Early registration for the Haines to Haines bike relay ends tonight at midnight, as does the discounted entry fee and a guarantee of a T-shirt.

Past participants in the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay are well-acquainted with the allure of the 240-kilometre race, which begins in Haines Junction and follows the Haines Road over the pass and into Haines, Alaska.

Incredible vistas greet riders at the top of the pass, although anyone hoping to get a free ride on the downhill slope will be sorely disappointed by a wicked headwind which demands steady pedaling the whole way down and into Haines.

It's well worth it, however, for the views alone.

The scenery is what organizer Mike Gladish puts at the top of his list of reasons to join the race, followed by the wildlife, or at least the evidence left behind.

"One of the guys on the board was saying the other day, ‘It's got the most bear scat per mile of any bike race,'” Gladish said. "... And the remoteness is certainly notable. I doubt there's another race that goes from a town of 500 to a town of 5,000 so far removed from anywhere else.”

The relay generally attracts a range of participants, from costumed teams of eight to solo riders bent on beating last year's best time.

"Over the last few years it's been a solo team that's won, or a pair, so clearly they're the more serious teams,” Gladish said, adding the winning riders usually come in at around eight hours.

Registration for the race, which can be done solo or in teams of up to eight cyclists, continues until June, but early registration has its privileges.

Those who sign up before midnight today are guaranteed a KCIBR T-shirt and get in for $66; after midnight the entry fee jumps to $80.

Last year 210 teams, approximately 1,200 people, participated. Based on the number of people who have registered so far, Gladish said he expects a slightly larger field this year. There is no limit on the number of people who can enter, he noted.

"There had been talk of (a limit) a few years ago, but it hasn't been that high the last two years so it's still manageable.”

What race organizers do want to cut down on this year is the number of non-pedal-powered vehicles on the road.

"We're trying to get it a bit greener this year,” Gladish said, "so we're encouraging people to keep it to one or two vehicles per team.”

Twelve hundred participants, plus supporters, translate to about 800 cars and trucks on the road, Gladish said, and organizers want to see that number pared down.

"That's a lot of gas to be burning for a bike race,” he said.

They're also focusing more on recycling at the finish-line banquet in Haines, he said.

The other change this year will be the time of the awards ceremony, which is usually held the Sunday morning following the race.

"The awards ceremony will be in the evening immediately after the race,” Gladish said. "Nobody ever shows up (on Sunday morning), so we're just going with the flow.”

Spectators are welcome to come and cheer on the racers, and all are welcome to camp for free at the Haines parade grounds.

Registration ends June 14 at midnight. All registration is on-line at www.kcibr.org.