New Mexico cycling in numbers
50%
Bike ownership
60+
Miles of trails
35
State parks
45
Bike friendliness score
New Mexico from a cyclist's perspective
New Mexico rewards cyclists with a mix of big sky, high desert, and mountain air that feels tailor made for long days in the saddle. From cottonwood shaded river paths to rugged backcountry loops, it offers more variety than its map footprint might suggest. The overall bicycle friendliness sits in the lower middle of the national pack, but certain pockets work hard to tip the experience in riders’ favor.
Albuquerque is the state’s cycling workhorse. A substantial network of bikeways and multi use paths traces arroyos and the Rio Grande, giving riders car free corridors that link neighborhoods, parks, and downtown. The signature Paseo del Bosque Trail follows the river through cottonwood bosque and open fields, serving as both a fitness route and a calm way to traverse the city. On surface streets, conditions feel more mixed: some corridors have useful bike lanes, while others still reflect a car first design, so route choice matters.
Santa Fe leans into cycling with a more compact, arts driven setting. Rail trail segments, the River Trail, and short but scenic connectors give road and gravel riders pleasant ways to move between the historic core, outlying neighborhoods, and surrounding foothills. The city has invested in bikeways as part of a broader multimodal strategy, yet gaps in the network and some high speed arterials can make cross town trips feel disjointed without local knowledge.
Beyond the cities, New Mexico’s marquee rides help define its character for visiting cyclists. The Monumental Loop around Las Cruces strings together desert tracks, dirt roads, and views of the Organ Mountains for riders who want a multi day bikepacking taste of the Chihuahuan Desert. Up north, access points around Taos and Los Alamos open the door to mountain and road climbs that push into high elevation forests and above tree line scenery. These landscapes often feel remote and committing, rewarding preparation and respect for weather, heat, and limited services.
As a whole, New Mexico feels like a state in transition for cyclists. Urban networks in Albuquerque and Santa Fe are steadily improving but remain incomplete, and statewide rankings place New Mexico in the lower half for bike friendliness, reflecting lingering safety and policy challenges. At the same time, the blend of cultural interest, public lands, and emerging long distance routes makes it an appealing canvas for riders who value scenery, solitude, and a bit of adventure with their pavement and dirt.
New Mexico Cycling Weather
New Mexico offers over 300 sunny days, featuring dry desert heat and crisp mountain air often cooled by brief summer afternoon monsoons.
Sunny days a year
300
Riding season
Year-round
300 sunny days a year
Riding season
New Mexico Cycling Destinations
Paseo del Bosque Trail
Paseo del Bosque is Albuquerque’s signature river trail, a paved greenway that traces the Rio Grande beneath cottonwoods and open fields along the valley floor. Riders move through a quiet corridor that feels far removed from traffic, with views of the Sandia Mountains, access to the Rio Grande Nature Center, and links to zoo and museum districts along the way. The largely flat profile makes it ideal for everything from family spins to tempo sessions, and dirt side paths let gravel and cyclocross riders add texture. Because it connects multiple bridges and neighborhoods, the Bosque becomes both a commute route and a scenic long ride, especially at sunrise and sunset when wildlife and color are on full display.
Monumental Loop
The Monumental Loop has become a calling card for bikepackers seeking a multi day dirt adventure that still starts and finishes in town. Circling the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument, it strings together desert singletrack, sandy two track, ranch roads, and short pavement links to create a rugged loop through volcanic cones, open basins, and rocky hills. Riders experience big sky horizons, long water gaps, and punchy climbs that quickly remind you how remote southern New Mexico can feel. This is a route for experienced riders with good navigation and resupply planning, but it rewards that effort with solitude, starry nights, and a strong sense of place that few road tours can match.
Santa Fe Rail Trail
South and southeast of Santa Fe, the Rail Trail and surrounding gravel roads give riders an easy way to roll from gallery and plaza life into open piñon juniper country. The Rail Trail itself follows the old rail corridor toward Lamy with a mix of paved urban path and dirt doubletrack sections, offering both mellow spins and rougher washboard segments. From trailheads near the city edge, gravel riders can branch into Santa Fe County’s broader network around Cerrillos, Lamy, and Rowe Mesa, where quiet county roads stitch together ranchland, arroyos, and views that reach toward the Ortiz and Sangre de Cristo ranges. It is a natural playground for mixed surface all road bikes and long shoulder season days.
Sandia Crest and Tramway Road
For road cyclists chasing vertical, the Sandia Mountains on the edge of Albuquerque deliver some of the most classic climbing in the state. Tramway Boulevard wraps around the city’s northeastern flank with a steady false flat and rolling profile that becomes a de facto training circuit, framed by big views of the mountains and high desert. From there, stronger riders can push into higher elevations via the Sandia Crest Road from the eastern side, a sustained mountain climb through tight turns, forest shade, and cooler air near the summit. On clear days, the payoff panorama stretches well across the Rio Grande Valley, making every pedal stroke feel worthwhile.
Gila Region
Around Silver City and the Gila National Forest, New Mexico’s cycling turns wilder and more textured, with layered ridges, ponderosa pine, and deep canyons setting the tone. Road riders gravitate to looping routes that roll past the Continental Divide and into the forest, mixing long climbs, fast descents, and minimal traffic on winding pavement. Gravel and bikepacking enthusiasts tap into a dense network of forest roads, including variations of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route and locally curated loops that circle the Tyrone Copper Mine or dive into Burro Mountain country. The combination of elevation, remoteness, and limited services makes this region feel like a training ground for bigger mountain expeditions.
Northern New Mexico High Country
Northern New Mexico around Taos offers a mix of high plateau roads, river canyons, and mountain access that feels almost alpine in character. Road cyclists can trace the Rio Grande Gorge area and quiet paved spurs that climb toward the Sangre de Cristo foothills, with big horizons and dramatic river cut views. Mountain and gravel riders find hundreds of miles of forest and county roads around the Jemez, Carson National Forest, and Cabezon Peak to the west, where volcanic mesas and mixed conifer forests trade places over long days out. The riding here rewards those who are comfortable with altitude, fast changing weather, and occasional rough surfaces, but the payoff is striking scenery and a sense of space that is hard to match.
New Mexico Cycling Events
Cycling is very popular in New Mexico, there’s a cycling event for every type of rider.
Tour of the Gila Stage Race
Tour of the Gila is New Mexico’s flagship stage race, drawing professional and elite amateur fields to the mountains around Silver City each spring. Riders tackle multiple days of racing on remote, hilly roads that thread through the Gila National Forest, including long climbs, technical descents, and high desert wind. The atmosphere in town mixes small city hospitality with big race intensity, and citizen categories let local riders share the same iconic courses as the pros on select days. It is the state’s premier test for climbers and all-rounders.
Event website
Gila Monster Gran Fondo
Linked to the Tour of the Gila weekend, the Gila Monster Gran Fondo lets strong recreational riders sample the same rugged terrain as the pros. The route rolls out of Silver City and into the Gila National Forest on quiet, twisting roads, stacking long climbs, fast descents, and scenic canyon sections into one demanding day. Riders encounter big elevation swings, sparse services, and changing weather, so preparation and pacing are crucial. The payoff is a bucket list style road ride through one of the Southwest’s most dramatic cycling landscapes.
Event website
Day of the Tread
Day of the Tread is Albuquerque’s festive, costume friendly cycling event that takes over the Sawmill District and Old Town each fall. Riders pick from a wide menu of road routes that roll through historic neighborhoods, museum districts, and the cottonwood lined Bosque Trail along the Rio Grande. Aid stations lean into the playful theme, with music, food, and family friendly energy that make the event feel like a rolling Halloween party on bikes. It attracts a broad spectrum of cyclists, from first time charity riders to seasoned century regulars.
Event website
Bosque Bone Shaker Gravel Grinder
The Bosque Bone Shaker Gravel Grinder is the gravel counterpart to Day of the Tread, inviting riders onto a mix of dirt and pavement along the Rio Grande corridor. Courses link levee roads, canal paths, and short paved connectors, giving participants a taste of New Mexico’s evolving gravel scene without leaving the metro area. With several distance options, it caters to both gravel curious roadies and experienced off road riders looking for a spirited group effort on familiar terrain. The event has grown quickly as more cyclists seek traffic light routes with a social finish line.
Event website
Chile Pepper Challenge
The Chile Pepper Challenge is a long running regional favorite that showcases the farm roads, pecan orchards, and chile fields of the Mesilla Valley near the New Mexico border. Hosted by the El Paso Bicycle Club, it draws riders from across the tri state area for a supported day on mostly flat to rolling rural pavement. Participants weave past small towns and irrigated fields, with rest stops stocked for warm weather and a relaxed, social vibe at the finish. The ride’s agricultural backdrop and long views make it a classic fall outing for distance oriented road cyclists.
Event website
Local Citizen and Fun Rides
Alongside the headline UCI race, Tour of the Gila weekend also features citizen and fun ride opportunities that let community riders experience the event from the saddle. These shorter routes often share sections of the race courses or nearby roads, giving amateurs a controlled taste of Gila climbing and scenery without the full stage race commitment. Support from local shops, volunteers, and the race organization keeps the atmosphere inclusive, and many families use these rides as an annual cycling highlight that pairs with spectating the pro stages.
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