Riding a bike is simple. Picking out the right one, taking care of it and riding it safely is where things get complicated, and that’s where a consortium of area cycling organizations is stepping in to help out.

The Vicksburg Main Street Assocation, Bike Walk Mississippi, Crooked Letter Cycling and Revolution Mobile Bike Service are teaming up to offer a free bicycling basics seminar Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Vicksburg City Auditorium.

The seminar will feature discussions on safety, how to pick and maintain the right bike, and the best places to ride in Warren County. It’s aimed primarily at beginners, but cyclists of all levels are welcome to attend.

Kathie Eagles, a member of the Vicksburg RECS recreational cycling group, said the seminar is similar to others that have been held around the state. She got the idea for a Vicksburg version after attending one in Ridgeland with her friend Michelle Williams, who founded the Crooked Letter Cycling blog.

“We realized there needed to be a bike seminar here because of the growing interest in Vicksburg in cycling. It’s thriving,” Eagles said. “Everybody I talked to, from beginner to advanced, said there needs to be a seminar.”

Eagles will speak about local riding areas at the seminar, while Williams will lead the safety discussion. Jeremy Polk, who owns Revolution Mobile Bike Service, will handle the maintenance topics. Polk will also have his mobile service available for tune-ups by appointment throughout the day, although there is a fee for the service.

Polk said maintenance is an often overlooked aspect of cycling. Modern bikes, he said, need a little more love than just a little oil on the chain and air in the tires.

“We’re really trying to educate people who already have bikes on basic maintenance. Tube installation, how to clean it, those types of things,” Polk said. “Bicycles are machines, and they have to be taken care of like your car. Most people don’t realize that.”

Both Eagles and Williams had modest hopes for attendance at Tuesday’s seminar. There’s several hundred regular riders in two main cycling groups in Vicksburg, and both organizers said they were hoping about 50 would attend. They were just as hopeful, however, that the seminars will become regular events whose attendance grows in the coming months.

“The main thing is to spread the love of cycling and the safety of cycling,” Williams said. “I’m hoping it’s something as often as quarterly. If we get a good turnout, it might be more often.”