Bustang to Buena Vista With a Bike — Ride Home to Denver, Ride There for the Day, or Ride to the Next Stop
▼ 2,765 ft net descent to Denver Union Station
Buena Vista is the far end of the best point-to-point trick in the book: West Line up to Frisco, ride the Colorado Trail south through the Tenmile and Collegiate Peaks country, and the Outrider brings you and your bike home from the corner of Railroad and Chestnut — 365 days a year, twice a day. The ride home to Denver over Trout Creek Pass and South Park is a genuine century with Fairplay as the natural overnight; riders staying put have the Midland singletrack rolling straight from the stop.
🚲 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 the bay with the front wheel off; gravel bikes usually fit underneath as-is, wheels on.
- 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.
Rocco & Wolf’s Pick
Planned in Pedal from a sentence — a one-way ride on the Colorado Trail — then ridden for real, start to finish. The bus covers both ends: West Line at Frisco, Outrider at Buena Vista.
Buena Vista → Frisco on the Colorado Trail — 96 mi
Ninety-six miles north on the Colorado Trail, with the bus handling both ends. Off the Outrider at Railroad & Chestnut, straight onto the trail through the Collegiate Peaks, over Searle and Kokomo passes, then down the Tenmile Range into Frisco — where the West Line carries you and the bike back to Denver. Almost all dirt, remote most of the day, and the net elevation is slightly in your favour: one very long day, or a fine overnight.
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.
This is a one-way point-to-point heading northeast on pavement, about 166 miles over two hard days or three at a relaxed pace, with roughly 9,700 ft of climbing spread across the distance. Fair warning: you'll spend most of it on busier roads, so plan your rest stops and fuel accordingly. Ride it as two manageable days and you've got a solid unsupported push; three is more about enjoying the road.
Gravel BikeGravel
Dirt where dirt is good, pavement where it isn't.
A point-to-point push northeast on a mix of pavement and well-graded gravel, about 145 miles with 12,198 ft of climbing spread across roughly 12 hours of pedaling. This is a two-day crusher or a three-day tour depending on your pace, mostly quiet roads with minimal traffic.
Mountain BikeMTB
Singletrack allowed — the trail gate opens for mountain bikes only.
This is a serious point-to-point bikepack, 152 miles northeast on mostly gravel with about 15,000 ft of climbing spread across 13.5 hours of riding. You're looking at two hard days or three at an easier pace, all on quiet roads with a 64/35 gravel-to-pavement split. Bring the right gear and water sources sorted before you leave.
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.
A 12.8-mile loop mixing pavement and gravel, with about 509 ft of climbing spread through the ride. You'll hit a short stretch on a busier road to connect, but mostly you're on quieter stuff. Figure just under an hour.
Half day
The best half-day ride from the stop.
You've got a loop mixing pavement and trail, about 25 miles with 2,654 ft of climbing that'll keep you honest the whole ride. Quiet roads handle most of the traffic exposure, and you're looking at roughly two and a quarter hours in the saddle. Bring a bike set up for both surfaces and pace accordingly.
Gravel rideGravel
Dirt roads out of town.
You're looking at a substantial loop on mostly trail with about 3,784 ft of climbing packed in across 35 miles, so pace yourself and bring plenty of water. The riding is almost entirely dirt with just a touch of pavement to connect, and traffic is basically a non-issue out here. Expect this to take most of a day.