In spite of cool weather, many cyclists are on the road preparing for the upcoming Kluane Chilkat bike relay.

Training or not, the early registration deadline is looming. After May 13 at midnight, the fee will be $15 more for each rider.

Participants who want to receive a souvenir t-shirt must enter by the early deadline and order the shirt online. The 2011 shirt was designed by Whitehorse resident Bill Oster. Check the KCIBR website for a preview.

Many community groups and volunteers have been recruited and are preparing for the big day on June 18.

These groups help make the annual Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay a successful event. In exchange for the huge volunteer effort, the bike relay provides honorariums to groups from Whitehorse, Haines Junction and Haines, Alaska.

From set-up to finish, there are non-profit groups looking after all aspects of the event.

The Haines Junction Amateur Hockey Association recruits volunteers to set up the first four checkpoints.

Mark Ritchie, from Haines Junction, organizes the group that goes out on Thursday before the event. They take a picnic lunch and have a fun day setting up the checkpoints and start area.

The first four checkpoints are run by groups from Whitehorse. The Lyrical Hounds Society, Suzuki Strings Association of the Yukon, Swim Yukon and the Fair Aid Society will be responsible for checking riders through and ensuring their safety for the first half of the race.

Volunteers from Haines run checkpoints 5 and 7. These two checkpoints have been run by Tomi Scovill and Marion Carlson for years and they have had dedicated family and friends to help them out.

"The food at Checkpoint 7 is the best on the whole race course, and they like to share it with race officials!” race coordinator Mike Gladish said.

Checkpoint 6 is run by Hospice of Haines and the Haines Venturer Scouts and their parents take care of the finish line.

Another volunteer group that will help in the finish area is Haines Friends of Recycling. They will promote the three R's (reducing, reusing and recycling) at the banquet and campground.

The volunteers at the finish line and the last three checkpoints have the longest day, since the riders are spread out and there can be six hours between the first and last riders.

Two groups that will help to ensure the safety of the 1,200 riders and their support vehicles are the St. John Ambulance, Fireweed Division from Whitehorse and the Yukon Amateur Radio Association. They will be present at every checkpoint and at the finish line, providing communication and first aid support.

The Yukon Orienteering Association (YOA) is another important volunteer group which provides support for the relay.

Their SportIdent timing system has been used for three years with great results.

And YOA timing expert Erik Blake has provided expertise to run the timing software.

These volunteers receive a total of $13,000 in honorariums to support their organizations. This includes a portion to cover fuel expenses for the groups which have to travel to the remote checkpoints.

There is a lot of assistance provided by other groups that go beyond the day-to-day expectations of their roles. The RCMP Haines Junction detachment, Yukon Department of Highways, Alaska State Troopers,

Alaska Department of Highways and U.S. and Canadian Customs officials all play key roles in the road relay. As well, emergency response crews in Yukon and Alaska are on alert throughout the event.

With just over a month until the big event, and a promise for some warmer weather, there is time to get the bike legs in shape. But keep the following in mind when riding on the highway: Ride single file and stay right of the white line. Wear a helmet! Obey the rules of the road. And remember, the final registration date is June 10.