I'm going. I've wanted to do the North Entrance since I rode CO 2012 when we went up the South Entrance. I rode it fix gear (changing cogs; on that ride the climbs were so long and few that except for the rim, there were few stops for cog changes and on the rim I only needed my highest and lowest gears. No flat.)
The day to Crater Lake was advertised as 88 miles and 8800' of climbing. I took a wrong turn off the rim, did a glorious descent, then had to climb back to the rim from almost the North Entrance, roughly 1000'. Not fun. I had just enough snacks in my pockets to get to lunch riding just the rim. Couldn't enjoy the rim at all; it was just drag my butt over two more climbs and 2000', get to lunch and eat. Then I felt OK and enjoyed the miles of downhill to Prospect but no way was I backtracking 10000' to look at beautiful lake I spent so much money to see.
So I've been waiting for CO to go up the north side since then so I can do that tough climb fresh and enjoy it. (I am a mountain goat, but even mountain goats can see too much!) I set my Mooney up to ride the ride 2 years ago when the North Entrance and gravel was promised. (Way more gravel than I will do on my skinny tired fix gear.) Fires got in the way. So I am in again, probably on my good fix gear. There's one gravel stretch, I think about 20 miles. We'll see how I feel about doing that on those tires.
For those new to Cycle Oregon - first, welcome! It is an event that goes way beyond the riding and the support is amazing. Good food and lots of it, good music, great ride support and mechanics (some of the best in the business and they go overboard when needed. All labor is free (bikes have been welded up in the early hours before dawn, wheels built from scratch, you name it. If you need a weird part, odds age good that a mechanic has one. Or will make it. My first CO. I broke my seatpost Day 2. The lead mechanic lent me a Laprade from his stash that I rode almost a year while the replacement was being made. Cost me nothing except the optional loop to see Hell's Canyon. The 3 miles into camp seat-free was enough for that day!)
I'll be riding my brakes of choice - Shimano dual pivots (picked up used, nice but I have no idea what model or level they are) and Tektro V-brake levers (to "de-tune" them so I can hit them hard when I see that corner my pedals won't clear and bleed speed fast and predictably). The downhill off Crater Lake will be a blast. Remember - I've done it. Fixed on a 42-12. Ear-to-ear grin. (I did it with an antique car club driving up, They had yet to see the hundreds of bikes, so I was their first and I got all the waves and classic honks.)
Ben