I’ve already mentioned that Jill Homer is riding the Tour Divide this year. The Tour Divide is a 2,745-mile self-supported mountain bike race from Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico.

MTBCast posts a daily digest of the riders’ call-ins from the trail. It makes for some fun and fascinating listening. You can listen at MTBCast or subscribe using iTunes or your favorite RSS reader using this link.

Dan Craven provided this video of a bicycle ride through Albany’s Washington Park during the Holiday Lights fest:

From Bob at Liberty On Bikes!:

ok, looks like we’ll be leaving the downtube @ madison around 6 then the next meet up will be 6-615 at the boat launch then we’ll be taking the trail over to troy. if we don’t meet up before, there will be a large group going back to albany – see everyone there or along the way!

And this, of course, refers to tonight’s talk by Chris Carlsson in troy.

Bob from Liberty On Bikes! is organizing a ride to go see Critical Mass founder Chris Carlsson in Troy. Here are the details:

There’s several people wanting to ride over to troy for the chris carlson event. Anyone interested in meeting at the downtube between 6-615 to ride over? There will be myself and a friend in town from asheville, thanks! -bob

unless it takes longer to get there, then maybe meet 545, leave @ 6?

You can contact Bob via e-mail if you want to meet.

Here’s the info about the event:

World-Renowned Bicycle Revolutionary to Visit Troy 9/15

On September 15, Chris Carlsson – San Francisco-based author, urbanist, and instigator – will be presenting his latest work, Nowtopia, at The Sanctuary for Independent Media. The event is co-sponsored by the New York Bicycling Coalition and Troy Bike Rescue. Event begins at 7 P.M. at The Sanctuary for Independent Media, 3361 6th Avenue, Troy, NY. Admission by donation ($10 suggested, $5 low income). Directions and more information at www.MediaSanctuary.org or by calling 518-272-2390. Valet bike parking will be available.

Carlsson will be discussing his new book, Nowtopia, while sharing the spotlight with local bike enthusiasts, Troy Bike Rescue, and members of Rhizome Collective, of Austin, TX. As the number of cyclists continues to visibly grow, some might hope that this prophet from the bike-city of San Francisco will be bringing the good word of separated bike lanes and proper bike parking to the auto-dominated streets of the Empire State. However, Carlsson’s latest writing carry a much broader message – it’s an analysis of “work” and a vision of radical new economics that he contends is already taking shape.

Carlsson is perhaps best known in the bicycle community as one of the first motivators of the monthly Critical Mass bike rides that began in the early 90s in San Francisco, and have spread to 5 continents and over 300 cities around the world.

Local organizer and founder of Troy Bike Rescue, Andrew Lynn, remarks: “Making true social change and moving society towards sustainable future is not just about ‘going green’; it’s about building sustainable social and technical infrastructure. This will require new levels of cooperation and innovation.”

NOTE: Per Andrew Lynn: “we are looking for a few people who might want to help specifically with Valet Bike Parking. we have advertised that this service will be available. its pretty simple – taking peoples bikes a they arrive and taking them to the little alcove between the sanctuary and the adjacent building. then, someone will need to hang out by the door and be the security. ideally this would be a rotating role. please let me know if you can help with this at anyone@breathingplanet.net.”