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J. Nathan Matias

I'm a Guatemalan-American writer and academic who journeys through landscape, ideas, and histories on two wheels.

In my work life, I'm a professor at Cornell University who organizes community/citizen science to better understand our digital environments online. I have also published journalism in The Atlantic, PBS, the Guardian, FiveThirtyEight, and other international media.

As an ultra-endurance cyclist with a respiratory disability, I ride for my health, for fun with friends, and for opportunities to make meaning from things that are hard to see unless you slow down:

In August 2025, I am completing an Everesting Roam ride, with a virtual community of Nepali writers, journalists, and translators: globalvoices.org/2025/07/24/fundraiser-climbing-a-virtual-everest-with-the-global-voices-community

In June 2025, I rode from Denver to Park City Utah, to See Power and Glory in the Great Divide: natematias.medium.com/seeing-the-power-and-the-glory-in-digital-technology-f23244512091

In February 2024, I rode through the snow in search of pure maple syrup near a superfund site: natematias.medium.com/maple-syrup-time-845bc7045754

In June 2023, I rode the length of California's Central Valley in the footsteps of the 1966 Farmworkers March: natematias.com/portfolio/2023-06-01-cycling-central-valley

In April 2022, I rode 12 inches for every COVID death: natematias.medium.com/pilgrimage-for-a-million-lives-80e233a2cc55

Here are other cycling stories I've written:

- Racism Without Racists: Escaping Sprawl and Facing History at Foothills Nature Preserve
natematias.medium.com/escaping-and-facing-history-at-foothills-nature-preserve-f278ab03e67d


- Seeing Water as a Complex System: Riding with John Fleck
natematias.medium.com/seeing-water-as-a-complex-system-riding-with-john-fleck-d560f5246e0a
www.natematias.com

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Timeline

went for a bike ride

May 25, 2026

Flight in the Fingerlakes 300k pre ride

Flight in the Fingerlakes 300k brevet. When you count the ride out and back, it was a 200 mile day!

Time

13h28m

Distance

311km

Speed

24.2km/h

Ascent

2,230m

Descent

2,220m

, and like this.

June 6, 2026

Impressive! And a little nuts, I think 😊

went cycling

September 6, 2025

AIDS Ride for Life

Wonderful day catching up with many other area cyclists riding the AIDS Ride For Life, which raises funds for the Southern Tier AIDs Program.

Time

7h36m

Distance

165km

Speed

24.8km/h

Ascent

1,170m

Descent

1,170m

likes this.

September 26, 2025

Nice

went cycling

March 22, 2025

NYC to Binghamton Day Two

Time

11h29m

Distance

190km

Speed

16.5km/h

Ascent

2,770m

Descent

2,610m

March 25, 2025

After a week of intense, meaningful meetings with collaborators in NYC, I hit the road Friday afternoon for Ithaca on my bike—something I've been wanting to do ever since I started at Cornell. Rain, snow, and a desire to avoid hypothermia eventually cut the ride short in Binghamton at (the wonderful

went cycling

March 21, 2025

NYC to Binghamton Day One

Time

5h21m

Distance

94.3km

Speed

17.6km/h

Ascent

1,150m

Descent

1,060m

went cycling

August 17, 2024

Montezuma Canal Caper

Time

3h19m

Distance

72.0km

Speed

23.0km/h

Ascent

300m

Descent

320m

, , and others like this.

August 18, 2024

Rode from Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge to Syracuse to pick up a wheel they were fixing. Enjoyed the chance to ride part of the Empire State Trail!

went for a bike ride

August 9, 2024

Endless Mountains 400km (ish)

Time

18h31m

Distance

393km

Speed

21.2km/h

Ascent

2,550m

Descent

2,840m

, and like this.

August 13, 2024

Rode out Friday afternoon to visit family in Central Pennsylvania after Tropical Storm Debbie passed through. The day was beautiful!



This ride was my chance to come back and do a ~400km ride after having to drop out most of the way through the 400k randonneuring route earlier this summer.



Along the way

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