MOBILE, Alabama -- As the bands tune up for BayFest tomorrow, thousands of people from across the region will head to downtown Mobile, and most of them will come in a car.

When they get here, they’ll have to deal with parking.

Those that ride a bike won’t have to worry about that thanks to the MOB Cooperative, which is operating a bicycle valet for all three days of the event.

Cyclists can park their bikes, complete with accessories, for free at the cooperative's secure location in Cathedral Square. For a few bucks, the attendants will pump up your tires, wipe down your bike and clean your chain.

Proceeds from the tips go toward fulfilling the group’s mission, promoting and improving access to bicycle transportation in Mobile.

The group’s ultimate vision is a free bike-garage where bike owners, rich and poor, can share tools and knowledge to help keep their rides running smoothly.

MOB Cooperative has run some bike valet services before, notably at Artwalk and Beerfest. Those events had about 30 bikes parked at a time, said Jeff DeQuattro a cooperative member.

BayFest, though, will bring more people downtown than Artwalk and Beerfest combined.

DeQuattro said that he is confident his crew will be able to handle the traffic. He plans on doubling the square footage of the valet parking area in the square.

“We will be able to accept as many bikes as people can bring,” he said.

The cooperative had considered operating the valet service without the official sign on of BayFest organizers in order to avoid the bureaucracy. In the end, though, they hooked up with the Downtown Mobile Alliance, which organizes BayFest’s Eco-Team.

The Eco-Team runs the recycling at the event, but the bicycle cooperative fit with the Eco-Team’s larger mission, making downtown events more ecologically friendly, said Carol Hunter, a spokeswoman for the Alliance.

“The bicycle valet is a great idea,” she said. “When (BayFest officials) heard about it, they got it immediately. Anything that can reduce congestion and the amount of cars downtown, they are going to be for it.”