Bustang to Winter Park With a Bike — Ride Home to Denver, Ride There for the Day, or Ride to the Next Stop
▼ 3,910 ft net descent to Denver Union Station
One stop up-valley from Fraser and 500 feet higher, at the foot of the Trestle bike park. Ride home over Rollins, or spend the day on the mountain and take the bus back down.
🚲 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.
You're looking at a substantial one-way point-to-point push east on paved roads with about 7,086 ft of climbing over 83 miles, so expect a long day in the saddle. Traffic runs fairly heavy across much of this route, so stay sharp and ride defensively. Front-load your fuel and pace yourself for the distance; this is a serious effort.
Gravel BikeGravel
Dirt where dirt is good, pavement where it isn't.
This one-way point-to-point heads east on a mix of pavement and trail, about 62 miles with roughly 7,000 ft of climbing that stacks unevenly through the day. You'll spend nearly half your time on singletrack and doubletrack, so bring a bike that handles dirt, and expect a solid day in the saddle with some real elevation work to manage.
Mountain BikeMTB
Singletrack allowed — the trail gate opens for mountain bikes only.
This one-way point-to-point heads east on a mix of pavement and trail, about 62 miles with roughly 7,000 ft of climbing that's going to test your fitness. You'll spend just over five hours in the saddle crossing some real elevation, so pace accordingly and don't underestimate the total work even though it's spread across the day.
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 northwest on mostly paved roads with about 2.5 miles of well-graded gravel mixed in, climbing roughly 693 ft spread across the ride. It's a quiet out-and-back with almost no traffic, so you can focus on the steady elevation gain on the way out and recover on the return.
Half day
The best half-day ride from the stop.
Head west on a mixed loop of quiet paved and trail sections, about 32 miles with 2,464 ft of climbing spread across the ride. You'll spend more than half the distance on singletrack and dirt, so come ready for technical terrain alongside the road miles. All on low-traffic routes, so you can focus on the trail work ahead.
Gravel rideGravel
Dirt roads out of town.
You're heading northwest on a loop that mixes paved and trail, about 21 miles with roughly 1,757 ft of climbing packed throughout. Expect singletrack and dirt alongside the pavement, all on quiet roads with almost no traffic to worry about.