Bustang to Fraser With a Bike — Ride Home to Denver, Ride There for the Day, or Ride to the Next Stop
▼ 3,374 ft net descent to Denver Union Station
The Fraser valley is the classic version of this trip: bus up US 40, then ride home over Rollins Pass on the old Moffat Road railroad grade and down into Boulder County. Dirt, history, and about 3,300 feet of net drop.
🚲 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.
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 89-mile push east on pavement with about 7,516 ft of climbing, so you're looking at a serious day in the saddle. The climbing is substantial and front-loaded, so get after it early when you're fresh. Fair warning: you'll spend most of this ride on busier roads, so stay alert and give yourself plenty of time to finish before dark.
Gravel BikeGravel
Dirt where dirt is good, pavement where it isn't.
Head east on a point-to-point mix of pavement and trail, about 67 miles with roughly 7,583 ft of climbing stacked throughout the day. You'll spend just over five hours in the saddle across a varied surface, mostly on quiet roads with a short stretch of busier traffic to connect.
Mountain BikeMTB
Singletrack allowed — the trail gate opens for mountain bikes only.
You're heading east on a one-way point-to-point that mixes pavement and singletrack trail, about 67 miles and 7,592 ft of climbing total. Expect serious elevation gain stacked throughout, with roughly 41% trail riding woven in alongside paved sections and just light traffic where the roads overlap. Bring your A-game and plan your finish point ahead of time.
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've got a solid southwest loop mixing paved and trail, mostly dirt underfoot on quiet roads with about 1,334 ft of climbing across the 16 miles. The climbing is distributed through the ride, so pace yourself early and you'll have good legs for the finish. All but a sliver of traffic-free riding, so you can focus on the trail.
Half day
The best half-day ride from the stop.
You're heading northwest on a loop that's almost entirely trail with just a bit of pavement mixed in, covering about 26 miles and 2,241 ft of climbing. The work is distributed across the ride, so pace yourself accordingly. Quiet roads throughout, so you can focus on the dirt.
Gravel rideGravel
Dirt roads out of town.
West on quiet back roads into about 29 miles of trail and gravel, with 3,207 ft of climbing packed throughout. This one's a serious day in the saddle, so fuel accordingly and expect the work to be steady rather than bunched up.