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About

For half a century, Tamia Nelson has been ranging far and wide by bike, boat, and on foot. A geologist by training, an artist since she could hold a pencil, a photographer since her uncle gave her a twin-lens reflex camera when she was 10, she's made her living as a writer and novelist for two decades. Avocationally her interests span natural history, social history, cooking, art, and self-powered outdoor pursuits, and she has broad experience in mountaineering, canoeing, kayaking, cycling, snowshoeing and skiing.

Kicking the Bucket List: In Praise of Serendipity

Many blogs and websites now showcase bucket lists. They’re as important to the modern traveler as his smartphone. But is this a good thing? Last week, Farwell weighed up the bucket list’s destructive potential. And this week? With a little help from the princes of Serendip, he’s digging deeper.
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by Farwell Forrest | July 4, 2017

Bucket lists are all the rage these days, touted by legions of bloggers and countless chambers of commerce. The former are probably in the game for the notoriety: “Hey, guys, I just got back from checking out the seals on Elephant Island. That was Number 125 on my list. Awesome!” The chambers of commerce aren’t into bragging rights, however. As you’d expect, they have their eyes fixed firmly on the bottom line, and any list of must-see attractions is tailor-made to lure ever larger flocks of sheep to the shearing pen.

What’s not to like? Bucket lists bring clicks to bloggers who’d otherwise have nothing to say and tourist dollars to rural communities with little left to sell but scenery. So why am I … Continue reading »

Questions Potential Surly Long Haul Trucker Owners Ask: Will Your 42cm LHT Fit Me? by Tamia Nelson

I ride a 2008 42cm Surly Long Haul Trucker, or LHT, bought from stock and modified to suit my body. This is the smallest of the LHT frames Surly makes, and I’ve often written about my bike. As a result, I get a lot of letters from folks who want to know something more of my vital measurements. What’s my height? My standover measure? My reach? All this is in aid of wondering if the 42cm LHT would fit them, or their girlfriend or wife, or boyfriend or husband. So this is for all of you shorter folks who all wonder the same thing. I’ll begin with a photograph of my bike just before a short tour:

42cm Surly LHT Standover Heights

You can open an enlargement in a new window by clicking this link. The top tube of my LHT slopes down from head tube to seat tube, meaning that the standover measure differs along its length. The red line shows the standover height just ahead of the saddle nose, and the blue line shows the height near … Continue reading »

Going Downhill and Liking It: Surviving Descents in Style
by Tamia Nelson

Despite an early brush with death on an icy ski slope, I still enjoy a fast downhill run on two wheels. Not everyone does. There’s good reason for this. Speedy descents are dangerous, even for pros. But what goes up must come down. Unless you limit your rides to the salt flats, sooner or later you’ll find yourself facing the first of many long, steep drops, and since these can’t be avoided, you might as well make the best of them. Staying on the road at speed is Job One. Here’s how to get on the right side of the odds:

Keep your bike in good condition. A steep downhill is no place to discover that your brakes are losing their grip. And a front-wheel blowout almost guarantees a hard landing, so check your bike over before each ride, and keep your tires inflated to the recommended pressure. Make sure no clothing or cargo is flapping around in the breeze either. Nothing brings a bike down faster than something tangled in the spokes.

Never … Continue reading »

There and Back Again in a Day: A Short Course in the Long Haul by Tamia Nelson

What’s a long ride? That depends on the cyclist. For me, a 50-miler is starting to feel long, but it’s still eminently doable. Twice that—a “century,” or 100-miler—is definitely long. It is for me, at any rate. I’d like to be able to ride 100 miles as easily as I now do 25, and that day is coming. But it’s not here yet. Of course, when I ride for pleasure I’m not racing against the clock. I don’t try for the highest possible speed. I often stop to smell the flowers, give a wayward turtle a helping hand across a busy road, take photographs, or make a quick sketch. I also like the freedom to change my plans in mid-ride, exploring interesting-looking roads that weren’t on my original itinerary, even if those roads happen to be dirt.

I think of these trips as microtours, and they require a bit more planning than my everyday rides to haul groceries or keep appointments in town. But this planning isn’t particularly burdensome. I just set everything that … Continue reading »