Ridin' Rio: a look into the city's unofficial official sport

RIO RANCHO — Whether it’s out past Rio Rancho Estates, through the hills near Rio Rancho High School or up near the end of Unser Boulevard, city residents and natives are used to one familiar sight and sound: The rip-roaring noise of an off-road vehicle.

The prime landscape of the City of Vision’s mesa provides the perfect playground for these riders, with its popularity growing from weekend hobby to full-fledged competitive sport.

“I've been riding since I was about 3,” Cleveland High School student Kaeleb Escudero said. “When I first started, I just kind of fell in love; it's kind of been my passion.”

Escudero plays several sports, including being a part of the recent champion Storm football team. But for the Cleveland sophomore, bicycle motocross (BMX) stands above the rest.

“Everything I do has to involve something involving two wheels,” Escudero said. “I just love it, especially around here, when everywhere you go, there are deserts. It's like, why not?”

Escudero is coming off his second state championship, currently riding with a team called “505,” competing in the age-16 intermediate skill level. There are a number of age groups and skill groups, with riders coming from all corners of the state to compete.

Escudero’s family has also dived into the riding community, including his younger brother, Levi, who is in the BMX 12U circuit. The familiar affair and Kaeleb’s love for the sport can be traced back to a special show at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

“I went to Nitro Circus, or some show like that,” Escudero said. “As soon as I saw that, I just immediately fell in love, and I started watching videos every day. Every time my brothers and I saw a dirt bike in the back of a truck, we would get super excited.”

Bicycle motocross is just one of many riding forms you may see out in the desert. On top of dirt bikes, it is common to see all-terrain vehicles and four-wheelers, dune buggies or even jeeps and trucks out to rip up some dirt. The “off-road” category shows no bounds.

No matter what you ride, Rio Rancho has been considered a gold mine for finding or creating some track, with many riding communities and locals traveling to the area to do so.

“Around Rio Rancho, I prefer the area at the end of Southern and Northern (boulevards),” one local told the Observer. “There are some tracks people have built on some of those empty plots out west of town. But there are people who ride pretty much everywhere out there.”

Other local spots include the end of Rainbow Boulevard and the “Rio Puerco,” a biking loop west of the city.

“It's easily accessible, and there is a load of variety when it comes to the terrain and types of riding you can do,” they said. “If you get bored riding around here, you're doing something very wrong.”

For some more official locations, you can look toward Albuquerque. Duke City BMX, a facility next to the Albuquerque Isotopes and the University of New Mexico’s campus, hosts major state events. Escudero likes to practice at North Valley Bike Park, just west of Balloon Fiesta Park.

The popularity is undeniable. Escudero says he knows dozens of classmates who also ride, and the same goes for his brother Levi at the middle school. Riders come in all forms, from 2-year-olds on mini “strider bikes” to all the way up to 65-year-olds.

In a hub for riding, who knows, maybe one day BMX and riding will be in the same conversation as football and basketball. “Storm/Rams Varsity Motocross” has a nice ring to it.

“I just want to see more people trying it,” Escudero said. “They think it's a lot harder, and it looks scary, but once you're actually out there, it's so much fun. Once you get involved, the next thing you know, you don't want to stop doing it.”