Bike Home From Grand Junction, CO — Ride There for the Day, or Ride to Another Bus Stop
The far end of the West Line, and the one stop that sits LOWER than Denver — no descent to trade on, so ride this one the other way: bus out with the bike, tour the Grand Valley's fruit-and-wine roads and the Riverfront Trail, and let the bus do the 250 miles back.
🚲 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 point-to-point heading east on all pavement, 334.7 miles with about 21,869 ft of climbing spread across roughly three hard days or five at a relaxed pace. You're looking at significant road traffic for half the ride, so plan fuel stops and rest days accordingly. The climbing adds up quick over this distance, so pace yourself early and don't blow up chasing the mileage.
Gravel bikegravel
Dirt where dirt is good, pavement where it isn't.
This is a serious point-to-point bikepack heading east on a mix of gravel and singletrack, covering 309 miles with 28,561 ft of climbing. You're looking at about 26 hours of riding time, doable as three very long days or spread across six if you want to eat and sleep like a human. It's split roughly even between pavement and dirt trail, with minimal traffic to manage.
Mountain bikemtb
Singletrack allowed — the trail gate opens for mountain bikes only.
This is a serious point-to-point bikepack heading east on a mix of gravel and trail, covering 311 miles with about 28,798 ft of climbing over three hard days or six at a slower pace. You'll spend roughly half the ride on dirt singletrack and doubletrack, the other half on gravel and pavement, with light traffic overall. Bring a capable setup for mixed terrain and plan your water and camp stops 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.
Head northeast on mostly paved roads for a 15.9-mile loop with steady, manageable climbing spread across the ride, about 351 ft of elevation gain overall. You'll pick up a short gravel stretch partway through, and a bit of traffic on connecting roads, but it's a solid, low-key cruise.
Half day
The best half-day ride from the stop.
This is a serious day out: 70.5 miles on mostly trail and gravel heading south, with about 9,188 ft of climbing spread across the whole ride, and almost no traffic to worry about. You'll spend most of your time on dirt, with brief paved sections to tie things together. Ride out to your turnaround and come back the same way.
Gravel ridegravel
Dirt roads out of town.
Head southwest on quiet roads, mixing pavement with about four miles of gravel mid-loop. You'll climb about 718 ft spread across the ride, so nothing steep, and finish back where you started on nearly traffic-free lines.