Rob Curran
Rob Curran’s bike has become a vehicle to experience new places, people and terrain. This Ripon, Wisconsin US Postal Service mail carrier walks more miles than most during his workday. Yet, Rob has adventured far from the paved streets of Ripon and into the wilds of a variety of states with his Mountain Bike ranging from Wisconsin to North Carolina to Colorado.
What’s your typical pre-travel prep?
One of my favorite things is walking into the Oshkosh Wheel and Sprocket pre-trip. They are awesome people and take great care of my bike. I usually have a suspension service, cables tightened and a tune up for peace of mind before travel.
Where have you traveled with riding being the reason for the trip?
My wife and I make day trips to Marquette, packing up the dog, the bikes and just what we need to spend the day riding. Locally, we enjoy riding Greenbush, Kettle Moraine, and Nordic Mountain. Duluth, MN has become a new favorite. Some of my longer trips have been to Brevard, North Carolina, Crested Butte and Northwest Montana to name a few.
What was a memorable moment from any of these trips?
A memorable moment in Montana was finding a hidden gem of a trail, just north of where I was staying at Flat Head Lake. The trail was a gnarly decent full of surprises and plenty of bear scat. As I rolled down to trails end, my wife Melissa waiting to pick me up, she saw the pure joy on my face. It was unexpectedly the most fun trail I experienced on the trip.
What has really continued to fuel his love of travel and riding. What continues to make traveling a part of your life?
To put it simply, I realized it brings me joy. The joy in traveling comes from immersing myself in the experience of the trail, the interesting people, communities that encompass the destination and the love of being outdoors with my wife.
Travel and bikes is a passion that has enabled my wife and I to experience some remote places in nature, some days sharing the trail with only our dog, Neah. I’m grateful for this common shared love of nature and riding. It has given us many fun days, some challenging but at the end of a long ride, always a memorable and cherished experience.
What was a memorable moment from any of these trips?
Don’t take it too seriously. Your bike is an awesome vehicle to take you to some cool places, meet some great people with a shared interest.
If you have some travel plans for the upcoming year, near or far, I encourage you to take Rob’s advice and immerse yourself in the experience. Traveling opens the door to hidden gems on the trail, interesting people with shared interests and memories that last a life- time.