its map for this segment. Etiquette and planning: Budget extra battery for the long climb and keep right on the descent, where bikes meet walkers at speed. Managing source: New Mexico Touring Society, Tramway Trail.

3. Elena Gallegos Open Space

A 640-acre City Open Space at about 6,500 feet with pay stations at its trailheads. Summer hours from April 1 to October 31 are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and winter hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Distance: 640 acres; start: 7100 Tramway Blvd NE; surface: Paved access with dirt trails beyond.

eBike access: Dirt trails here sit beside Forest Service land, which prohibits eBikes, so confirm which trails the City has opened before riding past the picnic area. Etiquette and planning: Pay at the trailhead station, and keep any eBike on paved or posted-open trails. Managing source: City of Albuquerque, Elena Gallegos Open Space.

Planning a Bernalillo County ride

Open the City's eBike map the night before, because the 2024 closures on the West Mesa, East Mountain and Foothills were temporary and may have changed.

Pick a flat day on the Paseo del Bosque, then add the Tramway Trail only if your battery covers the climb.

Half-day and full-day eBike plans

What not to ride

Bosque ditch roads and dirt: The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District keeps its eBike ban on its lands except the paved Paseo del Bosque and Alameda Drain trails, and the Corrales Bosque Preserve bars eBikes from its ditch road, levee and dirt paths.

Rio Grande Nature Center: The City's trail page states that no bikes are allowed at the Nature Center.

Sandia foothills on Forest Service land: The Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest prohibits eBikes, so trails that enter it are closed.

When to ride Bernalillo County

Summer afternoons can run hot, so a morning start in Bernalillo is the comfortable choice, and spring and fall open longer windows.

Shop hubs

The directory lists 3 towns in Bernalillo County. Each town page lists addresses, phone numbers, and claim links.

• eBike shops in Corrales (1)
• eBike shops in Cedar Crest (1)
• eBike shops in Albuquerque (22)

Rental and tour operators

Rental listings follow. Call each one about electric models, helmets, and return times, because a listing does not show today's fleet.

New Mexico eBike rules snapshot

New Mexico sorts eBikes into three classes in NMSA § 66-1-4.5. An electric-assisted bicycle has two or three wheels, fully operable pedals, and an electric motor of no more than 750 watts. A Class 1 motor assists only while you pedal and stops assisting at 20 miles an hour. A Class 2 motor can assist whether or not you pedal and also stops at 20 miles an hour. A Class 3 motor assists only while you pedal and stops at 28 miles an hour. A two- or three-wheel electric vehicle that does not fit the definition and can exceed 20 miles an hour on motor power alone is an "electric mobility device" and counts as a motor vehicle. Electric-assisted bicycles are left out of the motor vehicle definition in § 66-1-4.11 and exempt from registration and title under § 66-3-1.

The path rule is § 66-3-709, in force since July 1, 2023. You may ride a Class 1 on a bicycle or pedestrian path where bicycles are allowed, unless the city or county prohibits it. You may not ride a Class 2 or Class 3 on a bicycle or pedestrian path unless the path is within a street or highway or the local government permits it. Nobody under 16 may operate a Class 3 on a street, highway, or path, though a younger rider may be a passenger on a Class 3 built for one. The section does not apply to a trail designated non-motorized with a natural dirt surface, and the city, county, or state agency in charge may regulate eBikes there. The bill as first introduced would have let Class 2 onto paths too, and some guides still say so; the enrolled law we cite does not. Under § 66-3-708 a new eBike must carry a permanent label showing its class, top assisted speed, and motor wattage, a Class 2 motor must cut out when the brakes are applied, Class 1 and 3 motors must cut out when you stop pedaling, and a Class 3 needs a speedometer.

On the road, riders keep as near the right side as practicable and ride no more than two abreast (§ 66-3-705), and at night need a white front light visible 500 feet, a red rear reflector, a bell or other signal audible 100 feet, and a brake that can skid the wheel (§ 66-3-707). Under the Child Helmet Safety Act (§ 32A-24-3), a parent or guardian may not knowingly let a minor under 18 ride or be a passenger on a bicycle, which the act defines to include an electric-assisted bicycle, without a well-fitted helmet; the civil penalty is up to $10. We found no adult helmet rule, no eBike driver's license, and no insurance requirement. A 2025 law, Laws 2025, chapter 22, lets a person riding a bicycle roll through a stop or yield sign when no pedestrian, bicycle, or vehicle has the right of way. The Motor Vehicle Code defines a bicycle as human-powered, and the act does not say whether an eBike qualifies, so stop at signs. Cities, counties, parks, and land managers add their own rules. Read our New Mexico eBike laws guide, then check the sign at the trailhead.

New Mexico State Parks publishes its rules at 19.5.2 NMAC. The text we read does not mention bicycles or eBikes, so ask the park before riding a state park trail.

Federal land follows different rules. The Forest Service manages eBikes as motor vehicles under its travel rules: all three classes are allowed on motorized trails and roads, and a non-motorized trail opens to eBikes only if the local forest designates it. The Bureau of Land Management allows eBikes on roads and trails open to motorized use and lets a field office open non-motorized trails to them. National parks decide for themselves. Look up the specific unit before you load the bike.

Albuquerque's ordinance O-24-14, summarized on the City's eBike page, allows Class 1, 2 and 3 eBikes on paved City trails and on City Open Space trails unless a sign or the landowner says otherwise, and sets a 20 mph limit, with unpaved Open Space trails capped at 15 mph or lower. That is the local permission that state law section 66-3-709 requires for Class 2 and 3 on bicycle paths. The Police Department enforces it, and the City's notice gives a typical fine of $100.

The City's 2024 notice lists the Bosque trails on conservancy land, most Foothills trails, the unpaved West Mesa trails and the East Mountain unpaved trails as closed or temporarily closed. The conservancy district says its ban remains except where it delegated authority. The notice is two years old, so treat it as a starting point.

Frequently asked questions

All shops in Bernalillo County

Browse the whole directory, 24 listings across 3 cities, on the Bernalillo County eBike shops page.