Bike Home From Avon, CO — Or Ride There for the Day
▼ 2,230 ft net descent to Denver Union Station
Avon puts you at the bottom of the Eagle Valley with the paved Eagle Valley Trail running east toward Vail. A longer day home than Vail or Frisco, and a natural first overnight for a two-day version.
🚲 2 rack spaces guaranteed — more usually fit underneath
Bustang's published limit is two bikes on the rack, first-come first-served, with no reservations. In practice the under-bus luggage bay takes more: riders regularly get three or four bikes on a mountain run. Mountain bikes go in with the front wheel off; gravel bikes sometimes fit the rack as-is.
- Take an early departure — the bay fills with luggage later in the day.
- Pull your front wheel before you get to the curb, especially on a mountain bike.
- A group of four should plan to split across two departures if the bay is full.
- Nothing comes inside the cabin, and nobody is responsible for damage. Pack accordingly.
Rack rules:
Bustang FAQ. Real-world capacity from riders who have done it — treat the bay as likely, not guaranteed.
The ride back to Union Station
Same start, same finish, three different bikes — the route changes with what you are riding, not just the surface mix. All three finish at Denver Union Station; plan it to your own address if you live somewhere else.
Road bikeroad
Pavement the whole way, on the quietest roads that still go where you're going.
About two days of northbound riding on pavement, covering roughly 164 miles with about 11,788 ft of climbing spread across both days. You'll spend over half your time on busier roads, so stay sharp on traffic, but the pacing and climb distribution should give you room to build momentum through day one before finishing day two.
Gravel bikegravel
Dirt where dirt is good, pavement where it isn't.
This is a two-day point-to-point heading north on mostly quiet roads, mixing about 61% pavement with 39% gravel. You're looking at about 19,423 ft of climbing spread across the 128 miles, so pace yourself accordingly. Bring a support plan or plan your overnight stop, since you'll finish somewhere different than where you started.
Mountain bikemtb
Singletrack allowed — the trail gate opens for mountain bikes only.
About two days of riding north on quiet roads, mixing pavement and gravel pretty evenly. You're looking at serious climbing here, about 19,770 ft across the whole tour, so pace yourself on day one and expect the elevation to add up fast on day two. This is a point-to-point, so plan your finish carefully.
Routes at the stop
Riding there rather than home? Start and finish at the bus.
Short spin
An hour to shake out the bus legs.
You're heading west on pavement for about 15 miles out and back, with roughly 600 ft of climbing to work through. Most of this ride sits on busier roads, so expect some traffic, but the steady climbing keeps things interesting.
Half day
The best half-day ride from the stop.
Head south on quiet roads for 21 miles of mixed terrain, mostly gravel with paved sections woven in. You're looking at about 4,446 ft of climbing across the whole ride, so pace yourself early. Out to the turnaround and back the way you came, with nearly all of it on low-traffic pavement and dirt.
Gravel ridegravel
Dirt roads out of town.
Heading south on a quiet loop that's split nearly even between pavement and gravel, you're looking at about 6,439 ft of climbing packed into 27.6 miles. The elevation doesn't lay out evenly, so pace yourself through the steeper pitches and settle in for the long haul. All on low-traffic roads, this one rewards steady legs and smart gearing.