Lowrider Bike Club continues to grow, celebrate culture

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – There were a lot of questions when Albuquerque City Council set aside $30,000 to turn an old patrol car into a lowrider. 

The idea was to use it as a vehicle for connecting police to the lowrider community. Now, some people are saying it’s starting to work.

This weekend, police departments from across the country are meeting in Albuquerque for the “Vehicle for Change” conference.

“We’re having people from all over the nation, National City, from Arizona, from Kansas, all here to talk about how we bridge the gap between community and law enforcement,” said City Councilor Klarissa Pena. 

The Lowrider Super Show is at the Albuquerque Convention Center this Sunday. But, there will be more than cars on display.

There’s a brand-new program that is connecting children to the lowrider culture, and they’ll be showing off their two-wheeled lowriders on Sunday.

Daniel Villalobos is one of the first eight students to join the Lowrider Bike Club. The Duke City chapter is the third in the nation – the first started in Kansas.

“We were changing lives one pedal at a time, and they did that because we literally had a bike with one pedal,” said Erik Erazo. 

Erazo helped start the first Lowrider Bike Club. Now, they say there are 10 chapters nationwide that gets children together after school to build and paint bikes. 

“The bonds we kind of form, and like the things they kind of taught me about life,” said Andres Padilla. 

Two members are graduating from high school this year, and both say the relationships with the volunteers and mentors have meant a lot.

“I like working with everybody, every mentor, every volunteer. I’m very timid, I’m very self-reserved, but I just got to say I appreciate all you guys for working with me. Thank you,” said Villalobos. 

Click here for more information on the 2023 Albuquerque Super Show.

Watch the video above for more.