Vicksburg’s only bike ride is set for another year.

Vicksburg Main Street’s sixth annual Bricks and Spokes bike ride will be Saturday, Oct. 3, at 8 a.m.

“We are the only bike ride in Vicksburg and we’re the only bike ride that gets to go across the bridge,” Main Street director Kim Hopkins said.

The ride starts at the Vicksburg Senior Center, 801 South St., and continues over the Old Mississippi River Bridge into Louisiana before traveling back through Warren County and finishing in downtown Vicksburg.

“When you’re on your bike, you get to see so much more of Vicksburg than being in a car,” Hopkins said.

The ride offers a 10-, 30-, 50- and 62-mile route across the Old Mississippi River Bridge. All types of bicycles and all different skill levels are welcome. Helmets are required.

“I just enjoy seeing everybody come back. It’s just fun seeing everybody who’s done it every year. I enjoy visiting with them. It’s always just fun seeing everybody have fun and ride. One day I hope to be able to ride it,” Hopkins said.

There will be three rest areas with drinks and food and four support and gear vehicles with air pumps and other bike maintenance items on board.

Joe Giambrone helped set up the course route six years ago in 2010. His number one priority in making the course is dealing with dogs in the county and said dealing with motorists has not been a major issue. The course has changed a little over the years, but the last three years they have stuck to the same route.

Giambrone is glad Vicksburg has a ride to encourage a healthy lifestyle and promote the local cycling scene.

“We have a lot of runs but nothing for the cyclist. So I enjoy helping out because I’m a real big cycling fan,” Giambrone said.

He also enjoys participating in the ride every year and he competes with a group of people who like to ride with speed.

“Probably about 10 of us will take it real serious and it’ll become a race for us,” Giambrone said. “We have fun with it. We’ll go across the river fast and we’ll come back and ride 62 miles.”

The first 200 ride registrants receive a Polar Insulated Water Bottle. So far just over 100 people have registered for the race meaning less than 100 water bottles are still available.

The registration fee is $40, and participants can sign-up online at bricksandspokes.racesonline.com or in the Main Street office at 1010 Levee Street Suite D. Registration forms can also be found at Wyatt’s Gym, the YMCA and Paper Plus.

The fundraiser would not be possible without the help of sponsors who donate to the event. The money raised from the ride will go to help Main Street’s efforts in improving downtown.

“It’s one of our number one fundraisers,” Hopkins said. “It’s the way that we raise funds to give back to downtown. We’re on a limited budget so this brings in money for us to be able to do events and economic improvements downtown.”

She said they are looking at using some of the money to create bike lanes and bike routes within the city, but it might take some time before those dreams become reality.

“It is a work in progress,” Hopkins said.

She is still in need of volunteers to make this massive ride a success. It takes a lot of people to stand along the route and man the rest areas, among other jobs, for the 250 to 300 projected riders.

After the ride, there will be a party with food and a band. Once the after party is complete, participants are encouraged to attend the Downtown Vicksburg Fall Festival at the Famers Market lot on the 1000 block of Washington Street.

For more information, call 601-634-4527, email kimh@vicksburg.org or visit bricksandspokes.racesonline.com.