Richard Hogan, left, and friends pause during last Saturday's Ride the Rim event, which drew about 2,500 riders to Crater Lake National Park. A second ride is planned for this coming Saturday, with another 2,000 riders already registered.

Day Two of the popular Ride the Rim event at Crater Lake National Park is slated for Saturday, when the weather is expected to be near-perfect.

Last Saturday, about 2,500 bicycle riders took to the vehicle-free East Rim Drive, with another 2,000 registered to ride this coming Saturday during the second and last day of the popular self-paced event. The ride is free and hosted by the park, Friends of Crater Lake National Park and Discover Klamath Visitor Center and Convention Bureau.

“It’s a great ride,” said veteran cyclist Richard Hogan of Medford, who rode there last Saturday. “I suggest people do it.”

During the ride, 25 miles of the 33-mile drive around the lake are off-limits to vehicles, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The ride includes challenging elevation gains of 3,500 feet, with five manned bike stops along the way. It typically takes four hours, give or take an hour, to finish.

“It’s a workout,” said Hogan, who first rode around the lake on a mountain bike 30 years ago, when it “just about killed me.” That first ride took him about four hours. Eleven years ago, a “light, fit and fast” Hogan did the ride in less than two hours. On Saturday, it took him two hours and 30 minutes, at a “nice moderate civil pace with lots of photo opps.”

People need not ride the entire route, but are welcome to make an out-and-back trip.

“There’s a lot of climbing,” Hogan said. “You’re either going up or down. It’s at elevation, so it can be quite tiring.”

Hogan and event organizers suggest riding around the lake clockwise.

“Then you’re always on the side of the lake,” he said.

According to Hogan, a biker was injured in a crash on a long downhill grade Saturday, prompting an ambulance to go to the scene. He didn’t have more information. According to a safety reminder posted on the event’s website, riders can expect to reach speeds of more than 40 mph on the downhill.

Helmets are required for the ride. It’s suggested that riders stay right and be alert for less-experienced riders.

While the event is free, donations are accepted, and people must pay park entry fees of $15-$30. People can pay the fees online, thus avoiding lines at the park entrance. Parking is limited, and people are asked to carpool.

Riders are asked to register at check-in stations. Organizers highly recommend that no rides start after 10 a.m. and that families research the difficulty of the ride to determine whether children should ride.

Electric bikes with a bike assist are allowed, because riders must use a pedaling action to receive the bike assist. Self-propelled bikes are not allowed. Runners and walkers are welcome.

Participants are advised to apply sunscreen liberally, as skin exposed to UV rays at higher elevations can receive severe sunburn. At the rest stops, food, drink and restrooms are available. Cellphone service is spotty. Road construction is taking place along a portion of the drive, but at least one lane of pavement is expected to be open.

About 60 volunteers help put on the event, with the help of park personnel and others. This year, that again includes Tonia Ulbricht, senior marketing manager for Discover Klamath. Ulbricht said last Saturday’s turnout seemed busier than in recent years, although she didn’t have an exact count. They were so busy, they ran out of food, a first.

A free shuttle for people, but not bikes, is available for those who do not want to complete the West Rim section open to vehicles. Shuttle users leave their bikes behind after their ride, while they take the shuttle to retrieve their vehicle and return for the bikes.

“Spirits were high among the participants and volunteers,” she wrote, in an email. “The weather was amazing, and we’re expecting the same this upcoming Saturday as well.”

The National Weather Service predicts it will be sunny with a high of 69 degrees.

Full details are online, at ridetherimoregon.com. For more information, call Discover Klamath at 541-882-1501 or email visit@discoverklamath.com.