Still time left to sign up for bike ride that closes part of Ga. 400

In some ways, the annual Ga. 400 Hospitality Highway Century Ride is to cyclists what the AJC Peachtree Road Race is to runners.

They both take place in early July, shut down major roads and bring out tons of locals with exemplary stamina.

The ninth annual bike ride takes place Sunday. Cyclists may choose to do a 9-, 27-, 45-, 60-, or 100-mile ride. Don’t worry — the standard is a rest stop every 15 miles.

For many, the main draw is biking down a highway generally reserved for vehicles, but the route has also been known to take readers past horse farms and down winding country roads.

The ride begins and ends in Roswell’s Sky Zone parking lot, and live music and food is to await riders when they finish.

The morning of the ride, a portion of Ga. 400 southbound will be shut down from Holcomb Bridge to Northridge roads. The closure generally lasts less than an hour around 7 a.m., but drivers on side roads may run into heavy traffic.

Registration is available online until 6 p.m. Wednesday, but riders can register in-person at Roswell Bicycles Thursday to Saturday or register on the day of the ride.  It costs $40 for riders ages 12 to 18 on the day of the ride; riders younger than 12 may not participate. Cost increases to $60 for adults who register on the day of the ride.

More than 1,500 riders are expected to participate.

This article, originally published March 2, has been updated.